Vernon Philander is a powerful allrounder who has had stunning success in his first five months in Test cricket, reaching 50 wickets in only seven matches, the second-fastest ever in Test history. Philander hails from a country famous for producing high-quality fast bowlers, and he has done everything in his first few games to keep up that tradition. His strength isn't extreme pace, but he has everything else going for him: the ability to move the ball both ways at a sharp speed, and relentlessly attack the stumps over long spells.

His promotion to the Test squad was the result of consistent performances in the domestic circuit - he got a chance to play the home series against Australia in 2011 after taking 35 wickets at an average of 16.11 in the 2010-11 domestic season - but even he wouldn't have anticipated the immediate impact he made. He started with a Man-of-the-Match performance in his first Test, taking 8 for 78, including a second-innings haul of 5 for 15, to help South Africa to a stunning win in Cape Town. He followed it up with another five-for in the second Test, winning him the Man-of-the-Series prize. The good times continued in his next two series as well, as he grabbed 16 in two Tests against Sri Lanka and then tormented New Zealand in the three Test away series. He thus had six five-fors in his first seven Tests, and reached 50 wickets only 139 days from his debut.

Before all that Test success, Philander performed consistently for Cape Cobras. He also played for South Africa Under-19s on their tour of England in 2003 and the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. In 2006-07 he produced an impressive one-day season for the Cobras, averaging 72 with the bat and 30 with the ball. It was enough to earn him a place in South Africa's squad for their one-day tour of Ireland, a team he'd been lined up to play for before a stress fracture of his back, and he was rewarded for a good display there with a spot in the Twenty20 World Championships in 2007.
Andrew McGlashan