A tall left-handed batsman, Keaton Jennings made his first-class debut for Gauteng against Free State in his native Johannesburg in December 2011 aged 19, having spent a season with Durham, where he made 1,319 runs in Academy and Second XI matches. He is a former South Africa Under-19 captain who led the touring side in England in 2011 and is the son of former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, but intends to serve the four-year qualification period that will make him eligible for England. His mother is from Sunderland but his arrival at Chester-le-Street owes more to the friendship Durham coach Geoff Cook struck up with his father when they played domestic cricket in South Africa, Cook for Eastern Province, Jennings for Transvaal.

A patient batsman with an old-fashioned willingness to occupy the crease, Jennings enjoyed a prolific season in 2012, scoring 1,179 Second XI runs at 69.35, including seven 50s and two double hundreds and earned his first-class Durham debut against Surrey in August 2012, a week after making 201 for the Seconds against Ireland A. He made a favourable impression with an assured 70 spanning two and a half hours against Lancashire at Aigburth in his third first-class match for the county, opening alongside Mark Stoneman.
ESPNcricinfo staff