Justin Ontong
Encyclopedia
Justin Lee Ontong is a South African cricket
er, who currently plays domestic cricket for the Cape Cobras
. He has played two Tests
, 26 One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 International
s as an all-rounder
.
career with Boland, making his debut in February 1998 against Natal in Paarl
.
He toured Pakistan
with the South Africa under-19 team in February 1999, and then Ireland
and Scotland
with the South Africa Academy later that year. He played for a South African Invitation XI against the touring England team in January 2000, and was a member of the South Africa A squad that went to the West Indies in August and September 2000.
His first elevation to the full South African squad came with the tour of the West Indies in early 2001, where his quiet demeanour earned him the nickname "Rowdy" from his team-mates. He made his international debut in the first ODI in Jamaica
, scoring 11 at number nine and bowling five overs. He went on to play in six of the seven matches in the series, but recorded just 13 runs and two wickets in total.
He played a further One Day International in Zimbabwe
in September 2001, before being selected for the tour of Australia
that followed. Left out of the first two Test matches, he was then thrust into the limelight by being selected for the Sydney
Test amid much controversy. After the selectors chose Jacques Rudolph
ahead of him, they were overruled by Percy Sonn
, then president of the UCB. Sonn insisted that Ontong, a Cape Coloured, play instead of Rudolph as part of South Africa's racial quota policy, and Ontong duly made his Test debut at the SCG. He scored 9 and 32 in a heavy defeat.
Ontong has continued to play intermittently for South Africa in one-day cricket
, but has made just one further Test appearance, against India in Kolkata
in 2004.
He returned his best bowling figures of 4/66 against Border
in 2002–03, and compiled his highest first-class score of 166 against Eastern Province
the following season.
In 2004–05, Ontong moved to the newly-formed Lions franchise, and played for them for four seasons, before joining the Cape Cobras
as captain
in September 2008.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who currently plays domestic cricket for the Cape Cobras
Cape Cobras
The Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras often shortened to Cape Cobras or Cobras is the name used since the 2005–06 season by the combined Western Province and Boland first class cricket teams in South African domestic cricket. The joint Western Province and Boland team was named Western Province Boland for...
. He has played two Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, 26 One Day Internationals and two Twenty20 International
Twenty20 International
A Twenty20 International is a form of cricket which is played over 20 overs per side between two national cricket teams. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket...
s as an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
.
Cricket career
Ontong began his first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
career with Boland, making his debut in February 1998 against Natal in Paarl
Boland Park
Boland Bank Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Paarl, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches and hosted three matches during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Boland cricket team and the Cape Cobras both stage home matches at the ground. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000...
.
He toured Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
with the South Africa under-19 team in February 1999, and then Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with the South Africa Academy later that year. He played for a South African Invitation XI against the touring England team in January 2000, and was a member of the South Africa A squad that went to the West Indies in August and September 2000.
His first elevation to the full South African squad came with the tour of the West Indies in early 2001, where his quiet demeanour earned him the nickname "Rowdy" from his team-mates. He made his international debut in the first ODI in Jamaica
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, scoring 11 at number nine and bowling five overs. He went on to play in six of the seven matches in the series, but recorded just 13 runs and two wickets in total.
He played a further One Day International in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
in September 2001, before being selected for the tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
that followed. Left out of the first two Test matches, he was then thrust into the limelight by being selected for the Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
Test amid much controversy. After the selectors chose Jacques Rudolph
Jacques Rudolph
Jacobus Andries Rudolph , popularly known as Jacques Rudolph, is a South African Test and ODI cricketer currently playing in England with Yorkshire CCC and in South Africa with Titans.He had an unbeaten 222 in his debut Test inning...
ahead of him, they were overruled by Percy Sonn
Percy Sonn
Percival Henry Frederick Sonn was a South African lawyer and cricket administrator. Sonn became the sixth president of the International Cricket Council, the most senior role at cricket's world governing body, in July 2006...
, then president of the UCB. Sonn insisted that Ontong, a Cape Coloured, play instead of Rudolph as part of South Africa's racial quota policy, and Ontong duly made his Test debut at the SCG. He scored 9 and 32 in a heavy defeat.
Ontong has continued to play intermittently for South Africa in one-day cricket
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
, but has made just one further Test appearance, against India in Kolkata
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
in 2004.
He returned his best bowling figures of 4/66 against Border
Border cricket team
Border cricket team is the team representing the Border province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in March 1898....
in 2002–03, and compiled his highest first-class score of 166 against Eastern Province
Eastern Province cricket team
Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...
the following season.
In 2004–05, Ontong moved to the newly-formed Lions franchise, and played for them for four seasons, before joining the Cape Cobras
Cape Cobras
The Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras often shortened to Cape Cobras or Cobras is the name used since the 2005–06 season by the combined Western Province and Boland first class cricket teams in South African domestic cricket. The joint Western Province and Boland team was named Western Province Boland for...
as captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
in September 2008.