When you think of South African bowlers, you tend to think of pacemen like Donald, Pollock, Ntini, Steyn and Morkel. The Proteas have not been blessed with great spinners since they returned to the international fold 20 years ago. Maybe it's just because pitches there are more conducive to seam and swing than turn. However, some players have continued to twirl away, year after year, accumulating wickets without making a huge impact on the world stage. One such man is Claude Henderson, who turns 40 today.
He'd been a professional in his home country for ten years and was 29 before he was finally given a chance against Zimbabwe thanks to Nicky Boje's injury problems. He kept his place on the more testing tour of Australia but played what turned out to be his final two Tests against the then very lowly Bangladesh, almost ten years ago. Oddly, in both his first and last matches, the trio of Gibbs, Kirsten and Kallis each scored hundreds in the same innings to set up victories! During that brief period, Henderson had to bowl a lot of overs at the likes of Andy Flower, Hayden and the Waughs in their prime, and was rewarded with only 22 wickets at more than 40 apiece. He was given few opportunities in ODIs, either, taking seven fairly cheap wickets against Bangladesh and Kenya.
For the rest of the South African summer and the visit to England, spin duties went to Boje or Robin Petersen and that was that. Admittedly Henderson didn't appear on my radar until he signed for Leicestershire a few seasons ago. The county may have been struggling in Division Two but the left-armer, on a Kolpak contract, has been one of their most consistent players, taking lots of wickets and contributing some useful late-order runs, too. I haven't really forgiven him for his stingy four overs against Somerset as he and Josh Cobb combined to win the domestic T20 Cup for the first time, and he was again in action as Leicester started their title defence this week.
While his international career was short-lived, 22 seasons as a professional have yielded a very impressive tally of 881 first-class, 319 one-day and 90 T20 wickets. As he turns 40, his chances of reaching that elusive 1000 in proper cricket are fading. However, given a fair wind and enduring fitness, he might just manage it. He has outlasted the likes of Muralitharan, McGill and Udal, although Robert Croft - at 42 - has yet to hang up his boots. Happy birthday, Claude and, apart from when you face Somerset, good luck for the rest of the summer.
