Wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Vilas played one T20I and six Tests for South Africa before signing a Kolpak deal and heading to Lancashire.
Dane Vilas made his international debut for South Africa in a T20I against India at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 2012. The Proteas won that match by 11 runs using the D/L Method. This would be the only T20I Vilas would play for South Africa, as AB de Villiers soon took over the wicketkeeping duties.
Vilas made his Test debut for South Africa against Bangladesh in 2015. However, his international career was brief, as he opted for a Kolpak deal with Lancashire two years later.
‘Excellent Acquisition’
According to the CricInfo website, Vilas’ debut Test in Mirpur was mostly washed out. However, he toured India for four Tests later that year and replaced an injured Quinton de Kock at the last minute for the Wanderers Test against England in January 2016. Remarkably, he arrived 45 minutes after the start of the match, having flown from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg.
Vilas proved to be an excellent acquisition for Lancashire, whom he captained from the 2018 season onwards. He was also one of their few batting mainstays in a relegation season, scoring 235 not out against Somerset and sharing a tremendous recovery stand with Josh Bohannan to salvage an unlikely victory against Worcestershire.
In the following season, he plundered 266 off 240 balls in an innings win over Glamorgan.
Vilas first gained attention when he played fast bowler Allan Donald in the 2008 film “Hansie,” about the life of the disgraced former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje. The producers wanted to add authenticity to on-field scenes by using real cricketers – although not, in this case, real fast bowlers.
Dane Vilas – Overview
- Full name: Dane James Vilas
- Born: 10 June 1985
- Education: KES
- Nickname: Vili
- Batting style: Right-handed
- Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
- Playing role: Wicketkeeper-batsman
- Teams: South Africa, Cape Cobras, Lions, Lahore Qalandars, Lancashire, Paarl Royals, South Africa ‘A’, SWD
