Does South Africa produce more high-quality batters than anywhere else?

There is no greater indignity in cricket than losing by an innings.

Needless to say, such a margin of victory implies a one-sided contest. You’ll hear captains, coaches and commentators say something like: “They were better in every department.”

And that is almost always true. But taking a closer look at England’s chastening defeat by South Africa at Lord’s – by an innings and 12 runs – and there is at least some room for optimism for the vanquished hosts.

For starters, South Africa bowled incredibly well. They possess arguably the most potent attack in the game and any batting line-up, even one with more steel that England’s, would struggle against them.

But South Africa’s willow wielders didn’t exactly grind the English bowlers to powder. The Proteas’ total of 326, with a top score of 73, isn’t the sort of performance that usually claims innings triumphs.

And if Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are looking for silver linings, they can turn their gaze towards their opponents’ batting records.

Not one South African averages more than 40 with the bat. At 14th on the list, the captain, Dean Elgar, is placed highest on the International Cricket Council’s Test batting rankings. With Temba Bavuma missing through injury, next on the list is Keegan Petersen down in 44th.

How could this be? It wasn’t too long ago that South Africa could boast of a batting card that included Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers. Where have all the imperious strokemakers from the Republic gone? Depending on your viewpoint, they’re still around.

One, in fact, is the second best batter in the game at present.

Marnus Labuschagne is, of course, Australian. But he was born in Klerksdorp in the North West province of South Africa. He emigrated with his family across the Indian Ocean in 2004 when he was 10. Had things panned out differently, he might be taking guard for the country of his birth.

Labuschagne is one of 85 players who have scored more than 900 Test runs at an average higher than 40 in the 21st Century. Australia has contributed more to this list – 19 – than any other country. Behind England (12), India (11), and New Zealand (10) is South Africa with nine.

This is not surprising given the difficulty of batting on South African wickets where batters have averaged 30.83 per wicket – lower than any other country that has staged more than one Test – since January 2000. What is surprising is what happens to the figures with a little finessing of the variables.

When the parameters are altered to record batters by the country of their birth rather than the team they play for, South Africa shoots up the list. In fact, South Africa gains seven new members, sitting beside Australia at the top of the chart with 16.

Can we then conclude that South Africa, either by design or luck, produces more Test-quality batters than any other nation?

“I think you can say that,” says Allan Lamb, the Langebaan native who scored 4,656 Test runs at 36.09 for England in 79 Tests. “Our pitches, our school system, our mentality, we tick all the boxes. South Africa has the ideal conditions for preparing players to take that step to Test cricket.”

Let’s break down each of the three factors Lamb has outlined. The hardness of South African surfaces has cultivated a culture of fast bowling. From an early age bowlers are encouraged to bang it in short and unleash thunderbolts. Accuracy is developed later as raw pace is championed.

But, unlike Australian wickets, South African pitches also seam. This lateral movement combined with that extra lift can make batting a nightmare. Since the country’s readmission to Test cricket in 1992, no other country (apart from Ireland and their one Test) has yielded a lower average for the opening stand than South Africa’s score of 33.34.

“You have to have a solid technique,” says Robin Smith, who moved from his home in Durban to Hampshire where his destructive cut shut and fearlessness against fast bowling earned him an England call-up in 1988.

“Lamby didn’t have the best technique but he was hard to get out. We’re well grounded in the fundamentals of batting. Growing up on those sorts of wickets definitely moulds you to become a better batsman when you start facing quicker bowlers.”

Smith also cites the “rougher” ecosystem found in most top sports schools in the country. Like Shaun Pollock and Keshav Maharaj, Smith and his brother Chris – who played 12 matches for England in the 1980s – attended Northwood High School in Durban. The country is dotted with institutions that offer facilities that would rival any first-class club in the world. Conditions, though, are only half of the equation.

“South Africa is a tough place,” adds Jonathan Trott, who scored nine Test centuries during a golden period for England between 2009 and 2015. “Even in the top schools, like the one I went to [Rondebosch Boys’ in Cape Town, alma mater of dozens of international athletes], you couldn’t be a pushover. You couldn’t show weakness. You’d get chewed up.”

This, however, doesn’t paint the full picture. A total of 28 men were born in South Africa and went on to represent another country’s cricket team. Eighteen made their debut in the 21st Century and 13 scored more than 900 runs at an average of 35 and above.

But some of these players are nominally South African. Five had moved at various pre-first-class cricket ages, like Andrew Strauss, who left when he was six. Seven made their first-class debut in South Africa. The 13th is Basil D’Oliveira. He was the first of the 28 to play Test cricket and the only one whose success was clearly despite the system in South Africa in his day rather than potentially because of it.

With so many factors at play it’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause. Every case is unique. Every player’s career is a consequence of his environment and natural gifts.

There’s no denying the impact that South Africans have made on the global game. Elgar will hope that those still wearing the Protea can further enhance his country’s reputation with the bat and supplement his stellar bowling cast as they search for a famous series win.

All stats correct as of 21 August.