Batting: Right hand batsman
Bowling: Net Bowler
Dane Vilas, an aggressive right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper, educated at King Edward V11, the nursery that also produced Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie, reached a proud milestone in 2015 when he made his test debut against Bangladesh.
For a while it seems as if the superb player would be resigned to only one international appearance for South Africa, a T20-match in 2012, but he received a call-up into the test squad against Bangladesh in 2015.
A dip in form by Quinton de Kock saw Vilas promoted to the position of wicketkeeper in the team for the second test against Bangladesh. His composed performance behind the stumps resulted in Vilas being retained in that position for the tour to India.
In the South Africa A-series against India A, Vilas smashed 75 off 74 balls in the first unofficial test at Wayanad.
He struggled in the test series against India on unforgiving pitches as Ravi Ashwin captured 31 wickets. Not one of the SA batsmen, excluding AB de Villiers, could complete a half-century in the four-test series.
Vilas made his first-class debut for Gauteng in 2006/2007 and moved to Western Province five seasons in search of more opportunities as Thami Tsolekile and later Quinton de Kock plied their trade at the Lions.
A fearsome striker and splendid finisher in Momentum One-Day Cup competitions and the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, Vilas has been a key factor for the Cobras. He has opened the innings on occasions, but has also batted in the top- and middle-order.
In domestic T20-cricket, he is eleventh on the list of the players who have cleared the boundary on the most occasions (41 sixes).
The 29-year old wicketkeeper has also featured in the Sunfoil Series, and has made crucial contributions in the lower middle-order. He averaged 31.78 in the 2013-2014-season which ended with another Cape Cobras title in the Sunfoil Series.
In a Momentum One Day Cup match at PPC Newlands against The Unlimited Titans in the 2015/2016-season, Vilas was in superlative form, smashing 78. His excellent batting was a factor in guiding the Cape Cobras to a 19-run win.
