Dane Vilas - a Johannesburg-born South African international cricketer, donned the Proteas jersey for six Tests and a solitary T20I before signing a Kolpak deal with Lancashire to commit to English county cricket in 2017. He is an unfortunate keeper-batsman whose career collapsed in between the AB de Villiers-and-Quinton de Kock era. 

Vilas’ domestic career started with a bang as he received the best newcomers award by Graeme Smith during the CSA Annual Award in 2009. The keeper-batsman debuted for Lions but had to move to Cape Cobras to get regular seeding. 

He laid some consistent performances in domestic circles before the Johannesburg-born received his T20I cap against India in 2012. Three years later, Vilas received his Test debut in Dhaka and played consecutive matches against Bangladesh, India, and England; before Quinton de Kock took the gloves duty. 

In 2017, the South African migrated to Manchester to play for Lancashire. The keeper became an asset for the club and has been performing regularly for them, including his 235 not out against Somerset in 2018. Two years later, the keeper moved back to South Africa for a blistering season in the Mzansi Super League. 

The Johannesburg-born has performed well in the 2021 County Championship as his 189 off just 252 deliveries is evident of that. Hence, Lancashire would be placing their bets on Vilas for the T20 Blast to win the first title for the club since 2015.

(As of May 2021)