I used to loathe Graeme Smith.

He embodied everything that was wrong with South African cricket – he looked and acted like a school bully; he used negative tactics; he played ugly strokes, heaving and humphing leg-side boundaries; he was over-rated.

Yes, he scored two consecutive double-hundreds against England and, immense as those innings were, England bowled horrendously. Endless half-volleys on leg-stump, dispatched with a bottom-handed thump – just dreadful cricket.

Inevitably, England worked him out. My favourite bored moment at work became calculating his batting average against England without those two innings (a fatuous exercise, I know, but designed to make me feel better). It was woeful – in the low 20s.

Then something changed.

In the 2008 series, I found myself liking Smith: he’d become the player everyone thought he was back in 2003 – a serious, world-class performer. He’s tightened his technique (if not the aesthetics of it) and, most importantly, he scores vital runs. Hundreds at Lord’s, Edgbaston and now Cape Town were all made under immense pressure, with great aggression, superb tactics and skill. They have each had a massive impact in the series.

So, my new South African figure of loathing is JP Duminy – for the same reason: he is over-rated. At least this series he’s beginning to look exposed – his soft, declaration 36 today makes up for nothing, especially when you see how hurried he was playing pull shots off Anderson and Onions.

Maybe he’ll come good like Smith but he has a long way to go at international level. I am not alone in thinking this – England do not fear him either.

Edward Craig is deputy editor of The Wisden Cricketer

You can find him on Twitter @wisdencric_ed