MARK BOUCHER

'Mark Verdon Boucher' (born December 3, 1976 in East London, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa) is a South African cricketer. He was educated at Selborne College. He has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI and South Africa. He has been a regular feature of the South African side since the 1997/1998 tour to Australia.

Contents

Notable achievements

References

External links

Notable achievements

Boucher is currently South Africa's first-choice wicketkeeper, and is widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest wicketkeepers South Africa have ever had, and lies first on the all-time list of most catches in Test cricket with 376 (as of February 21, 2007), having overtaken the former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy with 366. He is also second on the all-time list in one-day internationals, behind the current Australian keeper Adam Gilchrist.
He once held the record for the highest score by a night-watchman in Test cricket with 125 for South Africa v Zimbabwe at Harare in 1999-00.
On 12 March 2006 he hit the winning runs for South Africa against Australia in what some have argued is the greatest one day international ever played.^[1]
Later in 2006, on 20 September, he made his maiden ODI century, hitting an unbeaten 147 against Zimbabwe from a mere 68 balls. His hundred came up off just 44 balls, the second-fastest ODI century ever. Boucher did benefit, however, from some very poor Zimbabwean fielding, being dropped no fewer than six times during his innings.^[2] He has played over one hundred consecutive ODIs for his country and is one of only eleven players, including Hansie Cronjé and Shaun Pollock, to achieve this. ^[3]
In February 2007 he and Jacques Kallis combined to hit Mohammad Asif for 28 runs off an over in an ODI at Centurion. It broke the South African record for most runs off an over which was previously held by both Shaun Pollock and Graeme Smith with 27. However, this was later broken by Herschelle Gibbs with 36 runs off one over, the most possible without no-balls or wides. ^[4]
Boucher showed his leadership qualities when he talked to Herschelle Gibbs and got him to tell the truth about his match-fixing. In the period while the team was under Shaun Pollock's leadership, Boucher was the regular vice-captain of the team and lead the team in tests four times. These matches includes a victory over Australia, an achievement which neither Pollock nor current captain Graeme Smith can boast with.
Boucher started his 2007 World Cup campaign in good form with a 21-ball half century, the then fastest in World Cup history (before being beaten by Brendon McCullum's 20-ball effort six days later) - scoring 75 not out against the Netherlands as South Africa scored 353 for 4 wickets in a rain-shortened World Cup match. However, this was overshadowed by Herschelle Gibbs's six sixes in an over, the 3rd time ever in world cricket and first time in a One Day International match, and thus in the World Cup.^[5]
He is well known for his tough, 'Australian-like' approach to the game and it has been said that he steps onto a cricket field like he owns it. Like most wicketkeepers, he can often be heard to sledge the opposing team's batsmen. In a test match against Zimbabwe he started sledging Tatenda Taibu, the Zimbabwean wicket-keeper which included Boucher saying 'what's your average!'

References

1. BBC page of AUS vs SA, 12/3/2006
2. Cricinfo page of SA vs ZIM, 20/9/2006
3. Cricinfo page: Most consecutive ODIs.
4. Cricinfo page: Most runs off one over.
5. Cricinfo page on SA vs NET, World Cup 2007

External links

★ Cricinfo profile

'Mark Boucher at the Cricket World Cup'