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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, Royal Challengers Bangalore of the Indian Premier League, and South Africa. He has been a regular feature of the South African side since the 1997/1998 tour to Australia.
[edit] 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 has ever had, and holds the record for the most dismissals in Test cricket. He got the record originally when he overtook the former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy in the first test of the Bank Alfalah Test Series versus Pakistan in Karachi on October 3, 2007 when he stumped Umar Gul off the bowling of Paul Harris. He then lost the record to Adam Gilchrist before regaining it when he caught Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh in February 2008.[1] Boucher is also second on the all-time list in One Day Internationals, also behind Adam Gilchrist. He once held the record for the highest score by a nightwatchman in Test cricket with 125 for South Africa v Zimbabwe at Harare in 1999-00. [2] 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.[3]
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.[4] 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. [5] 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.[6]
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.[7] He became the first wicketkeeper in the history of test cricket to reach the milestone of 400 dismissals when he caught Danish Kaneria off the bowling of Makhaya Ntini on October 10, 2007 in the second test of the Bank Alfalah Test Series against Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ South Africa on brink of victory BBC News retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ 2nd Test: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Nov 11-14, 1999 Cricinfo retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ AUS vs SA, 12/3/2006 BBC News retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ Boucher blitz blows Zimbabwe away Cricinfo retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ Most consecutive ODIs. Cricinfo retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ Most runs off one over retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ SA vs NET, World Cup 2007 Cricinfo retrieved February 25, 2008
- ^ Pakistan v South Africa at Lahore, Oct 08-12,2007 Cricinfo retrieved February 25, 2008
[edit] External links
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Wicket-keepers with 300 Test dismissals |
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South Africa
