- Mark Boucher
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Mark Boucher 
Personal information Full name Mark Verdon Boucher Born 3 December 1976
East London, Cape Province, South AfricaBatting style Right-handed Bowling style Right arm medium Role Wicket-keeper International information National side South Africa Test debut (cap 267) 17 October 1997 v Pakistan Last Test 6 January 2011 v India ODI debut (cap 46) 16 January 1998 v New Zealand Last ODI 3 June 2010 v West Indies ODI shirt no. 9 Domestic team information Years Team 1995/96–2002/03 Border 2004/05- Warriors 2009–2010 Royal Challengers Bangalore 2011- Kolkata Knight Riders Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 139 292 201 358 Runs scored 5,312 4,664 8,420 6,143 Batting average 30.70 28.79 33.54 28.57 100s/50s 5/34 1/26 9/52 2/35 Top score 125 147* 134 147* Balls bowled 8 – 26 – Wickets 1 – 1 – Bowling average 6.00 – 26.00 – 5 wickets in innings 0 – 0 – 10 wickets in match 0 – 0 – Best bowling 1/6 – 1/6 – Catches/stumpings 499/22 400/22 677/36 476/31 Source: CricketArchive, 6 February 2011 Mark Verdon Boucher (born 3 December 1976) is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders 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.
Notable achievements
Boucher is currently, and has been so ever since he replaced Dave Richardson, South Africa's first-choice wicketkeeper, and is widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest wicketkeepers South Africa has ever had.[citation needed] He 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 3 October 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 had been 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]
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 Pollock could not manage. 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]
Despite being South Africa's consistent wicket-keeper for a long time, age meant that batsman AB de Villiers was given a chance with the gloves and he impressed. However de Villiers is one of the teams best outfielders and therefore Boucher continued to feature in the team. He participated in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 and the South African coach Corrie van Zyl said that both Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs have the chance to get back in the team. He stated that Boucher will get his chance in the team provided that he performs in the domestic ODI tournament he also stated that both of them had a good chance in playing for the 2011 Cricket World Cup [9] He was however still selected for the Test series against Pakistan and continues to be South Africa's number one test wicket-keeper [10] Also during that time Boucher recovered from his six-week shoulder injury and stated that he is desperate for a return to international cricket. He stated that his main aim was to participate in the 2011 Cricket World Cup [11]
References
- ^ South Africa on brink of victory BBC News retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ 2nd Test: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Nov 11-14, 1999 Cricinfo retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ AUS vs SA, 12/3/2006 BBC News retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ Boucher blitz blows Zimbabwe away Cricinfo retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ Most consecutive ODIs. Cricinfo retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ Most runs off one over retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ SA vs NET, World Cup 2007 Cricinfo retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ Pakistan v South Africa at Lahore, Oct 08-12,2007 Cricinfo retrieved 25 February 2008
- ^ http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/478438.html
- ^ http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan-v-south-africa-2010/content/story/478202.html
- ^ http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/485697.html
External links
Preceded by
Shaun PollockSouth African Test cricket captain
2001/2Succeeded by
Shaun PollockWicket-keepers with 300 Test dismissals Wicket-keepers with 300 ODI dismissals South Africa squad – 1999 Cricket World Cup Semi-Finalists 
• 2 Boucher • 3 Boje • 4 Dippenaar • 5 Donald • 6 Gibbs • 7 Hall • 8 Kallis • 9 Kirsten • 10 Klusener • 11 Langeveldt • 12 Ntini • 13 Peterson • 14 Rhodes • 15 Zondeki • 16 Smith Replacement for Rhodes
South Africa squad – 2007 Cricket World Cup Semi-Finalists • 2 Bodi • 3 Boucher • 4 de Villiers • 5 Duminy • 6 Gibbs • 7 Kemp • 8 A. Morkel • 9 M. Morkel • 10 Nel • 11 Ntini • 12 Philander • 13 Pollock • 14 Tshabalala • 15 van der Wath • Coach: Arthur
Loots Bosman was ruled out of the competition with a lower back injury.• 2 Abdulla • 3 Botha • 4 Boucher • 5 de Villiers • 6 Duminy • 7 Gibbs • 8 Kallis • 9 A. Morkel • 10 M. Morkel • 11 Ontong • 12 Parnell • 13 Peterson • 14 Steyn • 15 van der Merwe • Coach: Arthur
• 2 Bosman • 3 Botha • 4 Boucher • 5 de Villiers • 6 Duminy • 7 Gibbs • 8 Kallis • 9 Kleinveldt • 10 Langeveldt • 11 A. Morkel • 12 M. Morkel • 13 Steyn • 14 Theron • 15 van der Merwe • Coach: van Zyl
Kolkata Knight Riders – current squad 1 Sarabjit Ladda · 3 Jacques Kallis · 5 Gautam Gambhir (c) · 6 Laxmi Ratan Shukla · 9 Manoj Tiwary · 12 Shreevats Goswami · 16 Eoin Morgan · 18 Mark Boucher · 21 Iqbal Abdulla · 22 Rajat Bhatia · 24 Brad Haddin · 27 Ryan ten Doeschate · 28 Yusuf Pathan · 36 Manvinder Bisla · 55 Lakshmipathy Balaji · 58 Brett Lee · 75 Shakib Al Hasan · 99 Unadkat · — James Pattinson · 17 Pradeep Sangwan · — Shami Ahmed ·
Coach: Dav Whatmore
Categories:- 1976 births
- Living people
- White South African people
- ACA African XI One Day International cricketers
- South Africa One Day International cricketers
- South Africa Test cricketers
- South Africa Twenty20 International cricketers
- South African cricketers
- South African wicket-keepers
- World XI Test cricketers
- Border cricketers
- Warriors cricketers
- Cricketers at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for South Africa
- South African cricket captains
- Bangalore cricketers
- Wisden Cricketers of the Year
- South African people of British descent
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