Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher

Personal information
Full name	Mark Verdon Boucher
Born	3 December 1976 (1976-12-03) (age 33) East London, Cape Province, South Africa
Batting 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	19 March 2009 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 46)	16 January 1998 v New Zealand
Last ODI	29 November 2009 v England
ODI shirt no.	9
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1995/96-2002/03	Border
2004/05-2006/07	Warriors
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	126	288	188	351
Runs scored	4,688	4,639	7,796	6,099
Batting average	29.85	29.17	33.17	29.18
100s/50s	5/29	1/26	9/47	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	453/22	393/21	631/36	464/29
Source: CricketArchive, 5 December 2009

Mark Verdon Boucher (born 3 December 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.

Notable achievements

Boucher batting in the nets

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.^{[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 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]

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]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mark Boucher

• Mark Boucher's official site
• Cricinfo profile

v • d • e Wicket-keepers with 300 Test dismissals Mark Boucher • Adam Gilchrist • Ian Healy • Rod Marsh

Mark Boucher at the Cricket World Cup
v • d • e South Africa squad – 1999 Cricket World Cup 1 Kirsten • 2 Gibbs • 3 Kallis • 4 Cullinan • 5 Cronje (c) • 6 Benkenstein • 7 Pollock • 8 Rhodes • 9 Boucher (wk) • 10 Donald • 11 Crookes • 12 Dawson • 13 Klusener • 14 Elworthy • 15 Boje Ntini was named in the original squad, but was replaced on 23 April 1999 by Dawson
v • d • e South Africa squad – 2003 Cricket World Cup 1 Pollock (c) • 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 Repalcement for Rhodes
v • d • e South Africa squad – 2007 Cricket World Cup 1 Bosman • 2 Boucher • 3 De Villiers • 4 Gibbs • 5 Hall • 6 Kallis • 7 Kemp • 8 Langeveldt • 9 Nel • 10 Ntini • 11 Peterson • 12 Pollock • 13 Prince • 14 Smith (c) • 15 Telemachus • Coach: Arthur