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Mark Boucher Profile
by CricketArchive


Player:MV Boucher

DateLine: 20th February 2007

 

It is only the presence of Adam Gilchrist that has prevented Mark Boucher being named the greatest wicket keeper batsman in the game today. In both roles Boucher’s role has been outstanding. Behind the stumps he is an energetic, acrobatic figure bringing off the most spectacular catches or lightning quick stumpings. An infectious figure Boucher is seen inspiring his teammates and goading them on for that extra effort in which he always excels. In front of the wicket Boucher is an adventurous and innovative batsman capable of big hits and is an excellent judge of the short single. With all his boyish good looks and perkiness Boucher is a shrewd observer of various aspects of the game and is frequently sought after for advice by his captain in a tight situation. Also when it comes to rescuing South Africa Boucher has few equals a quality underlined by his record ninth wicket partnership in Tests with Pat Symcox against Pakistan at Johannesburg in February 1998 when the two put on 195 after South Africa had lost eight wickets for 166. This was incidentally Boucher’s second Test match. Since then the achievements have come thick and fast – fastest to 100 dismissals in Tests, highest score by a night watchman, most innings without a bye conceded, a run of 75 consecutive Test matches from 1997 to 2004. It was Boucher who typically gave the finishing touches to most thrilling run chase ever – an unbeaten 50 as South Africa successfully chased Australia’s 434 for four at Johannesburg in 2006. A few months later he hit the second fastest century in ODIs reaching the hundred off just 44 balls against Zimbabwe on his way to an unbeaten 147 off 68 balls with ten sixes and eight fours – not surprisingly for Boucher has a career strike rate of 82.Against Pakistan in Karachi, 2007, he went past Ian Healy to claim the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper.He then went passed the record of Adam Gilchrist in India this year. He has a total of 457 dismissals from 120 matches and is still counting, a record that will be very hard to beat for any wicket keeper in the coming years.And the series win this year against England 2-1, the first in the post apartheid era would taste sweeter going into the series against Australia.

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