Cricket Players Biography: Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs Biography

Herschelle Gibbs is a professional South African cricketer, born on February 23, 1974 in Green Point, Cape Town, Cape Province. Graduating from St. Joseph’s Marist College, he moved on to the Diocesan College in Rondebosch to complete his degree. Nicknamed “Scooter”, he is primarily a top-order right-handed batsman, who also bowls right-arm leg-spin. Being a brilliant fielder with his sharp reflexes, he took 94 catches in Tests and 100 catches in ODIs as of the year 2008, earning him a position next to Jonty Rhodes, an outstanding South African fielder. On June 8, 2007, he got married to Tennielle Povey in St. Kitts.

Herschelle Gibbs made his Test debut against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 27, 1996, and helped his team win the Test by 329 runs. He has two double-centuries to his credit from his Test career, the first one was 211* runs against New Zealand at Jade Stadium in 1999, in which he with Graeme Smith, a team-mate, set a national record partnership of 368 runs. In 2003, at Cape Town, he scored his second double-century and made 228 runs against Pakistan. Herschelle Gibbs also made 300 runs opening partnership with his captain, and became the first pair in Test history to break 300 runs on three occasions. He also holds the South African second wicket record partnership of 315* with Jacques Kallis. On January 10, 2008, in a Test match against the West Indies at Kingsmead, Durban, his team won the Test by an innings and 100 runs. As of October 2008, Herschelle Gibbs has played 90 Tests and has scored 6,167 runs, including 14 centuries and 26 half-centuries, with an average of 41.95.

Herschelle Gibbs debuted in One Day International (ODI) against Kenya at Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi, on October 3, 1996, in which South Africa won the match by 202 runs. Herschelle Gibbs became the third batsmen in ODI history to score centuries in three consecutive innings. On October 6, 2002, playing against Bangladesh, Herschelle Gibbs made an unbeaten 97 and missed the chance to become the only batsman to score centuries in a row, as his team won the match and he fell just three runs short to complete his century. On March 12, 2006, Herschelle Gibbs played a monumental innings in the fifth ODI against Australia, scoring 175 runs off just 111 balls, in which he scored 126 runs in boundaries. In the match against Netherlands in the group stages at the 2007 World Cup, Herschelle Gibbs has hit six sixes in an over off the bowling of Daan van Bunge and became the first player in ODI history to do so. His penchant for hitting sixes continued throughout the tournament and he drew level with Ricky Ponting, a famous Australian cricketer, at 28 for most sixes in the World Cup History. So far Herschelle Gibbs has played 232 ODIs and made 7,589 runs, including 20 centuries and 35 half-centuries, at an average of 36.31.

On October 21, 2005, Herschelle Gibbs played his first Twenty20 International (T20I) against New Zealand at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. As of 2008, he has played nine T20Is and has scored 182 runs, including 2 half-centuries, at an average of 22.75, in which 90* was his highest score, against West Indies, with a massive strike rate of 135.82. He also played T20I against West Indies at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on January 18, 2008, where his team won the match by 4 wickets.

Herschelle Gibbs made his debut in First-class cricket during the 1990-91 season. He has played 186 First-class matches and has scored 13,102 runs, including 31 centuries and 58 half-centuries, at an average of 42.53. He also played this level of match against the West Indies at Kingsmead, Durban, on January 10, 2008, in which his team won the game by an innings and 100 runs. Herschelle Gibbs made his first appearance in List A match during the 1990-91 season, and has played 351 matches of this level and scored 10,724 runs, including 24 centuries and 57 half-centuries, at an average of 34.81, and his highest score at this level is 175.

Herschelle Gibbs made his debut in Twenty20 (T20) for Western Province Boland against Dolphins at Newlands, Cape Town, on April 7, 2004, in which South Africa won the match by six wickets. He has played thirty-five T20s and has scored 747 runs, including five half-centuries, at an average of 24.09, and his highest score at this level is 98. He has also played for Glamorgan against Worcestershire, in which his team won the match by six wickets.

For his impressive performance, Herschelle Gibbs was signed for $575,000 by Deccan Chargers to play in Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2008 inaugural season. He has played nine IPL matches and has scored 167 runs, with an impressive strike rate of 109.15.

As of the year 2008, Herschelle Gibbs is awarded the first position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World ODI Team of the Year.

Herschelle Gibbs