*** Welcome to piglix ***

Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher
Markboucher.jpg
Boucher playing his last game for South Africa against Somerset in July 2012.
Personal information
Full name Mark Verdon Boucher
Born (1976-12-03) 3 December 1976 (age 40)
East London, Cape Province, South Africa
Nickname Bouch, Mr. 555 (number of Test Dismissals)
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right arm medium
Role Wicket-keeper
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 267) 17 October 1997 v Pakistan
Last Test 3 January 2012 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 46) 16 January 1998 v New Zealand
Last ODI 28 October 2011 v Australia
ODI shirt no. 9
Domestic team information
Years Team
1995/96–2002/03 Border
2004/05-2012 Warriors
2009–2010 Royal Challengers Bangalore
2011 Kolkata Knight Riders
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 147 295 212 365
Runs scored 5,515 4,686 8,803 6,218
Batting average 30.30 28.57 33.34 28.19
100s/50s 5/35 1/26 10/53 2/35
Top score 125 147* 134 147*
Balls bowled 8 32
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 532/23 403/22 712/37 484/31
Source: Cricinfo, 10 July 2012

Mark Verdon Boucher (born 3 December 1976) is a former South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He has represented Border, South Africa, Africa XI, ICC World XI and Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. He had been a regular feature of the South African side since the 1997/1998 tour to Australia, until his retirement from international cricket in July 2012 after a serious eye injury against Somerset.

Born in East London, Boucher was educated at Selborne College where he was coached by Richard Pybus.

From the time he replaced Dave Richardson until his retirement, Boucher was South Africa's first-choice wicketkeeper, and is widely regarded as one of, if not, the greatest wicketkeepers South Africa has ever had. He holds the record for the most dismissals (catches and stumpings) in Test cricket. He reached 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. 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 November 1999. 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.


...
Wikipedia

...