Andre Botha (cricketer)

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Andre Botha
Ireland
Personal information
Full name Andre Cornelius Botha
Born 12 September 1975 (1975-09-12) (age 32)
Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Role All-rounder
Batting style Left-hand
Bowling style Right-arm medium
International information
ODI debut (cap 1) 13 June 2006: v England
Last ODI 15 July 2007: v Scotland
ODI shirt no. 21
Domestic team information
Years Team
2004–present Ireland
1998/9–1999/00 Griqualand West
Career statistics
ODIs FC LA ICC
Matches 18 18 63 6
Runs scored 263 1239 826 57
Batting average 18.78 45.89 18.77 9.50
100s/50s 0/2 3/6 1/4 0/0
Top score 56 186 139 24
Balls bowled 726 1781 2354 192
Wickets 23 24 66 8
Bowling average 22.43 34.08 28.27 24.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 0
10 wickets in match n/a 0 n/a n/a
Best bowling 4/42 4/52 4/37 4/47
Catches/stumpings 4/– 7/– 13/0 2/–

As of 26 August 2007
Source: Cricinfo.com

Andre Cornelius Botha (born September 12, 1975 in Johannesburg, Transvaal), is a South African-born Irish cricketer.

Contents

[edit] Domestic career

A left-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, Botha has played provincial cricket for Griqualand West in his native South Africa.

Botha was the resident professional at Clontarf Cricket Club from 1994 until his switch to North County in 2000. A prolific batsman at club level, Botha contributed handsomely to North County's Irish Senior Cup victories in 2001, 2003 and 2005, as well as garnering four consecutive Leinster Senior League winners' medals between 2003 and 2006.

[edit] International Record

Esteemed among the leading all-rounders in domestic cricket, the newly-eligible Botha débuted for his adopted country in Ireland's August 2001 C&G Trophy victory over Wiltshire, although he inauspiciously, registering nought with the bat and 1-50 with the ball.[1]

A fixture in the Irish team thereafter, Botha's form temporarily deserted him during Ireland's momentous summer of 2005. Selected at #3 in the batting order throughout the group phase of the 2005 ICC Trophy, Botha recorded a dismal average of 9.5 for the tournament, twice succumbing on zero. However, his economical bowling contributed eight wickets to the Irish cause, and helped the team (which ultimately finished second in the competition) land a qualifying berth for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

In marked contrast to his ICC Trophy form, the runs flowed freely from Botha's bat during Ireland's conquest of the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup. A tournament average of 66.00 encompassed an international career-best 97 against the Netherlands at Stormont, and knocks of 78 and 43* in the final victory over Kenya at Windhoek. Botha also accounted for eight wickets at 25.50 with his medium-paced bowling during the course of the tournament.

Selected for Ireland's inaugual One Day International against England at Stormont despite a series of low scores in the preceding C&G Trophy matches, Botha vindicated the selectors' judgement by top-scoring with 52 against a first-rate attack including Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood. Since then, Botha has evinced a marked aptitude for One Day Internationals, averaging 39.66 in three ODIs to date, with a top score of 56 achieved against the Netherlands during Ireland's victorious 2006 European Cricket Championship campaign.

In August 2006, Botha was named in the 14 man squad which will represent Ireland at both the World Cricket League in Kenya and the Caribbean-hosted World Cup later the same year. He finished the provincial season with an insuperable batting average of 120.20 from ten innings.

Botha bowled well in the World Cricket League tournament, taking 13 wickets at an average of 21.30. Only one player took more wickets in the tournament.

In Ireland's second match in the 2007 World Cup, Botha achieved excellent bowling figures of 8-4-5-2, helping Ireland to a shock victory over Pakistan.[1]

He has played 55 times in all for Ireland, including the 2005 ICC Trophy and the European Championship in 2004 and 2006.

[edit] Statistics

Botha is only the fourth Irish player to have achieved the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets. Botha has also taken part in two of Ireland’s record partnerships; 360 for the third wicket against UAE with Eoin Morgan in February 2007, and 234 for the sixth wicket against Scotland with Alex Cusack in August 2007. The 360 with Morgan is also Ireland’s highest partnership for any wicket. Botha’s 186 against Scotland in August 2007 was the highest individual score for Ireland in a home match.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b John Eoomer (2007-08-14). Botha rewrites the record books. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.

[edit] See also

International cricketers of South African origin

v • d • e
Ireland squad - 2007 Cricket World Cup
1 Johnston (Captain) • 2 McCallan • 3 Botha • 4 Bray • 5 Carroll • 6 Gillespie • 7 Langford-Smith • 8 J Mooney • 9 P Mooney • 10 Morgan • 11 K O'Brien • 12 N O'Brien • 13 Porterfield • 14 Rankin • 15 White • Coach: Birrell
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