OWN CORRESPONDENT, Port Elizabeth | Monday 7.00pm.
WICKET KEEPER Mark Boucher had most to gain when his captain Hansie Cronje chose to prolong the second test against England on Monday despite a positive result looking almost impossible.
Boucher had 99 test dismissals when the captains first had the opportunity to call the match off half an hour early with England safely placed at 135 for four after being set an improbable 302 to win.
When Jacques Kallis then found the outside edge of Andrew Flintoff’s bat and Boucher grabbed a brilliant, one-handed catch low to his right, he had reached his century of dismissals in fewer tests (23) than anyone in the game’s history.
He also became, by more than two years, the youngest wicketkeeper to claim 100 victims.
Boucher’s predecessor in the South African side, Dave Richardson, shared the old record (24 tests) with Australia’s Wally Grout while England’s Alan Knott, at 25 years and 120 days, was older by more than two years when he reached the 100 mark. Boucher turned 23 just 10 days ago.
Boucher was also fastest to 50 dismissals, has a share in the world ninth wicket test record (195), has the highest score ever made by a nightwatchman (125) and has the longest sequence of runs scored without a bye being conceded in the history of the game.
Of his 100 dismissals, 42 have been claimed off the fast bowling of Allan Donald. ”It’s his record as much as it is mine,” Boucher said. ”I just catch them.” — Reuters