Herschelle Gibbs Profile by CricketArchive

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Player:

HH Gibbs

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DateLine: 20th February 2007

 

A tower of strength to the South African batting at the top of the order for a decade Herschelle Gibbs takes his place among the best batsmen the country has produced since their return to the international fold. Equally at home in Tests or ODIs Gibbs has played a number of great innings but the most famous is certainly the 111-ball 175 he hammered to set up South Africa’s astonishing victory over Australia at Johannesburg in 2006 in the face of a target of 435 in 50 overs. But then the gifted Gibbs has placed any number of gems before the cricketing public the world over most notably in association with Graeme Smith with whom he has figured in three 300 plus partnerships for the first wicket in Tests making them among the most successful opening pairs in the game’s history. He also shares an unbroken 300 plus stand with Jacques Kallis for the second wicket. Gibbs is the stroke player supreme. He plays every shot in the book displaying a style all his own and is not afraid to loft the ball even in Tests. This ability as also his readiness to innovate makes him a feared opponent in the one-day game as his career strike rate of over 82 splendidly conveys. He is also not averse to long stays at the crease in Tests where he has had a number of big scores including two double hundreds. A thoroughly organized batsman, Gibbs despite his penchant to go freely for his strokes is one of the most difficult players to dismiss when well set and that explains scores of 196, 192, 183 and 179 in Tests as also his 30 international hundreds.