Andre Botha: Ireland’s sensational all-rounder
Boisterous with the bat and frantic with ball, Andre Botha is one of the world class players that Ireland has produced. All-rounders are many, but rare are those who do justice with both bat and ball. Botha has asserted himself perfectly on all sides, as
he is a top-order batsman and a key pacer. Botha is considered as the most dominant and dynamic player for the team. Ireland’s team needs him to contribute positively if they are to have any chance in the ICC World Cup 2011.
With a marvelous fifty in his maiden innings, Botha founded a promising career, as he scored 56 in his third game and topped the Irish bowling average in the World Cricket League 2007. He steered the Irish to win the International Cup 2005 by putting the
highest 78 in the innings. Botha smashed a record 157 against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 and made his mark as Ireland’s top player.
Although Botha was born in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 with a hope to break into international cricket. His sensational abilities and fiercely competitive
spirit began to shine and would soon be noticed by the selectors.
Botha’s efforts and efficacy brought forth fruits and he was given a chance in the Ireland National Cricket Team in 2006, as he came up to play the first ever One Day International of his career against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749 in Belfast. As a one-down player, he scored
52 from 89 deliveries with the help of 5 fours, making his mark with a splendid start. In the same year, Botha managed to notch 56 in a match against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753, cementing his position in the team.
He starred in World Cricket League 2007 and although he lagged with the bat, he thrived with the ball and finished the tournament with the highest 13 wickets. In 2007, the Irish all-rounder set the ace record of his career by scoring 157 in a partnership
of 360 runs with Eoin http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Morgan-c77707 against the UAE. This amazing performance brought him to stand in the queue of the world’s top batsmen.
In 2008, Botha staged his T20 debut against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Services-c840 Cricket Club, Belfast. Quite amazingly, he grabbed 3 wickets for just 18 runs and scored 38 from 34 deliveries with the help of 1 six and 1 four.
During his 5-year career, the left-handed batsman and right-arm medium-fast bowler, Botha, has played 40 ODIs and 14 T20s. His scorecard is glittered with 644 ODI and 130 T20 runs that include 79 fours and 6 sixes. On the bowling front, he has grabbed 38
ODI and 21 T20 wickets, as he has 2 fifties and 18 catches to his credit. He has not scored a century in ODI and T20 cricket. However, he has 6 centuries in First-Class and List-A matches.
As an integral part of the Irish team, Botha is playing the second ICC World Cup of his career. He first starred in the ICC World Cup 2007 and ended it with mediocre performance. This time, Botha is confident to take his side to the verge of victory through
his prime batting and crack bowling. His performance in the warm-up games speaks volumes of his form and passion. In a warm-up against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045, he scored a match-winning 79 runs from 101 deliveries. The Irish will be looking to Botha to continue his good
form and produce some memorable results for them in the ICC World Cup 2011. It will be interesting to watch this exciting player take on some of the world’s top teams and try to bring the coveted trophy home.
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