Adrian Kuiper is our Legend of the Week, brought to you by Aquavita.
Kuiper was a right-handed batsman who played 25 ODIs and one Test for South Africa. Known for his big-hitting, he represented Boland, Derbyshire and Western Province, scoring 7 899 runs including nine hundreds and 46 fifties in first-class cricket. He was also quite dangerous with the ball taking 196 wickets in the 165 matches.
One of his most memorable moments was in a match against Rebel English XI, where he hit 117 runs off 49 deliveries in 1989. Because of South Africa’s isolation during Apartheid, Kuiper never had the chance to express himself because by the time South Africa made their international return he was 32, an age when his best times were behind him.
Although he featured in South Africa’s first ever Test match after the Apartheid regime, he would go on to become more prominent in the limited-overs format, in an ODI career spanning from 1991-1996.
His ODI debut came in 1991 against India, when he scored 43 which included a maximum so massive, it received a standing ovation from the crowed. This was also South Africa’s first official post-Apartheid match and Kuiper went on to represent South Africa in 24 more matches, scoring 496 more runs which included a high score of 63 not out at an average of 33.68. In his 25 matches played for South Africa, he also took 18 wickets with an economy of 5.28. Kuiper also represented South Africa in the 1992 World Cup, scoring 113 runs in nine matches with a high score of 36 in their semi-final loss against England.
After a short career, Kuiper decided to settle down as a farmer in Grabrouw, Western Cape.
Comparisons have been drawn between him and Ian Botham based on their ability to smash the ball, making him a worthy pick for Legend of the Week.
Photo: Tertius Pickard/Gallo Images
