Full Name

Kepler Christoffel Wessels

Born

September 14, 1957, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State

Age

66y 187d

Batting Style

Left hand Bat

Playing Role

Opening Batter

RELATIONS

Other

Umpire, Referee, Coach

Kepler Wessels was a cricket itinerant and boxing aficionado who, before opening for Australia for four years, played in his native South Africa, in England and in World Series Cricket. He subsequently played for an Australian rebel team in South Africa, and then became SA's first Test captain of the modern era. A fit, lean, brave and slightly ungainly left-hand bat, he made 162 on debut for Australia and averaged 56 in a series against West Indies, no mean feat then. A seemingly severe man, Wessels enjoyed only qualified popularity among Australians, who were unsurprised to see him return to South Africa, but with an average of 43 in 24 Tests, he did give Australia stout service at a difficult time. He went into coaching after retiring, and while he was initially successful at Northants, he found it hard to drive a side operating on a shoestring and he left by mutual consent midway through the 2006 season.
Greg Baum

Kepler Wessels Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests40713278817941.00599846.486153043300
ODIs1091057336710734.35608855.301262632490
FC316539502473825450.58--66132--2680
List A337331301250314641.53--1590--1510

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests40690420---2.80-000
ODIs10923749666182/162/1637.005.3341.6000
FC316-1416574132/25-44.152.43108.9-00
List A337-13211120364/244/2431.115.0836.6100

Umpire & Referee

FormatMatReferee
FC1818
List A1818
T20s2929
Kepler Christoffel Wessels

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test
ODI

Debut/Last Matches of Kepler Wessels

Photos of Kepler Wessels

Kepler Wessels and Corrie van Zyl in discussion during South Africa's training session
Kepler Wessels and Graeme Smith have their fingers crossed over the latter's injury
Kepler Wessels inspects Mark Boucher's handiwork
Kepler Wessels
Kepler Wessels on the phone
Allan Border and Kepler Wessels with the Test series trophy