Richard Levi

South Africa|Opening Batter
Richard Levi
INTL CAREER: 2012 - 2012
Browse other players
New Zealand
All

Alphabetically sorted top ten of players who have played the most matches across formats in the last 12 months

Full Name

Richard Ernst Levi

Born

January 14, 1988, Johannesburg

Age

36y 65d

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Medium

Playing Role

Opening Batter

Richard Levi calls himself on Twitter "Part-time fisherman. Full-time human being. Play the odd game of cricket." That sums up as well as anything the freewheeling approach to the game of a player ideally suited to the free-and-easy style of Twenty20 cricket. Particularly in South Africa he had his supporters and detractors who debated his destructive yet inconsistent career and bulky frame.

Levi, a student of the Cape Ivy League schools, represented South Africa in the Under-19 World Cup in 2006, and quickly developed a reputation as a fearsome striker of the new ball, especially in the shortest format. Two Twenty20s into his international career, no one was in doubt of his abilities. In February 2012, opening the innings in South Africa's chase of 174 against New Zealand, Levi plundered 13 sixes - a record - in an unbeaten 117 off 51 balls, at the time the highest score in a T20I. He reached his century off 45 balls, also setting a new record of its day for the fastest ton in Twenty20 internationals. Granted, the Seddon Park in Hamilton isn't the biggest ground, but several of Levi's strikes sailed well past the boundary, and would have been sixes in most arenas.

Hopes that Levi's success could provide South Africa with an exciting long-term replacement for Graeme Smith at the top of the order in the limited-overs formats soon foundered. His weight ballooned, his predominantly legside style did not suit everybody and he was deemed weak against spin: there was an uncultured feel about him, but his destructive qualities were evident.

The IPL, namely Mumbai Indians, came a calling in 2012 and later that year he played T20 for Somerset before beginning a lengthy association with Northants in 2013 and became a dangerous part of a cleverly-assembled side that won England's T20 tournament in 2013 and 2016 and were beaten finalists in 2015. He also found himself turning out in the Championship to help bolster a small and financially-challenged squad, although it did bring him the same pleasure. He signed a Kolpak deal as an English-qualified player in 2014, so ending his South Africa career, but continued to play for the Cobras in limited-overs cricket only in South Africa until 2018.
ESPNcricinfo staff

Richard Levi Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
T20Is13132236117*21.45167141.3111201540
FC10617618572216836.21840268.10103280356890
List A1471386471416635.714547103.67830--450
T20s226217135606117*27.483892144.03335585265600

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
T20Is13------------
FC106------------
List A147-000-----000
T20s226------------
Richard Ernst Levi

Explore Statsguru Analysis

T20I

Photos of Richard Levi

Richard Levi, who made 66, smacks the ball as Parthiv Patel watches
If they all play on Thursday, Northants' top three - Paul Stirling, Richard Levi and Josh Cobb - will have 600 T20 apperances between them
Richard Levi dives in an attempt to catch Haris Sohail
A plaque on a tree stump beside the tree planted to mark a hundred scored by Richard Levi
Richard Levi was in punishing form at Wantage Road
Richard Levi is at full stretch at Wantage Road