Devon Cricket Board - Botha looks like complete all-rounder

Botha looks like complete all-rounder

BRADNINCH’S new overseas signing Gian Botha made an impressive first start within days of stepping off the plane from his native New Zealand.
Bradninch have already seen a little of what their overseas player for this season can do as Botha hit a run-a-ball 72 in the 1st XI friendly at Exmouth on Easter Saturday.
South African-born Botha (26) is an all-rounder who has played for Manukau in the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl, a super trophy contested by the winners of the district competitions in the Waikato Cricket Association.
Botha has played in the UK before having two successful spells with Old Bristolians a Westbury-based side. He scored 423 runs at 47 in 2012, then 590 runs at 59 last season whilst he also claimed 25 wickets at 25 over the two seasons in the Bristol/Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League.
He has also previously played in Northern Ireland for Cooke Collegians in 2007-08 where once again, he was a stand-out performer with bat (782 runs at 45.30) and ball (34 wickets at 19.35).
Botha has spent the first week of his time at the mid-Devon club painting the outside of the pavilion - and he has also been roped in for his first ever experience of skittles!
When club chairman Derrick Foan, who skippers the skittles team, was unavailable for the team’s last home game of the season in the Sampford Peverell Skittles League, Botha was called into action.
Despite not having bowled a skittle ball in anger before he again made a good first impression with a couple of spares in a score of 61 as the team claimed a victory to seal the runners-up spot in the First Division.

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