Kepler Wessels Special Guest On The Cricket Library Podcast

England v South Africa – 1st Test – Lord’s – PA/Alamy

Kepler Wessels has the distinction of representing both Australia and South Africa in International Cricket.

In this edition of the Cricket Library Podcast, Kepler Wessels joins host Matt Ellis to share his reflections on the origins of his passion for cricket, breaking into First Class Cricket at age 16 whilst still at school, moving to England and the influence of Tony Greig in getting him to Australia to play World Series Cricket.

We hear about Kepler’s test debut, where he made a big hundred, and we clear up who was to blame for the run-out of Greg Chappell in that innings.

He shares his mindset for taking on and conquering the almighty West Indies pace attack of the 1980s.

We get some insights into the Sheffield Shield final in the 1985/6 season and his dismissal of Mark Waugh in that game.

Kepler speaks of the surprise of returning to play international cricket for South Africa, the thrill of beating Australia in their first game of the 92 World Cup and the disappointment of bowing out in a rain-affected semi-final.

He shares the plan they hatched to dismiss Allan Border in the famous Sydney Test Match of 1994 and the elation of scoring a century at Lord’s at the back end of his career.

Kepler updates us on what he is up to now, including his work at Kepler Wessels Training.

Of course, we don’t let him get away without asking who the three people he would most like to join him at the cricket nets.

Please remember to subscribe to the Cricket Library Podcast on your favourite podcast provider and leave a review to help us to continue to start conversations that inspire a love of cricket.

Kepler Wessels Career Statistics

CompetitionTestODIFCLA
Matches40[a]109[b]316337
Runs scored2,7883,36724,73812,503
Batting average41.0034.3550.5841.53
100s/50s6/151/2666/13215/90
Top score179107254146
Balls bowled90901,4161,327
Wickets0181336
Bowling average37.0044.1531.11
5wi000
10wm000
Best bowling2/162/254/24
Catches/stumpings30/–49/–268/–151/–

These statistics showcase Kepler Wessels’ impressive career across various formats of the game, highlighting his significant contributions with the bat, occasional bowling, and safe hands in the field.

Ken Piesse – A Life In Cricket Writing The Cricket Library

In this episode of the Cricket Library Podcast, host Matt Ellis sits down with one of Australia’s most prolific cricket writers, Ken Piesse. With a career spanning decades, Ken has written more than 90 books on the game and served as editor of the legendary Cricketer magazine. His work has chronicled the stories of great players, historic matches, and the rich traditions that make cricket such a unique sport. In this conversation, Ken reflects on: His journey into cricket journalism and publishing Memorable encounters with cricket legends. The art of telling cricket stories through books. The enduring charm of grassroots and country cricket. His latest book celebrating the history and characters of Victorian country cricket. It’s a fascinating insight into the craft of cricket writing and the passion that keeps the stories of the game alive. If you love cricket history, books, and storytelling, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with the people who shape the game. Head to https://cricketbooks.com.au/product-c… to find all of Ken's work and much more!
  1. Ken Piesse – A Life In Cricket Writing
  2. Nikhil Kulkarni | Every Day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy | A Fan’s Journey
  3. Gavin Dovey – From the Australian Team to Leading NT Cricket
  4. Tammy Bartaia – Bollywood Dreams
  5. Anupam Sharma – When Bollywood Meets the Baggy Green

Note: [a] Includes one match for ICC World XI. [b] Includes one match for Africa XI.

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