During the summer of 2008, when commemorative activities were taking place to mark the 40th anniversary of Sir Garfield Sobers’ feat of hitting six sixes in an over at Swansea, it was very fitting that Glamorgan should have Herschelle Gibbs as their overseas star in the T20 competition as he was another man who, during his illustrious career, also achieved the maximum of 36 runs in an over in top-flight cricket.
The veteran of 90 Tests and 248 One-Day Internationals for South Africa gave a masterclass in destructive hitting during the televised zonal match at Northampton where the Dragons – as they were known that summer – were chasing a target of 208. His innings of 98 was a heady mix of the technically sound, with the improvised and the audacious and was only ended by a fine boundary catch just as the Springbok seemed poised to become only the second Glamorgan batsman to score a hundred in T20 cricket for the Welsh county.
Herschelle returned for a second short stint with the Welsh county during July and August 2009, appearing in five Championship matches as well as 2 List A matches. Once again, he failed to reach three figures for the Welsh county as he was dismissed for 96 against Gloucestershire at Bristol, again seemingly poised to complete his hundred.
He subsequently played in county cricket for Yorkshire during 2010 and Durham in 2012, besides appearing in many T20 franchises around the world before retiring from cricket in 2013.
GIBBS, Herschelle Herman
Born – Green Point, Cape Town, 23rd February 1974
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 96 v Gloucestershire at Bristol, 2009.
In List A cricket – 47* v Warwickshire at Edgbaston, 2009.
In T20 cricket – 98 v Northamptonshire at Northampton, 2008.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 5 | 7 | 0 | 259 | 37.00 | – | 2 | 7 | – |
| List A | 2 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 54.00 | – | – | 1 | – |
| T20 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 281 | 56.20 | – | 2 | 5 | – |