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Alfonso Thomas

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Alfonso Thomas
Personal information
Full name
Alfonso Clive Thomas
Born (1977-02-09) 9 February 1977 (age 47)
Cape Town, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Only T20I (cap 26)2 February 2007 v Pakistan
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2000–2003North West
2003–2006Northerns
2004–2007Titans
2005Staffordshire
2007Warwickshire
2007–2010Dolphins
2008–2015Somerset (squad no. 8)
2015→ Sussex (on loan)
2011Lions
2011–2012Pune Warriors
2011–2012Adelaide Strikers
2012–2013Titans
2012–2014Perth Scorchers
2013Dhaka Gladiators
Career statistics
Competition T20I FC LA T20
Matches 1 164 169 225
Runs scored – 4,130 727 410
Batting average – 23.07 16.90 12.05
100s/50s – 2/14 0/0 0/0
Top score – 119* 49* 30*
Balls bowled 24 29,790 7,195 4,558
Wickets 3 547 219 263
Bowling average 8.33 26.34 28.64 21.81
5 wickets in innings 0 25 0 1
10 wickets in match 0 2 0 0
Best bowling 3/25 7/54 4/18 5/24
Catches/stumpings 0/– 43/– 35/– 67/–
Source: CricketArchive, 30 September 2015

Alfonso Clive Thomas (born 9 February 1977) is a South African former professional cricketer. He is a right arm fast-medium bowler and a big hitting lower-order batsman. Playing in South African domestic cricket for North West, Northerns, the Titans, the Lions, and the Dolphins, Thomas has also played English county cricket for Warwickshire and Somerset, Indian Premier League matches for the Pune Warriors, and in Australian domestic cricket for the Adelaide Strikers and the Perth Scorchers. In June 2014, Thomas took four wickets in four balls in a County Championship game against Sussex.[1] He was a pioneer of death bowling in the early years of T20 cricket.

Career

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South African domestic career

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Thomas made his first-class debut playing for Western Province B in Newlands, Cape Town in the 1998/99 season.[2] In three first-class matches for Western Province B, he took two wickets,[3] and did not play another first-class match until the 2000/01 season after a move to North West.[4] His North West and SuperSport Series debut came against Gauteng, where he finished with match figures of 6/120.[5] Thomas scored his maiden century only two games later, hitting 106 not out while batting at number ten,[6] setting a record tenth wicket partnership for North West of 174 with Garth Roe as he did so.[7] Four months later, Thomas was involved in another record breaking partnership for North West.[7] With the team at 87/7 against Western Province, Thomas joined Morne Strydom at the crease. 492 balls later when Strydom was caught by Neil Johnson, the pair had added 204 to the score; Thomas eventually going on to score 95 not out.[8] The following match, Thomas achieved his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, as he took the wickets of Easterns top five batsmen during a ten wicket victory; finishing the innings with 6/26.[9]

Thomas started the 2001/02 season on top form, claiming five-wickets in an innings on three occasions in the first five games, against Boland,[10] Western Province,[11] and Griqualand West.[12] He represented South Africa in the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes in November 2001, having a stand-out performance in a Pool One match against Hong Kong as he took 2/4 in his over.[13] He finished the 2001/02 season as North West's leading wicket-taker, with 35 wickets at an average of 22.14.[14] His form saw him picked for South African Board President's XI and South Africa A to play the touring India A side.[4] In a shortened 2002/03 South African domestic season due to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, Thomas only appeared in three first-class[4] and five one-day matches for North West,[15] although he did once more represent South Africa in the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes.[16] He made his second career century against Northerns, making 119*.[17]

He moved to Northerns for the start of the 2003/04 season and had immediate success with 36 wickets in his eight SuperSport Series matches.[18] His debut for the club, in which he took three wickets and three catches during Western Province's first innings to help restrict them to 173, was overshadowed by future Somerset teammate Charl Willoughby, who took 7/56 & 4/56 to earn himself man of the match.[19] In the Standard Bank Cup, Thomas' 17 wickets[20] helped the club finish third in the league, which saw them qualify for the semi-finals.[21] The 2003/04 season also saw the introduction of Twenty20 cricket in South Africa in the form of the Standard Bank Pro20 Series. Thomas represented Titans, a re-branded team merging Northerns and Easterns. He finished the Pro20 season with five wickets from six matches, including three vital dismissals in the group match against Eagles, when he claimed the wickets of Eagles' top three batsmen in his first two overs, helping to lead his team to a 90 run victory.[22]

Since then he has constantly represented South Africa A and was part of the Test tour to India, standing in for an injured André Nel.

He has represented South Africa in a Twenty20 International, taking 3/25

English county career

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In August 2007, Thomas signed as Warwickshire's fourth overseas player of the season,[23] playing nine matches for them through August and September. The following summer, he signed for Somerset under the Kolpak ruling.[24] At the end of the 2015 season, it was announced that Thomas' contract with Somerset would not be renewed.[25]

2009 Champions League Twenty20

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In their first match of the 2009 Champions League Twenty20, Thomas played a good lower-middle order innings to guide Somerset to a victory over Deccan Chargers. When Thomas came in, Somerset required 55 runs off the remaining 37 balls of the match. A record eighth wicket partnership for the club[26] meant that when James Hildreth lost his wicket from the first ball of the final over, Somerset needed five runs off as many balls. The following ball resulted in no score, and then the wicket of number ten Max Waller. This wicket allowed Thomas on strike, and he struck a boundary off the fourth ball of the over, and then after a near run out involving number eleven Charl Willoughby, Thomas hit another four from the final ball to grant Somerset the win.[27]

Australian domestic cricket

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Thomas was signed to the Adelaide Strikers for the inaugural 2011–12 season of the Big Bash League, as one of the franchise's two international players.[28] He played in all of Adelaide's seven matches in the tournament (one of three players to do so), taking five wickets at an average of 35.40.[29] His best bowling figures during the tournament, 3/24, were taken in a loss to the Sydney Sixers at the Adelaide Oval.[30] Thomas did not re-sign with Adelaide for the 2012–13 season, instead signing with the Perth Scorchers as a replacement for Albie Morkel, who had not received a clearance from Cricket South Africa.[31] In eight matches during the tournament, he took twelve wickets at an average of 14.91, leading Perth's wicket-taking and finishing fourth in the competition's wicket-taking, behind Ben Laughlin (14 wickets), Lasith Malinga, and Ben Cutting (both 13 wickets).[32] Thomas' best figures, 4/8, were taken in the game against the Melbourne Renegades at the WACA Ground, which are also his best in all Twenty20 matches.[33]

Coaching career

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In February 2018, Thomas was appointed bowling coach for the West Indies.[34]

In February 2019, Thomas was appointed bowling coach for Hampshire.[35]

Between 2016 and 2019 he was the cricket development lead and coach at the public school Downside School.

He was appointed head coach of Leicestershire County Cricket Club in November 2023.[36]

References

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  1. ^ "Alfonso Thomas: Somerset seamer takes four wickets in four balls". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Scorecard: Western Province B v North West in 1998/99". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  3. ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Alfonso Thomas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b c "First-Class Matches played by Alfonso Thomas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Scorecard: North West v Gauteng in 2000/01". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Scorecard: Griqualand West v North West in 2000/01". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Highest Partnership for Each Wicket for North West". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  8. ^ "Scorecard: North West v Western Province in 2000/01". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Scorecard: Easterns v North West in 2000/01". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Scorecard: North West v Boland in 2001/02". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  11. ^ "Scorecard: North West v Western Province in 2001/02". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  12. ^ "Scorecard: Griqualand West v North West in 2001/02". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  13. ^ "Scorecard: Hong Kong v South Africa in 2001/02". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Bowling for North West: SuperSport Series 2001/02". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  15. ^ "List A Matches played by Alfonso Thomas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  16. ^ "Other matches played by Alfonso Thomas". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  17. ^ "Scorecard: Northerns v North West in 2002/03". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  18. ^ "Bowling for Northerns in SuperSport Series 2003/04". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  19. ^ "Scorecard: Northerns v Western Province in 2003/04". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  20. ^ "Bowling in Standard Bank Cup 2003/04 (By Wickets)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  21. ^ "Standard Bank Cup 2003/04". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  22. ^ "Scorecard: Eagles v Titans in 2003/04". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  23. ^ Averis, Mike (17 August 2007). "Van Jaarsveld takes five catches to hand Kent advantage". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
  24. ^ Averis, Mike (16 April 2008). "County Championship preview: Somerset". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
  25. ^ "BBC Sport - Alfonso Thomas: Veteran seamer leaving Somerset after eight years". BBC Sport. 22 September 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  26. ^ "Highest Partnership for Each Wicket for Somerset". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  27. ^ Veera, Sriram (10 October 2009). "Thomas and Hildreth down Deccan in humdinger". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  28. ^ Alfonso Thomas joins Adelaide Strikers Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – T20times. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  29. ^ Bowling for Adelaide Strikers: KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 2011/12 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  30. ^ Sixers roll fading Strikers – AdelaideNow. Published 10 January 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  31. ^ Perth Scorchers sign Alfonso Thomas as Albie Morkel's replacement – AdelaideNow. Published 27 November 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  32. ^ Bowling in Big Bash League 2012/13 (ordered by wickets) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  33. ^ Shaun Marsh, Alfonso Thomas star as Perth Scorchers hammer Melbourne Renegades at WACA Ground Archived 29 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine – PerthNow. Published 29 December 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  34. ^ "Alfonso Thomas named West Indies bowling coach". ESPNcricinfo. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  35. ^ "Jimmy Adams and Alfonso Thomas named assistant coaches". BBC Sport. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  36. ^ "Alfonso Thomas: Leicestershire name ex-South Africa seamer as permanent head coach". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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