Brian Gessner
CountrySouth Africa
FullnameBrian Dennis Gessner
Birth date20 June 1947 (age 79)
Birth placeDurban, Natal Province, South Africa
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingLeft-arm fast-medium
Club 2Staffordshire
Year 21978–1979
Club 1Natal
Year 11970/71–1976/77
Columns2
Column 1First-class
Matches 132
Runs 168
Bat avg 15.23
100s/50s 10/0
Top score 129*
Deliveries 15,202
Wickets 1101
Bowl avg 120.54
Fivefor 10
Tenfor 10
Best bowling 16/67
Catches/stumpings 113/–
Column 2List A
Matches 25
Runs 210
Bat avg 2
100s/50s 20/0
Top score 29*
Deliveries 2330
Wickets 28
Bowl avg 224.00
Fivefor 20
Tenfor 20
Best bowling 22/24
Catches/stumpings 23/–
Date8 July
Year2011
Sourcehttp://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/45263.html Cricinfo

Brian Dennis Gessner (born 20 June 1947) is a South African former cricketer. Gessner was a left-handed batsman who bowled left-arm fast-medium. He was born in Durban, Natal Province.

Gessner made his first-class debut for Natal B against Border in the 1970/71 Currie Cup. He appeared in first-class cricket for Natal representative teams from 1971 to 1977, making 32 first-class matches appearances, the last of which came for Natal B against Border in the 1976/77 Currie Cup.[1] He made 19 appearances for Natal B, taking 65 wickets at an average of 19.56, with 3 five wicket hauls.[2] His best innings bowling figures of 6/67 came against Northern Transvaal in the 1976/77 Currie Cup.[3] The remainder of his 13 first-class appearances came for Natal, with Gessner taking 36 wickets at an average of 22.30.[2] He took just the one five wicket haul for the Natal first team, which came against Rhodesia in the 1972/73 Currie Cup, with Gessner taking 5/58.[4]

It was for Natal that he made his List A debut against Transvaal in the 1972/73 Gillette Cup. Gessner made 3 further List A appearances for Natal, the last of which came against Western Province in the 1975/76 Gillette Cup.[5] In his 4 List A appearances for Natal, he took 7 wickets at an average of 20.14, with best figures of 2/24.[6] Had South Africa not been expelled from international cricket by the International Cricket Conference, Gessner may well have had an international career.

He later played for Staffordshire in English county cricket, making his debut for the county in the 1978 Minor Counties Championship against Shropshire. He played Minor counties cricket in 1978 and 1979, making 11 appearances.[7] He made a single List A appearance for the county in the 1978 Gillette Cup against Sussex.[5] In this match, he took the wicket of Pakistan Test cricketer Imran Khan for the cost of 51 runs from 12 overs. With the bat, he ended Staffordshire's innings not out on 9, with Sussex winning by the narrow margin of 2 runs.[8]

References

  1. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Brian Gessner". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  2. ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Brian Gessner". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Northern Transvaal v Natal B, 1976/77 Currie Cup". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Natal v Rhodesia, 1972/73 Currie Cup". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  5. ^ "List A Matches played by Brian Gessner". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  6. ^ "List A Bowling For Each Team by Brian Gessner". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Brian Gessner". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Staffordshire v Sussex, 1978 Gillette Cup". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 July 2011.