Riki Wessels
Encyclopedia
Mattheus Hendrik Wessels, also known as Riki Wessels, (born 12 November 1985, Queensland
, Australia
) is an Australian cricket
er who has played for the cricket teams of Marylebone Cricket Club
and Northamptonshire
. He is a wicket keeper, although he has been playing as a specialist batsman since he joined Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
He is the son of former South Africa
n captain Kepler Wessels
, who also played 24 Tests
for Australia
.
, he grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
due to his father playing for the South Africa cricket team, who previously played for Australia when South Africa were banned from Test Cricket
. Being born into a cricketing family, his career path was obvious from the beginning and when he was 18 he made the decision to leave his family behind in pursuit of his own International cricket career in the UK.
where he impressed in the second eleven producing several noticeable scores. This led to him being selected for the MCC
in 2004 and in the first team of Nottinghamshire for the start of the 2011 season. In this year, he established himself as a first class player, and scored his first century
at the age of 19 against Somerset. In 2007, he became qualified to play for England
which is what he has wanted to do from an early age. Being a keen Hockey
player (playing for Northampton Lions and the University of Northampton
teams) helps him to play a variety of shots including the Reverse sweep for which he is well known. He is a fairly attacking player especially in one day cricket, where he has one century to date. On the 7 November, Wessels signed a new contract extension along with fellow Northamptonshire wicket keeper Niall O'Brien
, keeping Riki at the club until 2010.
He also turned out for Nondescripts Cricket Club
in Sri Lanka during the English off Season between 2008 and 2010.
Riki has signed for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club for the 2011 season, where he plies his trade as a specialist batsman.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) is an Australian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who has played for the cricket teams of Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. He is a wicket keeper, although he has been playing as a specialist batsman since he joined Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
He is the son of former South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n captain Kepler Wessels
Kepler Wessels
Kepler Christoffel Wessels is a former South African cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. He was the first man to have played One Day International cricket for two countries....
, who also played 24 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
.
Early life
Although Riki was born in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
due to his father playing for the South Africa cricket team, who previously played for Australia when South Africa were banned from Test Cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. Being born into a cricketing family, his career path was obvious from the beginning and when he was 18 he made the decision to leave his family behind in pursuit of his own International cricket career in the UK.
Cricket career
In 2004, Riki joined the staff at Northamptonshire county cricket clubNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
where he impressed in the second eleven producing several noticeable scores. This led to him being selected for the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in 2004 and in the first team of Nottinghamshire for the start of the 2011 season. In this year, he established himself as a first class player, and scored his first century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
at the age of 19 against Somerset. In 2007, he became qualified to play for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which is what he has wanted to do from an early age. Being a keen Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
player (playing for Northampton Lions and the University of Northampton
University of Northampton
The University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England.-History:In 1924, Northampton Technical College was opened at St George's Avenue, site of the current Avenue Campus. A new building for the college was formally opened by the then Duke and Duchess of York in 1932...
teams) helps him to play a variety of shots including the Reverse sweep for which he is well known. He is a fairly attacking player especially in one day cricket, where he has one century to date. On the 7 November, Wessels signed a new contract extension along with fellow Northamptonshire wicket keeper Niall O'Brien
Niall O'Brien (cricketer)
Niall John O'Brien is an Irish cricketer educated at Marian College, Ballsbridge. He is a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. O'Brien's brother Kevin plays with him in the Irish team...
, keeping Riki at the club until 2010.
He also turned out for Nondescripts Cricket Club
Nondescripts Cricket Club
Nondescripts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1888...
in Sri Lanka during the English off Season between 2008 and 2010.
Riki has signed for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club for the 2011 season, where he plies his trade as a specialist batsman.