Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Richard Levi

Richard Levi earned his first call-up to the Proteas’ T20 squad for the home series against Australia following a phenomenal run of domestic form for the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras where he actually became a dominant opening partner for Herschelle Gibbs.

He did not make the starting XI during that series but, when the chance came on the subsequent tour to New Zealand, he laid down his marker in typically explosive fashion. In only his second outing he matched Chris Gayle’s then world best of 117 and also established two world marks of his own by reaching his century off only 45 balls (the entire innings only took 51 balls) and hitting 13 sixes! It was an innings that earned him the ICC T20 Performance of the Year award for 2012.

An enormously powerful young man with strong forearms and shoulders, he also has the skill levels to complete a formidable package.

Here’s a list of things you may have or may have not known about Richard Levi:

1. Richard Levi’s nickname is  The Bear
2. Richard Levi was born and raised  Johannesburg
3. Richard Levi’s franchise team is  Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras
4. Levi  played in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. Levi currently plays for Western Province, Cape Cobras and Northamptonshire.
5. Richard Levi attended  Wynberg Boys’ High school in Cape Town and received honours for cricket in 2005.
6. On 19 February 2012, Levi scored 117* in a Twenty20 International innings against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The innings set new records for the sixes in an innings (13) and the fastest century (45 balls).
7. In 2012 Richard held the record for the most runs scored in a Twenty20 international innings tied with Chris Gayle.
8. While a schoolboy at Wynberg Boys’ High Richard Levi broke most, if not all, of Jacques Kallis’ junior batting records.
9. Richard Levi was a student of the Cape Ivy League schools.
10.  In February 2012, opening the innings in South Africa’s chase of 174 against New Zealand, Levi plundered 13 sixes – a record – in an unbeaten 117 off 51 balls.