Trevor Gripper
Trevor Raymond Gripper is a former Zimbabwean cricketer. He was born in 1975 in Salisbury.
Gripper was an opening batsman, who once spent four hours 23 minutes inching his way to 28 in a match against England A. However, his off-spin bowling has also proved useful, and in first-class cricket he may fairly be considered an all-rounder, with his batting [average (cricket)|batting average] above 33 and his bowling average below 32.
Gripper made his first-class debut for a Matabeleland Invitation XI during Worcestershire [County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]'s 1996/97 tour of Zimbabwe, by scoring 45. However, he did not play another match at that level until the aforementioned game against England A in February 1999.
Gripper made his Test match debut in October 1999 against Australian [cricket team|Australia] at Harare; the selectors' decision was somewhat surprising since at the time Gripper had still not recorded a first-class century. He made 60 in the second innings. His maiden Test hundred came against Bangladesh in 2001, as Zimbabwe piled up 542/7 declared.
Although only taking six wickets in his Test career, he was notable as the bowler who dismissed Matthew Hayden for 380 runs in the first Test between Australia and Zimbabwe at Perth in October 2003.
He played domestic cricket for Matabeleland, Manicaland and Mashonaland, and it was for the latter that he made his highest first-class score - 234 against Manicaland, this performance brought him a recall to the Zimbabwe team for the 2003/04 tour of Australia.
He also played two seasons for Cranleigh Cricket Club in Surrey totalling over 1,400 1st XI runs and 68 wickets.