A stylish right-hand batsman who is particularly strong off the front foot, Gerry Liebenberg's career started spectacularly when he hammered 84 and 108 in his first two games for Griquas, and his early promise continued when he moved to Free State in 1990. By the time of his selection on the 1994 tour of England he was considered one of the most promising prospects, even though he didn't play in any of the Tests and had a poor tour. In 1995-96 he made headlines with his first double-hundred, but his form fluctuated and he had to wait until 1997-98 before making his Test debut. He did enough to be picked for his second tour of England in 1998 but struggled in the four Tests he played, scoring 59 runs in six innings. Liebenberg didn't get another chance for South Africa, and he ended his first-class career with 9387 runs at 34.76. A talented all-round sportsman, Liebenberg has also represented his state at athletics and tennis.
Martin Williamson