Alexei Kervezee

Alexei Kervezee

Personal information
Full name	Alexei Nicolaas Kervezee
Born	11 September 1989 (1989-09-11) Walvis Bay, South Africa (now Namibia)
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right arm medium
Role	Opening batsman
International information
National side	Netherlands
ODI debut (cap 26)	4 July 2006 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI	1 September 2009 v Afghanistan
ODI shirt no.	5
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008–present	Worcestershire (squad no. 5)
Career statistics
Competition	ODI	T20I	FC	LA
Matches	37	6	46	66
Runs scored	794	135	2,740	1,780
Batting average	24.81	22.50	36.53	29.66
100s/50s	0/3	0/0	4/16	2/7
Top score	92	39	155	121*
Balls bowled	24	–	183	48
Wickets	0	–	2	0
Bowling average	–	–	72.50	–
5 wickets in innings	0	–	0	0
10 wickets in match	n/a	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	0/8	–	1/14	0/8
Catches/stumpings	17/–	4/–	23/–	27/–
Source: CricketArchive, 30 July 2011

Alexei Nicolaas Kervezee (born 11 September 1989) is a Namibian (previously South African)-born Dutch cricketer.

Kervezee rose rapidly and smartly through age-group cricket in the Netherlands, and in late July 2005, aged only 15, he made his first-class debut for his national team against Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup. This game was badly affected by the weather and Kervezee did not get to bat, but the following month in the same competition he scored 46 not out against Ireand. He also played against Kenya in March 2006.

In April 2006, Kervezee played his first List A matches, for Netherlands A against India A and Pakistan A at Abu Dhabi. The Netherlands A team were badly beaten in both games, but Kervezee's scores of 26 and 25 were among the highest in each Dutch innings. His bowling was singularly unsuccessful, however, with his four overs going for 39 runs.

On 4 July 2006 he made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka at Amstelveen's VRA Ground. It was a chastening experience overall for the Dutch team as Sri Lanka piled up 443/9, a world record ODI score, but in the Netherlands' reply Kervezee played well for 47, putting on 69 (the highest partnership of the innings) with Tim de Leede. Two days later, against the same opponents, he made 18. Kervezee played several Under-17 and Under-19 matches over the following days, as well as one game against Italy in the European Cricket Championship, then in early August he returned to ODI action with small scores against Scotland and Ireland.

In late September, Worcestershire announced that they had signed Kervezee to play county cricket on a two-year contract. The county's chief executive Mark Newton called him "a very accomplished and exciting young talent", while Dutch bowling coach Ian Pont claimed that the youngster's story had "shades of Graeme Hick" about it. Kervezee himself said that he was "looking forward to learning from such great players and coaches".

Kervezee was given several opportunities in the second half of the 2009 season and made an impression with some assured displays. He scored his first half-century for the club on 30 June 2009 when he made 66 in the second innings of the game against Durham.

Kervezee has been a permanent fixture in the Worcestershire side throughout the 2010 season and has consistently impressed with the bat, scoring quickly and showing stroke-making abilities of the highest order. Having fallen one run short of his maiden first class century in the game against Leicestershire, he scored 130 in the following game against Derbyshire at Worcester (his parents had travelled from Rotterdam to watch him play). In the return fixture at Derby, he improved his highest innings total, hitting 155. He is only the fourth Dutch player to hit a first-class century in English cricket, following in the footsteps of Roland Lefebvre, Bas Zuiderent and current Essex and Netherlands international Ryan ten Doeschate. He signed a five-year contract with Worcestershire in July 2010

External links

• Player profile: Alexei Kervezee from ESPNcricinfo
• Statistical summary from CricketArchive