Share

Gibbs: Bats, balls and bonking

Herman Jansen

Johannesburg - Steamy sex in Australia between about 30 beautiful women and a “few very enthusiastic” South African cricket players in 1998 – this is but one of the Proteas’ sexcapades remembered by Herschelle Gibbs in his autobiography, To the Point.

In more than 200 pages Gibbs also writes about being drunk before the 438th game, his stint in rehab, Hansie Cronje and match-fixing.

The bad boy of South African cricket with the wide smile and freckled face was regularly in the news for two decades due to his genial, instinctive batting ability and his wild personal life.

Gibbs (36) describes the events at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide on the last night of the 1997/98 ­Proteas tour as “possibly the most remarkable night I’ve ever had”.

“It was one fat party. From mid-evening to the next afternoon. I enjoyed the company of … let’s say, more than one woman.

“The girls were really up for it ... You picked a girl up, (in the hotel’s bar) took her upstairs to your room and afterwards both of you would go back downstairs and you’d go and chat to someone else. It was a phenomenal night.”

The Australian tour – in terms of women and sex – is up until today the “most successful” one he has ever been on, writes Gibbs.

“It was like going shopping. From the first day women were almost falling into our laps virtually every night. Australian women, I can tell you, are not afraid to speak their minds and make it crystal-clear what they’re after.

Especially, as we found out, if you’re an ­international sportsman.

“They came hunting, often in packs, and if they liked what they saw, you were in for the ride of your life.”

Gibbs’ book is a no-holds barred autobiography but due to legal advice names and details were left out.

It has been confidentially reported that Gibbs’ old team mates – some of them married – were incredibly worried that they could be named in his descriptions of the sex capers.

City Press was privy to Gibbs’ original telling of an orgy between himself, two Australian women and three of his team mates.

It was eventually completely watered down in the book. In his uncut version Gibbs names a team mate who took part in a group sex encounter with two Australian women.

The player still plays for the Proteas. And he adds that players and girls almost always ended up in this player’s room.

In the original tale Gibbs graphically tells how the girls moved from player to player (in addition to Gibbs there was also a fast bowler, a spin bowler and the “team mate”) and gave them oral sex in turns.

For a “worked up” Gibbs this wasn’t enough and he went on to have sex with an “equally enthusiastic” girl.

In the watered down version Gibbs simply says: “Without ­going into too much detail let’s just say that the evening came to a very enjoyable conclusion.”

Gibbs writes that he always practised safe sex. But ironically he also writes of how he was furious when his first serious girlfriend, Liesl ­Fuller, got pregnant in 1996. He was 22 and already a cricket star. She was only 17 and he believed she wanted to “trap” him.

Could he have possibly bedded 100 ­women? “No,” Gibbs giggles after he’s taken a moment to think. “A good number yes. Definitely a multiple of 10 but not a hundred.”

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE