| Intro | Cricketer |
| Is |
Athlete Cricketer |
| From | South Africa |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth |
28 September 1987, Pretoria |
| Age | 33 years |
Christoffel “Christi” Viljoen (born 28 September 1987) is a cricketer who plays for the Namibia national team. He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast.
Career
Namibia takes part in CSA Provincial Three-Day Challenge, a first-class competition in South Africa. Viljoen made his first-class debut in the competition on 21 January 2010 against KwaZulu-Natal. In 2010, Zimbabwe organised its domestic structure. Amongst the changes it introduced, the twenty20 tournament was reorganised. As well as five domestic teams from Zimbabwe, Namibia was asked to take part. It was during this tournament, on 13 February 2010, that Viljoen made his t20 debut, one of ten Namibian players to play their first t20 that day. Opening the bowling with Louis Klazinga, Viljoen took a single wicket (that of Sikandar Raza) for seven runs. He played six matches, scoring 61 runs from three innings with a highest of 41, and took six wickets at an average of 16.83.
After experimenting with a two-division format the International Cricket Council decided that the 2011–13 ICC Intercontinental Cup would feature eight teams, including Namibia who were previously in the Shield competition, playing first-class cricket. Namibia played their opening fixture of the Cup in September. Batting at number three Viljoen scored a four-ball duck in the first innings but in the second managed 87 from 136 balls, in the process passing 500 first-class runs in his career and beating his previous highest score in the format.
A side made up of some of the leading players from Associate and Affiliate teams was put together to face England in Dubai in January 2012. The three-day match was part of England’s preparation for a series against Pakistan later that month. Along with Craig Williams, Viljoen was one of two Namibia players included in the 12-man squad. Coming in to bat at 90/6, Viljoen top-scored with 98 runs from 189 balls against a bowling line-up including James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, and Graeme Swann.
The UAE hosted the 2012 World Twenty20 Qualifier in March. Namibia progressed to the preliminary finals where they lost to Ireland. With 14 wickets from 9 matches, Viljoen was Namibia’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament (equal fourth overall), and scored 48 runs from 5 innings. Shortly after the tournament concluded, Namibia hosted Canada in the Intercontinental Cup. Namibia won by eight wickets and in the second innings Viljoen finished with career-best bowling figures of 7/61.