Nigel Brouwers

{{Short description|South African cricketer (1976–2021)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Nigel Brouwers

| image =

| fullname = Nigel Grant Brouwers

| birth_date = {{birth date|1976|9|4|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Port Elizabeth, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|7|3|1976|9|4|df=yes}}

| death_place = Port Elizabeth, South Africa

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role = Bowler

| club1 = Eastern Province B

| year1 = 1998/99

| club2 = Northerns

| year2 = 2000/01

| club3 = Eastern Province

| year3 = {{nowrap|2004/05–2005/06}}

| club4 = South Western Districts

| year4 = {{nowrap|2006/07–2009/10}}

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 31

| runs1 = 955

| bat avg1 = 18.72

| 100s/50s1 = 0/4

| top score1 = 63

| deliveries1 = 1,957

| wickets1 = 75

| bowl avg1 = 26.09

| fivefor1 = 3

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 6/57

| catches/stumpings1 = 22/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 30

| runs2 = 574

| top score2 = 94

| 100s/50s2 = 0/4

| bat avg2 = 27.33

| deliveries2 = 947

| wickets2 = 28

| bowl avg2 = 33.82

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 3/16

| catches/stumpings2 = 10/–

| date = 2 May 2022

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/44151.html Cricinfo

}}

Nigel Grant Brouwers (4 September 1976 – 3 July 2021) was a South African cricketer.{{cite web|url=https://www.knysnaplettherald.com/News/Article/General/swd-cricket-mourns-death-of-nigel-brouwers-202107051247 |title=SWD Cricket mourns death of Nigel Brouwers |work=Knysna-Plett Herald |access-date=2 May 2022}} He played in 31 first-class and 30 List A matches from 1998 to 2009.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/44151.html |title=Nigel Brouwers |work=ESPN Cricinfo |accessdate=17 December 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/graaff-reinet-advertiser/20210708/281754157315409 |title=SWD Cricket mourns former player |work=Press Reader |access-date=2 May 2022}}[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/12/12138/12138.html Nigel Brouwers], CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 May 2022. {{subscription required}}

Brouwers attended Gelvandale Secondary School and played for Eastern Province Schools in 1991. He made his first-class cricket debut in the 1998/99 season for Eastern Province, before going on to play for Northerns in 2000/01. In the 2006/07 season, Brouwers made his debut for South Western Districts. On his debut for South Western Districts, he made his highest score in first-class cricket, with 63 runs against Kei. In his maiden List A match for the team, he also scored his highest score in the format, with 94 runs. In his first-class career, he took 75 wickets, with his best figures of 6/57 coming against Griqualand West in the 1998/99 season. His best figures in List A cricket came in his final match, against Gauteng, where he took three wickets for sixteen runs.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/csa-provincial-one-day-challenge-2009-10-422880/south-western-districts-vs-gauteng-423220/full-scorecard |title=Oudtshoorn, November 07, 2009, CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=2 May 2022}}

In February 1999, Brouwers was found guilty of stealing the wallet of fellow cricketer Alan Badenhorst.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BYEpxYpE0M0C&dq=%22Nigel+Brouwers%22+cricket&pg=PA14|title=Lifting the Covers: Inside South African Cricket|first=Luke|last=Alfred|date=2 May 2001|publisher=New Africa Books|isbn=9780864864741 |via=Google Books}} The incident occurred during Eastern Province's match against Griqualand in the 1998/99 season, with Brouwers taking the wallet from the changing rooms. Brouwers was given twenty hours of community service.

In the 2006/07 season, Brouwers and Sammy-Joe Avontuur set a new opening partnership record for South Western Districts in a List A cricket match.{{cite web|url=https://www.thegremlin.co.za/2018/01/07/hornbuckles-record-breaking-ton-seals-victory-for-swd/ |title=Hornbuckle's record-breaking ton seals victory for SWD |work=The Gremlin |date=7 January 2018 |access-date=2 May 2022}} The pair made 109 together against Kei.

Brouwers died in July 2021 from COVID-19, with his mother dying on the same day and his father a week later.{{cite book |last=Booth |first=Lawrence |date=1 May 2022 |title=Wisden Cricketer's Almanack |page=203 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=9781472991102|edition=159th }} South Africa former international cricketer Alviro Petersen said that Brouwers was "one of the most talented cricketers I have known".