Gripper was an opening batsman, who once spent four hours 23 minutes inching his way to 28 in a match against England A.
Gripper made his first-class debut for a Matabeleland Invitation XI during Worcestershire's 1996/97 tour of Zimbabwe, by scoring 45.
However, he did not play another match at that level until the aforementioned game against England A in February 1999.
He played domestic cricket for Matabeleland, Manicaland and Mashonaland, and it was for the latter that he made his highest first-class score - 234 against Manicaland, this performance brought him a recall to the Zimbabwe team for the 2003/04 tour of Australia.
[1] He also played two seasons for Cranleigh Cricket Club in Surrey (1999 and 2004) totalling over 1,400 1st XI runs and 68 wickets.