Recollections of Gilly

With the third great man announcing that the end is nigh, I recall the first time I heard about him.

I was working in Coffs Harbour, NSW, and one of the ladies in the office had a son who was a pretty decent wicketkeeper. I saw her son play a few matches representing the North Coast region and Asked why he hadn't been looked at for higher honours.

The answer came that there was 'this young bloke up in Lismore who kept him out of the side for quite a while, but he's in the state squad now.'

The player in question? Adam Gilchrist.

Ironic that he had to go to Wozzieland to further his career, given that.

Thanks for the memories you legend.

His keeping in the corresponding series 8 years ago.

The game where Warnie dropped the hat-trick catch off Fleming, Gilly's keeping was impeccable.

Something must have happened during this test for him to make this sudden decision .. also kind of explains the off-color performance on the field yesterday.

He announced himself to the world big time when Tugga chucked him in to open v Saffies at home. It paid off big time when he made a blazing ton in his 2nd outing as opener, and went on the forge a legendary opening pairing wih Junior.

And who get forget the way he announced himself as Heals replacement? 81 and a bag of catches in his first Test then that brilliant unbeaten 149 to get Aus home v Pakistan in Hobart.

What a ride he's given us.

Paul Keating wrote:His keeping in the corresponding series 8 years ago.

The game where Warnie dropped the hat-trick catch off Fleming, Gilly's keeping was impeccable.

Aye PK, he took a couple of blinding diving one-handed catches. Good call.

And who could forget that remarkable 204* v Saffies in the middle of that Internet scancdal about Slats being the father of his kids.

the ton at the SCG against the Paks a few years ago . . . he just middled everything.

Erm, and putting Tubby into guffawing orgasms v Poms in Perth last summer.

That 100 run partnership with McGrath vs England, where McGrath contributed SFA to the runs tally.

His captaincy, breaking our hoodoo in India.

And just walloping the Kiwis . . . eveytime he played them . . .

tac wrote:And just walloping the Kiwis . . . eveytime he played them . . .

Aye, that last away series v Snoozers, Gilly was farkin amazing. We were in trouble several times in that series and he just came out and smoked the ball everywhere to put us in winning positions.

Jebus, we've been so farkin spoiled over the last 10 years.

And I know it was only the Zimmers, but the day he belted 172 in an ODI against them, what a corker of a knock that was.

2003 WC SF??

2007 WC Final . . . . got the subis sooking that day as well . . . the quinella!

Zat wrote:And I know it was only the Zimmers, but the day he belted 172 in an ODI against them, what a corker of a knock that was.

Aye Zat, thought he was gonna realise Tugga's prediction that day of him becoming the first 200 maker in ODIs.

2007 World Cup Final. Farkin amazing knock.

Actually, WC winner, big ton, sooking subis . . . the trifecta!

tac wrote:2007 WC Final . . . . got the subis sooking that day as well . . . the quinella!

Hehehe. Snap.

His superb bowling in the Hong Kong 6s way back when.

What a career and what a fabulous player.

Considering he didn't get a Test until he was almost 28 it's one of the great tantalising, unanswerable questions to ask: What might he have done had he begun a few years earlier???

The truth is there are too many glittering, sensational and often rescuing innings to recall. And, as someone noted, at his best he was a first class keeper as well.

I suppose the real measure is that, although he was not as consistently good a keeper as Healy, Grout and a few other Australians, everyone agreed that he strengthened the team when he made his senational entry into it.
And many would want him - and we would all consider him - in that mythical All Time Eleven.

*Buckaroo* wrote:Something must have happened during this test for him to make this sudden decision .. also kind of explains the off-color performance on the field yesterday.

the fact that they are probably not going to lose this match. if aus was bowled out for 300 i think he may have put off his retirement, and rightly so. he deserves a good send-off, great player, in every sense of the word

tac wrote:And just walloping the Kiwis . . . eveytime he played them . . .

I vaguely recall 1 game in NZ where he was 100 or so inside 25-30 overs.

Who can ever forget his unabashed joy when Marto took the outfield catch off Warnie to win the 3rd Test and the series in the last away series in India? He had captained us to victory in the "Final Frontier".

Yep, that was perhaps Gilly's greatest moment . . . winning captain in India. What a farkin absolute legend . . .

The man has achieved all he can in the game. And I reckon he's gonna do plenty after cricket as well.

skully wrote:The man has achieved all he can in the game. And I reckon he's gonna do plenty after cricket as well.

Channel 9's commentary box is fit to bursting point as it is - they can't get any more former players in surely?!