The proudest moment of Adam Gilchrist's career...
Gilchrist leads the Australian Test Team out onto the field for the start of the First Day's playing against the West Indies in the 3rd Test of the Sir Frank Warrell Trophy at the Adelaide Oval. Australia won the test by 5 wickets, with West Australian team-mate Damien Martyn hitting the winning runs, Adam at the non-strikers' end. The win enabled Australia to retain the Sir Frank Worrel Trophy, and continue their record-breaking winning run to 13 consecutive wins. Well done Adam!! I have collated a special tribute page to the whole test, which includes pre-match articles, pictures, comments from Adam, the scoreboard, and ball-by-ball details of the whole 5th Day. See the page here.
Born: 14 November 1971, Bellingen, New South Wales. Major Teams: Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales. Batting Style: Left Handed. Classed as: All round Wicket Keeper. Test Debut: Australia v Pakistan at Brisbane, 1st Test, 1999/00.
Australian cricketing legend Bill Brown presents the cherished baggy green cap to Test debutants Scott Muller(left) and Adam Gilchrist(right).
ODI Debut: Australia v South Africa at Faridabad, Titan Cup, 1996/97
Adam Gilchrist: A star in the making…
Adam Craig Gilchrist was born on the 14th of November 1971 in Bellingen New South Wales, and went to Deniliquin Primary School. He wanted to be the world’s fastest bowler, until he saw a pair of shiney wicketkeeping gloves on the shelf of a Shepparton shop in country Victoria. Stan and June Gilchrist, realising how fascinated the youngest of their four children was with the gloves, later returned and bought them. It was Adam’s Christmas present that year, 1981, and it was the start of his wicketkeeper career, which will have taken him to South Africa, England, New Zealand, India, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the West Indies as his career goes by. Within two years, Adam and his young mates from Deniliquin Primary School had created history, becoming the first country team to win the Taber Shield (a knockout competition for primary schools in New South Wales). Adam was the wicketkeeper, opening batsman, and captain of the team. “He would’ve opened the bowling if he could’ve. He wanted to be in everything.” Stan said of his son. “Adam wanted to be the fastest bowler in the world before he spotted those gloves. Then he wanted to be Rod Marsh - there and then. In 1984, secondary school-teacher Stan was on the move again. This time it was from Deniliquin, in the bottom of New South Wales, to Lismore at the top of the state. Leg-spinner Stan became captain of the local cricket team. Adam 13, cut his teeth in the cricket arena with his siblings, Jacki, Dean, and Glenn, and was promoted to first grade following impressive performances with bat and gloves. “It’s hard to judge on country tracks but I thought he could make a good keeper. He could take me no worries,” Stan said.
A star evolving…
In 1989, when captaining Kadina High school in Lismore – and dating current wife and classmate Melinda Sharpe – Gilchrist won a scholarship to play with the Richmond club in London. He did his last year by correspondence. “Adam passed, but not as well as he should have,” Stan said. “The studies were secondary to his sport and he was playing cricket six days a week for six months.” When he returned home, the Gordon club in Sydney contracted Gilchrist. Gordon wanted Adam as backup for Phil Emery, who was often away with state duties. And that’s the direction Gilchrist wanted to go. He later moved to Northern Districts, where he took over from present-day Tasmanian keeper Mark Atkinson. Gilchrist and Emery became good mates, with Adam inquiring Phil how long he intended keeping stumps for the state. “Another three seasons,” Emery told Gilchrist. “If you think you can make it elsewhere, you go for it,” Emery added.
The transition of moving to West Australia…
Before Phil Emery announced his retirement earlier this year, he rang Adam to tell him. By then Gilchrist was ready to take over the gloves in the Australian test side, so impressive had he been since moving west for the 1994-95 season. At that time, the Perth cricket club was coached by Mark O’Neill, a former state cricketer with New South Wales and West Australia, and son of former test cricket Norm O’Neill. Mark played with Adam at Gordon. He knew the person and the player and where he wanted to go. “Get Gilchrist,” was O’Neill’s recommendation to Perth. Adam took over from Tim Zoehrer as the West Australian keeper. The loyal Western Australian crowds hated the decision, and unfortunately, the young Gilchrist copped some heavy flack whenever the Warriors came out on their home turf on the WACA. Nevertheless, Gilchrist was a success. As time went by, he entrenched his spot in the Warriors’ ranks. He made the record for the most dismissals by a keeper for Western Australia in a shield season (54) in the 1995/96 season, won over the crowds through his keeping and commanding batting and impressed those who counted his coolness and astuteness. Thus in 1996, when a vice-captain was needed, it was Gilchrist who was chosen, and when he had to fill the captaincy role, he made a huge impression.
West Australian Career –
Sheffield Shield –
Adam has played 46 matches and has scored 4173 runs at an average of just above 40 with a high score of 203 not out. He has made 10 100’s, 16 50’s, taken 347 catches and made 16 stumpings. Has been vice-captain since 1996. Part of the 1997/98 and 1998/99 Sheffield Shield winning teams.
Domestic One-Day Career –
Adam has played 28 matches and has scored 802 runs at an average of 34.86 with a highest score of 115, this being his only hundred. He has made 6 50’s, taken 49 catches, and made 4 stumpings. He was part of the 1996/97 and 1999/00 Mercantile Mutual Cup victories.
An international career began…
In 1996, Adam was called upon to cover for the injured Ian Healy in an One-Day International tri-series tournament on the sub-continent for Australia. He had already played for Australia at Under 19, Young Australia levels, and earlier in 1996 appeared for Australia A. Gilchrist, like others, expressed surprise at his selection for Australia, as there were others with more experience that the selectors overlooked. He was then earmarked as Australia’s next keeper, and when the occasion next came to cover for Healy (this time due to Healy being suspended early in 1997), Gilchrist was again called upon. His career shot upwards from there.
Consolidating his spot…
Midway through 1997, the Australian selectors restructured the One Day team to model it with versatile all-rounders and big-hitters. Healy, although a fine servant of the One-Day game, was amongst a band of players designated as ‘Test only’ cricketers and dropped from the One-Day side. Gilchrist big hitting was what the Australian selectors were looking for, and he got the nod. The opportunity also served as a taste of the international arena and keep Healy for Test duties (It was apparent that Gilchrist wasn’t yet ready for Test matches). But it meant Gilchrist had to cover old ground, as Healy’s dumping was massively unpopular. Healy was a beloved player and Gilchrist found himself again having to win over crowds, just as he did in WA a few years earlier.
Winning over crowds…
Gilchrist first game in Australia was against South Africa in December 1997 for the 1997-98 World Series in Sydney at the SCG. He was booed – it would take time for him to prove his wealth. At first, it looked as if he would need plenty of time, and scores of 4, 29,29*(not out), 11*, 21, 28, 6, and 20, batting down the order at six and seven, indicated the battle would be long. Then Steve Waugh put Adam in to open the batting for the First Final against South Africa. He made a solid 20. Then in the second final, he was given another chance. It was on Australia Day 1998 at the SCG. He made 100 off only 104 balls, this being his first century in One Day Internationals. Since then, he has opened the batting with Mark Waugh, and they have been regarded as one of the most deadliest opening partnerships going around, and are the fifth most successful ever in One-Day International cricket (on average). Then on February 7th, Adam made a record breaking 154 off only 129 balls against Sri Lanka at the MCG. It was the highest score ever by an Australian player and wicketkeeper in One Day Internationals. Then later that year, he was part of the Australian World Cup winning side in England. He was also part of the team that made a record for playing the most number of games unbeaten in One Day International Cricket. Adam is currently ranked the 9th best batsman in the world by Princewaterhouse Coopers ( http://www.pwcglobal.com/cricket ) in One Day International Cricket.
One Day Career –
Adam has played 95 matches, scored 2968 runs at an average of 33.34. He has made 6 100’s and 14 50’s, and has a high score of 154. As a keeper, he has taken 118 catches and has made 18 stumpings, and also made the world record of most dismissals by a keeper in One-Day International cricket of 6 (all caught).
At long last, a Test debut…
On the 5th of November 1999, Gilchrist made his long awaited first appearance in the Australian Test team (following Healy's complete retirement from the sport). It was a debut that he looked like making earlier midway through 1999 when he was called to the West Indies as Healy had broken down again. Gilchrist was a whisker away from playing but the determined Healy stubbornly overcame niggling calf muscles to deny Gilchrist. In his first game against Pakistan in Brisbane at the GABBA, ironically Healy’s home ground where he played with Queensland. He took 5 catches, made 1 stumping and was involved in a run out behind the stumps. He also made a dashing 81 in quick time before being bowled by Pakistani quick Shoaib Akhtar.
The impossible match…
This was followed in the next match that was played in Hobart, where Adam played a match-winning role in a match sure to be remember long into the future as one of Australia's most famous ever wins. Adam came to the crease when Australia were 5 for 126 and looking down the barrel in their bid to overturn Test match history and score 369 runs to beat Pakistan. His good mate and Western Australian teammate Justin Langer was there to greet him. Almost four and a half playing hours later the two West Australian left-handers had batted Australia to the verge of a monumental win - the third best last innings chase in Test history. Gilchrist cracked 149 not out and Langer was out with 127 just five runs short of victory. The pair had amassed a 238-run partnership in 265 minutes - a record for the sixth wicket between the two countries. He is now ranked the 18th best batsman in the world currently by Princewaterhouse Coopers( http://www.pwcglobal.com/cricket ).
Pictures and the match report of the stunning Hobart test and the series v Pakistan can be seen here.
Adam set a new Australian record for dismissals in a match in February 2000 of 10 catches in a Test match, making his 10th when he caught a simple spooned catch from New Zealand No. 9 Paul Wiseman off the bowling of Brett Lee in the third Test in Hamilton, New Zealand. This catch to Gilchrist helped the West Australian surpass the previous record of nine dismissals, held previously by Gil Langley, Rod Marsh and Ian Healy.
Rewarded for effort...
One the 4th of August, the ACB announced Adam Gilchrist as the vice-captain for the 3 games One-Day series against South Africa. The selection was at the expense of leg-spinner Shane Warne, whose hold on the job has been fatally weakened by a string of recent off-field controversies. Gilly was selected infront of batsman Ricky Pointing, whose slightly troubled past - which has included an involvement in infamous off field incidents at a nightclub in Calcutta in 1998 and at a bar in Sydney in early 1999 - might have worked against him. So then, is Gilchrist the next captain in the wings? Only time will tell, but the future looks even more rosier for a player who was rejected by New South Wales 6 years ago. Report by Baggygreen.com.au Media Release thanks to Baggygreen.com.au.
Then, Gilchrist was instilled controversial as Australia's permanent Test & One-Day vice-captain, taking over from Shane Warne. As expected, Steve Waugh was named as the captain of both teams.
To top this off, Gilchrist was named as
Australia's 41st Test match captain, and only the 2nd wicket-keeper to captain
Australia, for the Third Test in the Sir Frank Worrel Trophy against the West
Indies in Adelaide.
The announcement was made by ACB Chairman Dennis Rogers in a media conference at Melbourne Airport on the 12th of December, 2000.
Adam
Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting share a joke after an ACB
I have collated a special tribute page to the whole test, which includes pre-match articles, pictures, comments from Adam, the scoreboard, and ball-by-ball details of the whole 5th Day. See the page here.
Adam's most leathal shots:
As a batsman, Adam's penchant for playing attacking shots and for punishing loose bowling makes him one of the most exciting batsman to watch in cricket today.
Gilchrist's wide array of strokes all around the ground makes him a nightmare for oposistion bowlers around the world
Whilst his most devastating shot is the pull, he has a wide variety of strokes and his penchant for powering the ball square of the wicket is accompanied by an equally good capacity to drive the ball fluently through the arc between mid-off and mid-on.
Pull Shots:
Square of the Wicket:
The Mid Off to Mid On Arc:
Tribute to the Test Gilchrist captained
GILLY CHAT - My message board!
My Gilchrist Photo Gallery - Now works!
THAT Test - Australia vs Pakistan @ Hobart, 22nd of November 1999
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P.S. Reading my guestbook some poeple believed I am Adam Gilchrist, well sorry to disapoint but i'm not Adam Gilchrist, not related to Adam Gilchrist, and Adam Gilcrhist doesn't know me. Also, thanks for the people who helped me with the names of the staff in the
Last Updated - 23/12/2000
