Cheers Mate

This time last year we were saying goodbye to Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, four very different but brilliant players who individually and collectively had succeeded in tormenting cricket sides around the world for ever apparently. Well to that illustrious list of retirees we can add the name of Adam Gilchrist who for me would get the wicketkeeping gig ahead of Jeff Dujon in my own personal World XI of my lifetime.

Adam Gilchrist played the game the way it should be played, hard, fair and with a smile on his face. He played within the rules, not trying to push at them in the way some cricketers like to do. Such was Gilchrist's belief in the old adage of 'play up and play the game' that when he announced to team mates that should the situation arise he would 'walk' rather than stand his ground he found himself briefly ostracised by those team mates who should have known better. I have many happy memories of seeing Gilchrist play in the flesh but the two that will stand out for me come courtesy of the television.

Firstly the 2006-7 Ashes Tour. In Perth in December 2006 he scored the second fastest ever Test century in history. He took just 57 balls, not content with that he also broke the record for the most runs in a six ball over in Ashes history when he took 24 off Monty Panesar.

Secondly last years World Cup Final when he pulverised the Sri Lankan attack with his match-winning 149. Gilchrist hit 13 fours and eight sixes from just 104 balls - the fastest hundred in the history of Cup finals, and after being named the player of the final he admitted that he had been, "Pretty pumped up."

As for his record, well this comes courtesy of 334notout:

Gilchrist reached 5000 Test runs during his match winning innings of 144 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April 2006. He has scored 17 Test centuries - more than any other wicket-keeper batsman - and has scored hundreds against all nine Test opponents. He has also hit more sixes than any other batsman in Test history, recording his hundredth six during the recent 3 mobile Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart in late 2007.Gilchrist claimed 10 dismissals in a Test against New Zealand at Hamilton in 2000, the first Australian to do so and the third 'keeper from any country to capture as many victims in a single Test. He captained Australia in six Test matches, including leading Australia to an historic series victory in India in 2004, when Ricky Ponting was sidelined by injury. In 96 Test matches Gilchrist has taken 414 dismissals at an incredible 2.178 dismissals per Test innings. His 5556 (prior to the current final match of the series against India) runs had come at an average of 47.89.Gilchrist's record in one-day cricket is equally impressive. A three-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner, Gilchrist passed 50 in every World Cup final he played. He has scored 9297 ODI runs at an average of 36.03, including 15 centuries and 53 fifties. He also holds the ODI dismissal record with 454 dismissals in his 277 ODI's (401 caught, 53 stumped).

Thanks for the memories.