Gary Gilmour

Gary John Gilmour (26 June 1951 – 10 June 2014) was an Australian cricketer who played in 15 Tests and 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1973 and 1977.

At the peak of his career, Gilmour combined "talented hitting" with "penetrative" left-arm swing bowling and slip catching.

He earned comparisons to the Australian all-rounder Alan Davidson.

He was called "Newcastle's greatest all-rounder and arguably its greatest cricketer".

Gary John Gilmour was born on 26 June 1951 in the Newcastle suburb of Waratah.

He attended Waratah Primary School and Newcastle Boys High School.

He was awarded two "Blues" by the New South Wales Combined High Schools Sports Association: in 1967 (baseball) and 1969 (cricket).

Gilmour was selected to play for Newcastle while he was a teenager.

At the age of 16, he was picked for Northern New South Wales against New Zealand and took 5–70 for Newcastle against Metropolitan when he was only 17.

He was picked in the Australian Schoolboys team to tour the West Indies in 1969–70 and in 1970–71 he was selected in the State Colts team.

Gilmour made his first-class debut in 1971 and was selected in the New South Wales team to play South Australia in January 1972.

He scored 40 in the first inning and 122 in the second.

He also took 2–27 and 0–40.

Gilmour scored a duck in his next game, against Western Australia, but took four wickets with the ball.

His third match, against South Australia, saw him take 4–69 in South Australia's second inning.

In 1972-73 season, Gilmour began the next summer well, taking seven wickets against WA (including his first five-for, 5–65) and scoring 72 runs.

He struggled against South Australia, scored 53 playing against the touring Pakistan side for an invitational Tasmanian side took five wickets against Victoria and five wickets plus an innings of 73 against Queensland.

People began to discuss him as an international prospect.

In the 1973-74 season, he had seven wickets against WA, six wickets and a score of 59 against SA, four wickets against SA, and five against WA.

A good all round performance for New South Wales against the touring New Zealand team helped his cause, taking seven wickets and making a score of 54.

He was picked in the Australian side for the first test.

Before that game he almost took NSW to victory against Victoria, scoring 72 not out in an unsuccessful run chase and nabbing 4 wickets.

During Gilmour 's debut, Australia batted first and scored 8–462; Gilmour scored 52 not out off 58 balls.

New Zealand were dismissed for 237 with Gilmour taking 4–75.

He only bowled three overs in the second innings as Australia's spinners took the bulk of the wickets; New Zealand only made 200.

Gilmour found things slightly tougher in the second test, taking 1–70 and 3–70 and making 3 with the bat in a drawn game.

Gilmour was out-bowled in a Sheffield Shield game by Jeff Thomson and was made twelfth man for the third test so the Australian selectors could trial other bowlers.

However, he did make the squad to tour New Zealand in 1974.

He took first class 45 wickets at 31 for the summer – this would be Gilmour's highest ever aggregate.

In 1974 on the New Zealand tour, Gilmour played against Auckland, resulting in him taking 2 wickets and scoring 52 with the bat.

He also took five wickets against Northern Districts.

He was made twelfth man for the first two tests.

He took six wickets against Otago, which saw him back in the eleven for the third test.

He took 7 wickets in a Test at Auckland, which included 5 for 64 in the first innings to set up a series-tying victory.

He also won man of the match award for the first ODI, taking 2–19 off 7 overs.

He took 1–36 in the second ODI.

Gilmour had taken 20 first class wickets on the tour at an average of just 15.

The 1974-75 competition for fast bowling places in the Australian team was intense at this time, especially once Dennis Lillee returned from injury and Jeff Thomson struck form.

Gilmour wasn't selected for the 1974–75 Ashes series, with the selectors preferring Max Walker as the third pace bowler.

Highlights of the summer included an innings of 59 for NSW against the touring English, seven wickets against Victoria, 5–19 in a spell against Queensland, four wickets against WA and six against South Australia.