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Gilchrist can't dismiss fact his average is dropping
Source: smh.com.au - December 30, 2005
Adam Gilchrist has moved closer to two records during the second Test against South Africa: one he would cherish, and one he would be keen to avoid.
Gilchrist's run of outs with the bat continued at the MCG, where he made two and a golden duck to bring his average below 50 for only the second time in his career. The last time that occurred, in India in 2001, it was below 50 for only one Test.
Gilchrist's second dismissal in this match will hardly bother the left-hander or the Australian team hierarchy. He was caught skying a pull shot to mid-wicket trying to force the pace ahead of Australia's declaration. Still, it helped propel him towards some unwanted history. His average has dropped in 11 successive Tests, starting from the first match of his Ashes horribilis.
Among Australian stretches with a declining average, this equals the horror run endured by Mark Taylor before he saved his place in the side in the first Ashes Test of 1997 at Edgbaston. If Gilchrist's average goes down again in the third Test in Sydney, he will match the longest such downward spiral by an Australian - suffered by Ian Healy in his last 12 Tests.
It is a statistic with some quirkiness about it. Generally, players near the top of the list had to have a high average to start with, and Gilchrist's was 55.65 at the start of the Ashes. It has dropped below 50 - to 49.81 after 79 Tests - for the first time since his 17th Test.
Gilchrist scored 94 in the Super Test against the World XI but his average still dropped after that match due to his second innings of one. Despite the statistical decline, it is hard to imagine him staying down for long. Fortunately for Australia, Gilchrist's batting slump has not dulled his wicketkeeping. He superbly stumped AB de Villiers off Shane Warne yesterday, then took a fine catch to his left in the next over off Glenn McGrath to remove Graeme Smith. A straightforward catch to dismiss Jacques Kallis off Andrew Symonds followed.
Gilchrist missed a stumping against Ashwell Prince when extra bounce in a Stuart MacGill delivery meant he could not quite grasp the ball cleanly. Overall this summer, his work with the gloves has been sound.
Gilchrist is bearing down on Healy's world record of 395 Test dismissals, with 332 as of last night. At his current rate he will pass Healy in 15 more Tests.
He will, however, have Mark Boucher to deal with as he moves towards that mark. The two rival keepers in this series are locked in a close battle, with Boucher having moved to 334 in his 87th Test. At 29, Boucher is the younger man by five years, meaning Gilchrist may have to be content with an Australian record.
- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA