Mark Gillespie Profile by CricketArchive

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Player:

MR Gillespie

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DateLine: 3rd June 2008

 

The 29-year-old lanky medium pacer has been a rare find for New Zealand cricket as he is an expert at bowling at the death. He doesn’t possess too much pace but can move the ball both ways, which allows him to take wickets aplenty.

 

In 50 First Class games, he has taken 204 wickets at a healthy average of 24 runs each and this has been the story of his career so far. In 2005-06, while bowling for Wellington, he took 23 wickets to end up as their best bowler. This performance was awarded by giving him a place in the New Zealand A side, which later got transformed into an opportunity to play for the national team, as he was also picked for the 2006 Champions Trophy in England. However, he didn’t get an opportunity to play there.

 

When he got his next chance, he was impressive on his debut against Sri Lanka, even though his team lost. Since then he has played a host of tournaments but his performances at best have been patchy. His best performance till date came in the T20 World Cup in South Africa where he took 4 for 7 against Kenya in his stipulated four overs. After another injury to Shane Bond, he was able to make his test debut against South Africa in 2007 and repaid the selectors’ faith in him with 11 wickets from just two matches.