John Gleeson
Encyclopedia
John William Gleeson is a former Australia
n cricket
er who played in 29 Tests
from 1967 to 1972.
. He was the son of a dairy farmer
from Wiangaree in north eastern New South Wales, and attributed the finger strength required to bowl with his two-fingered grip to his childhood, which he spent milking cows.
, using two fingers: a bent middle finger and the thumb pressing against the ball on both sides in an attempt to find a new variety of bowling tricks. He was one a small number of Australians who experimented with revolutionary bowling grips in the wake of Iverson's stay in international cricket.
Gleeson preferred to bowl downwind on a greenish surface, since pace from the wicket
compensated for his not being a large spinner of the ball. His accuracy resulted in him mainly being used for defensive purposes, rather than an attacking one. Under the old LBW
law, batsmen could not be given out if they were struck outside off stump, allowing batsmen to safely use their pads without offering a shot to nullify his googly
.
In the 1966–67 season, he took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick, in a Sydney grade game, before taking 5/28 against Victoria
. He was subsequently selected in an Australian "Second" Team to tour New Zealand
at the end of the year. He was selected for the 1967–68 Test series against India
in Australia. He made his debut in the First Test at Adelaide Oval
, taking 2/36 and 2/38. He managed less success in the remaining three Tests, taking five wickets to end with nine at an average of 28.55. In 1968 he won selection for the Ashes
tour of England, playing all five Tests and taking 12 wickets at 34.66.
The 1968–69 season saw a heavy workload for Gleeson, in five Tests against the West Indies cricket team. He took 15 wickets, including hauls of 5/122 and 5/61 in the first two Tests, but 842 runs, at an average of 56.13. He also peaked in his batting contributions, making his two highest scores of 42* and 45 in consecutive Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground
and the Adelaide Oval
. The subsequent 1960–70 tour to India was to be Australia's last Test series win there for 35 years. He took match figures of 7/108 in the First Test at Mumbai
, the leading return by an Australian in an eight wicket victory. He ended the series with ten wickets at 34.7.
In 1969–70, when Australia toured South Africa
, Gleeson's value was such that he insured his right hand for A$
10,000. Gleeson took 18 wickets in two first class matches against provincial team at the start of the tour and then another five in the First Test at Cape Town
, and five in the second innings in the Third Test in Johannesburg
. Most of the South Africans were seeing him for the first time and struggled to understand his action. It was Barry Richards, the most junior of them, who claimed to have worked him out. Not once in seven innings did Gleeson, who took 19 wickets at 38.94 in the series, dismiss Richards, as South Africa took a 4–0 series win.
Gleeson was the top Australian wicket taker in the 1970-71 Ashes series, but his 14 wickets cost 43.21 as his quest for variety resulted in loose balls and he was punished by the English batsmen who had met him in 1968. Despite being able to use their legs without danger, batsmen were still unable to overcome him during the 1971-72 domestic season when he took 45 wickets at 16.31 in eight matches, including 19 wickets in two consecutive matches. Gleeson was recalled for the 1972 Ashes tour, but was dropped after the first three Tests, in which he managed only three wickets at 52.33. He had minor skills with the bat, with one first class half century and a Test top score of 45.
After Gleeson toured South Africa with Derrick Robin's team in 1973–74, Graeme Pollock
helped to organise a position for him in the Eastern Province
team for his final first class season.
He served on the inaugural governing committee of World Series Cricket
. After 40 years of service with Telecom, he retired in 1995 as the New South Wales internal communications manager for the firm.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 29 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
from 1967 to 1972.
Early years
Gleeson grew up in the country town of TamworthTamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
. He was the son of a dairy farmer
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
from Wiangaree in north eastern New South Wales, and attributed the finger strength required to bowl with his two-fingered grip to his childhood, which he spent milking cows.
Style
He used a grip similar to that of the unique "bent-finger" action of Jack IversonJack Iverson
John Brian Iverson was an Australian cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1950 to 1951. He was known for his unique "bent finger" grip, with which he briefly perplexed batsmen across Australia as well as the touring English cricket team...
, using two fingers: a bent middle finger and the thumb pressing against the ball on both sides in an attempt to find a new variety of bowling tricks. He was one a small number of Australians who experimented with revolutionary bowling grips in the wake of Iverson's stay in international cricket.
Gleeson preferred to bowl downwind on a greenish surface, since pace from the wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
compensated for his not being a large spinner of the ball. His accuracy resulted in him mainly being used for defensive purposes, rather than an attacking one. Under the old LBW
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
law, batsmen could not be given out if they were struck outside off stump, allowing batsmen to safely use their pads without offering a shot to nullify his googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
.
Career
Gleeson was one of the prominent debutants of the 1966–67 Australian cricket season in the Sheffield Shield, taking 23 wickets in six matches.In the 1966–67 season, he took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick, in a Sydney grade game, before taking 5/28 against Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. He was subsequently selected in an Australian "Second" Team to tour New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at the end of the year. He was selected for the 1967–68 Test series against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in Australia. He made his debut in the First Test at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
, taking 2/36 and 2/38. He managed less success in the remaining three Tests, taking five wickets to end with nine at an average of 28.55. In 1968 he won selection for the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour of England, playing all five Tests and taking 12 wickets at 34.66.
The 1968–69 season saw a heavy workload for Gleeson, in five Tests against the West Indies cricket team. He took 15 wickets, including hauls of 5/122 and 5/61 in the first two Tests, but 842 runs, at an average of 56.13. He also peaked in his batting contributions, making his two highest scores of 42* and 45 in consecutive Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
and the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
. The subsequent 1960–70 tour to India was to be Australia's last Test series win there for 35 years. He took match figures of 7/108 in the First Test at Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, the leading return by an Australian in an eight wicket victory. He ended the series with ten wickets at 34.7.
In 1969–70, when Australia toured South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Gleeson's value was such that he insured his right hand for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
10,000. Gleeson took 18 wickets in two first class matches against provincial team at the start of the tour and then another five in the First Test at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and five in the second innings in the Third Test in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Most of the South Africans were seeing him for the first time and struggled to understand his action. It was Barry Richards, the most junior of them, who claimed to have worked him out. Not once in seven innings did Gleeson, who took 19 wickets at 38.94 in the series, dismiss Richards, as South Africa took a 4–0 series win.
Gleeson was the top Australian wicket taker in the 1970-71 Ashes series, but his 14 wickets cost 43.21 as his quest for variety resulted in loose balls and he was punished by the English batsmen who had met him in 1968. Despite being able to use their legs without danger, batsmen were still unable to overcome him during the 1971-72 domestic season when he took 45 wickets at 16.31 in eight matches, including 19 wickets in two consecutive matches. Gleeson was recalled for the 1972 Ashes tour, but was dropped after the first three Tests, in which he managed only three wickets at 52.33. He had minor skills with the bat, with one first class half century and a Test top score of 45.
After Gleeson toured South Africa with Derrick Robin's team in 1973–74, Graeme Pollock
Graeme Pollock
Robert Graeme Pollock, known as Graeme, is a former cricketer. He played in 23 Test matches for South Africa and represented Transvaal and Eastern Province at domestic level....
helped to organise a position for him in the Eastern Province
Eastern Province cricket team
Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...
team for his final first class season.
He served on the inaugural governing committee of World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
. After 40 years of service with Telecom, he retired in 1995 as the New South Wales internal communications manager for the firm.