Peter Gillespie
Encyclopedia
Peter Gerard Gillespie is an Irish cricket
er. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace
bowler, he had played for the Ireland cricket team 116 times up to the start of the 2007 World Cup
, including twelve first-class
matches and 35 List A matches, four of which were One Day International. Only three players have played more times for Ireland.
. He played the following day against the MCC
at Lord's
. Later in the month, he made his List A debut against Yorkshire
in the NatWest Trophy. He then represented Ireland in the Triple Crown Tournament
the following month. He played just twice for Ireland in 1996, a Benson & Hedges Cup
match against Gloucestershire
in May and his first-class debut against Scotland in August.
and played in nine matches. In the second round match against Hong Kong
, he took 3/42, his best bowling figures in all matches for Ireland.
and Glamorgan
. In 1998, he began to become a more regular fixture in the Irish side. That year, he played against the MCC, Bangladesh, a NatWest Trophy match against Warwickshire
, South Africa (twice) and Australia
in addition to the Triple Crown and the European Championship
. He also represented Northern Ireland in the cricket tournament
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Commonwealth Games
.
The following year, he played first-class matches against the South Africa Academy and Scotland and again played in the Triple Crown.
to play in the ICC Emerging Nations tournament, highlighted by an innings of 74 against Denmark. That year he also played against the MCC, Zimbabwe and in the European Championship.
He was not selected for the Ireland squad for the 2001 ICC Trophy
, but came back into the side in August, playing in the Triple Crown and in the C & G Trophy against Wiltshire
and the Hampshire Cricket Board. He won the man of the match
award for an innings of 66 in the match against Wiltshire.
2002 started with a C & G Trophy match against Nottinghamshire
and continued with a match against West Indies A
in which he scored 88, his highest score for Ireland at that time, again picking up the man of the match award. He then played in the European Championship and against the MCC and Berkshire
.
2003 was a busy year, with matches against Zimbabwe, South Africa, the MCC, the Free Foresters
and Hertfordshire
, amongst others. In 2004, he played in Ireland's famous wins over Surrey
in the C & G Trophy, which was only Ireland's second win over a first-class county and the West Indies, Ireland's third win over the West Indies., also playing in the European Championship, two matches against Bangladesh, once against the MCC and ICC Intercontinental Cup
games against Scotland and the Netherlands.
and warmed up with his first century for Ireland, scoring 102 not out
against the MCC in June. He played in five matches in the tournament itself, without much success until the semi-final against Canada, where he scored 64 not out to help lead Ireland to the final, winning the man of the match award in the process.
Also in 2005, he played against Loughborough UCCE
, Warwickshire and Yorkshire, in addition to playing in Intercontinental Cup games against the Netherlands, Scotland, the UAE and the final against Kenya, which Ireland won.
in each of them. Interestingly, the first match saw him dismissed on the third ball, the second on the second ball, and the third on the first ball.
That year, he also played in all nine of Ireland's C & G Trophy games, against the MCC, in the European Championship and Intercontinental Cup games against Scotland and Namibia
.
He was named in Ireland's squad for Division One
of the World Cricket League
in January/February 2007, but he only played in the match against Kenya. He then played in an Intercontinental Cup game against the UAE before being named in Ireland's squad for the 2007 World Cup.
He did not play in Ireland's first round matches as they beat Pakistan and tied against Zimbabwe to reach the Super 8 stage, and missed the first two matches in that stage before playing in the third match against New Zealand.
at an average of 27.65, and took 18 wickets at an average
of 37.33.
also represented Ireland internationally.
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. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler, he had played for the Ireland cricket team 116 times up to the start of the 2007 World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, including twelve first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches and 35 List A matches, four of which were One Day International. Only three players have played more times for Ireland.
Early career
Gillespie made his debut for Ireland on 6 June 1995 against the Duchess of Norfolk's XI at Arundel CastleArundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
. He played the following day against the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
. Later in the month, he made his List A debut against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in the NatWest Trophy. He then represented Ireland in the Triple Crown Tournament
Triple Crown Tournament
The Triple Crown Tournament was a cricket competition staged annually from 1993 to 2001 between the Home Nations; that is to say Ireland, Scotland, Wales and a team representing England...
the following month. He played just twice for Ireland in 1996, a Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in May and his first-class debut against Scotland in August.
1997 ICC Trophy
Gillespie was named in the Ireland squad for the 1997 ICC Trophy1997 ICC Trophy
The Carlsberg 1997 ICC Trophy was a cricket tournament played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March/April 1997. It was the qualification tournament for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Kenya and for the first time Bangladesh and Scotland all Qualified.-First round:...
and played in nine matches. In the second round match against Hong Kong
Hong Kong cricket team
The Hong Kong cricket team represents Hong Kong in international cricket. It played its first match in 1866 and has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1969....
, he took 3/42, his best bowling figures in all matches for Ireland.
1997 to 1999
Gillespie played two more games for Ireland in 1997, both Benson & Hedges Cup games, against MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
and Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
. In 1998, he began to become a more regular fixture in the Irish side. That year, he played against the MCC, Bangladesh, a NatWest Trophy match against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
, South Africa (twice) and Australia
Australia A cricket team
The Australia A cricket team is a cricket team representing Australia and is the second team of the Australian cricket team. They have also played far more one-day than first-class matches; indeed they have played only three first-class games against equivalent A sides, against South Africa A in...
in addition to the Triple Crown and the European Championship
European Cricket Championship
The European Cricket Championship is a group of various tournaments in which national cricket sides throughout Europe compete. The tournament is designed to encourage and develop the best players in countries where cricket is not a major sport and Europe's only Test cricket playing country,...
. He also represented Northern Ireland in the cricket tournament
Cricket at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Cricket was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. This was the first—and, to date, only—time cricket has been played at a Commonwealth Games. Matches were played over 50 overs, and had List A status, although they were not full One Day Internationals...
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
The following year, he played first-class matches against the South Africa Academy and Scotland and again played in the Triple Crown.
2000 to 2004
The 21st century started for Peter Gillespie with a trip to ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to play in the ICC Emerging Nations tournament, highlighted by an innings of 74 against Denmark. That year he also played against the MCC, Zimbabwe and in the European Championship.
He was not selected for the Ireland squad for the 2001 ICC Trophy
2001 ICC Trophy
The 2001 ICC Trophy was a cricket tournament played in Ontario, Canada in 2001. It was the qualifying tournament for the 2003 Cricket World Cup...
, but came back into the side in August, playing in the Triple Crown and in the C & G Trophy against Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
and the Hampshire Cricket Board. He won the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award for an innings of 66 in the match against Wiltshire.
2002 started with a C & G Trophy match against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and continued with a match against West Indies A
West Indies A cricket team
The West Indies A cricket team is a cricket team representing a sporting confederation of the Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago...
in which he scored 88, his highest score for Ireland at that time, again picking up the man of the match award. He then played in the European Championship and against the MCC and Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
.
2003 was a busy year, with matches against Zimbabwe, South Africa, the MCC, the Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Hertfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
, amongst others. In 2004, he played in Ireland's famous wins over Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in the C & G Trophy, which was only Ireland's second win over a first-class county and the West Indies, Ireland's third win over the West Indies., also playing in the European Championship, two matches against Bangladesh, once against the MCC and ICC Intercontinental Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme...
games against Scotland and the Netherlands.
2005 ICC Trophy
Gillespie was named in the Ireland squad for the 2005 ICC Trophy2005 ICC Trophy
Ireland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
and warmed up with his first century for Ireland, scoring 102 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against the MCC in June. He played in five matches in the tournament itself, without much success until the semi-final against Canada, where he scored 64 not out to help lead Ireland to the final, winning the man of the match award in the process.
Also in 2005, he played against Loughborough UCCE
Loughborough University Centre of Cricketing Excellence
Loughborough MCC University is a cricket coaching centre based at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England and the name under which the university's cricket team plays.- About :The coaching centre is largely funded by the Marylebone Cricket Club...
, Warwickshire and Yorkshire, in addition to playing in Intercontinental Cup games against the Netherlands, Scotland, the UAE and the final against Kenya, which Ireland won.
2006 and onwards
2006 saw Ireland gain One Day International status, and Gillespie played in the first three of Ireland's such games against England, Scotland and the Netherlands. He did not meet with much success in those games however, being dismissed for a duckDuck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in each of them. Interestingly, the first match saw him dismissed on the third ball, the second on the second ball, and the third on the first ball.
That year, he also played in all nine of Ireland's C & G Trophy games, against the MCC, in the European Championship and Intercontinental Cup games against Scotland and Namibia
Namibia national cricket team
The Namibia cricket team is the team that represents the country of Namibia in international cricket matches. It is governed by Cricket Namibia, an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1992 and became part of the High Performance Program in 2007. They took part in the 2003...
.
He was named in Ireland's squad for Division One
2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One
The 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One was a One Day International cricket tournament played from 29 January 2007 to 7 February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya. Division One, which is the successor to the now defunct ICC 6 Nations Challenge, is the highest tier of the World Cricket League, and is...
of the World Cricket League
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
in January/February 2007, but he only played in the match against Kenya. He then played in an Intercontinental Cup game against the UAE before being named in Ireland's squad for the 2007 World Cup.
He did not play in Ireland's first round matches as they beat Pakistan and tied against Zimbabwe to reach the Super 8 stage, and missed the first two matches in that stage before playing in the third match against New Zealand.
Statistics
In all matches for Ireland up until the 2007 World Cup, Gillespie scored 2599 runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
at an average of 27.65, and took 18 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 37.33.
Relations
Gillespie comes from a cricketing family, with three other members of his family all playing for Strabane, his club side in Ireland. His brother MarkMark Gillespie (Irish cricketer)
Mark Anthony Gillespie is a cricketer, born in Derry, Northern Ireland. A left-handed batsman and leg spin bowler, he played four times for the Ireland cricket team between 2000 and 2001....
also represented Ireland internationally.