Gilly a hit with fans

HE was billed as one of the star attractions of last night’s John Forbes Tribute Match at Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park, and Adam Gilchrist didn’t disappoint.Opening the batting, Gilchrist slammed a half-century in the All-Star XI’s score of 143 in the Twenty20 charity match staged by the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation.Gilchrist blasted 52 off just 31 balls after Invitation XI captain Mark Taylor won the toss and elected to bowl.However, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd, Gilchrist’s half-century was scored after he was given an early life by umpire John Birt.On the second ball of Strathfieldsaye’s Justin Hargreaves’ first over, Gilchrist, who was on three at the time, played his first aggressive shot of his innings, only to be bowled middle-stump.As Gilchrist was walking off the ground, Birt signalled a no-ball, robbing Hargreaves of the chance to lay claim to having dismissed one of this country’s greatest players who made a combined 33 centuries at Test and one-day international level.But the call by Birt summed up perfectly what the game was all about – it was all just a bit of fun between a group of ex-cricketers and footballers, and some lucky locals, who wanted to pay homage to the ill Forbes, the former national promotions manager of Puma for 21 years and inaugural chairman of the Blue Ribbon Foundation.While Hargreaves, who had plenty of support in the crowd, missed out on the wicket of Gilchrist, he did claim the scalp of 1995 Sydney Swans Brownlow medallist Paul Kelly in the fourth over.Kelly, who made the 400-plus kilometre trip from Wagga Wagga to Bendigo in his car yesterday, was bowled by Hargreaves for five off seven balls.Kelly’s dismissal came a ball after he had crunched a well-timed cover drive for a boundary following several play-and-misses outside off-stump.Such was the dominance of Gilchrist, Kelly’s five runs were made in an opening partnership of 27.Fellow top-order batsmen Andrew Grant (3) and Tony Taig (4) also fell cheaply.While Taig only faced three balls, he relished the chance to bat with Gilchrist – albeit briefly.“It was unreal to have the chance to bat with Gilly, and the main thing was I didn’t run him out,’’ Taig said.“I was thinking that people aren’t here to see me bat, so I just decided to make it short and sweet.’’Following Taig’s dismissal former 300-game Western Bulldogs footballer Rohan Smith strode to the wicket at No.5.And Smith showed he was just as adept with a cricket bat in his hand as he was roaming across the half-forward flank with the Bulldogs.Off the third ball he faced the left-handed Smith belted a classy lofted cover drive off former Melbourne Cricket Club captain Peter King (1-26).But down the other end the Gilchrist show was just starting to warm up.In the sixth over Gilchrist hit his first six when he smashed King over mid-wicket and into the adjoining Dower Park Caravan Park, prompting ground announcer Shane Healy to ask: “Have the caravans got Gilchrist insurance?’’Gilchrist later belted two more sixes – another off King that was well caught by a spectator, and a third off Simon O’Donnell (1-24) with his next scoring shot that landed alongside the packed Kangaroo Flat Sports Club.Gilchrist’s six off O’Donnell brought up his 50, with the 39-year-old’s rapid half-century coming off just 28 balls. However, the introduction of Forbes’ physiotherapist, Beeram Dithendranath, into the attack in the 10th over proved an astute piece of captaincy by Taylor, whose Invitation XI side was now under siege.With his first delivery the Indian spinner claimed the prized wicket of Gilchrist.Gilchrist – who will captain Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming Indian Premier League – had tried to belt Dithendranath for his fourth six, only to sky the ball and be caught and bowled.Gilchrist’s innings ended on 52 and with the score at just 82, with his scorecard reading: 2, 1, 2, 1, 4, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, 3, 2, 6, 1, 1, 4, 6, 6, 1.Dithendranath had success again in his second over when he dismissed Smith, who was stumped by wicket-keeper Ian Healy.Smith made a quickfire 18 off nine balls, hitting three boundaries.Along with Gilchrist and Smith, the only other players to score in double figures for the All-Star XI, who were bowled out in the 17th over, were Matthew Elliott (15) and Jason Jacoby (16).Former Bridgewater goalkicking ace Peter Collins showed the ex- Test cricketers how it’s done in the bush, making his five off four balls batting without any gloves.Along with Gilchrist, the game’s other headline act was Shane Warne, who only had a short stay at the crease.Batting at No.11, Warne belted Coodabeen Champion Ian Cover straight down the ground for a boundary off his first ball, before being caught by Ryan Haythorpe at mid-wicket the following ball, with his dismissal ending the All-Star XI innings.The Invitation XI had three players take two wickets each – Dithendranath (2-21), Taylor (2-16) and Cover (2-10).As well as his two wickets, Dithendranath also had a stint as wicket-keeper and stumped the scratchy Brad Johnson (1) off the bowling of Taylor.Taylor’s two wickets – he also dismissed Elliott – was double the amount of wickets he took during his 104-Test career.One of the game’s key organisers was Merv Hughes, who opened the bowling from the Melbourne end.Coming off a considerably shorter run-up than the heyday of his 53-Test career for Australia in the mid-80s and 90s, Hughes took 0-14 off two overs.Strathdale-Maristians cricketer Haythorpe made his mark for the Invitation XI.Haythorpe (1-1) bowled one over, dismissing Jacoby, while he also took the catches to remove Taig and Warne.Unfortunately, the Invitation XI didn’t get the chance to chase the 144 needed for victory.As Taylor and Andrew Startin – who earlier in the match delighted the crowd with a Sam Newman impersonation while fielding – were walking out to open the batting, a heavy downpour of rain bucketed down on Dower Park, forcing the game to be abandoned and denying the crowd the chance to see Australia’s greatest Test wicket-taker, Warne, bowl in Bendigo.