From Sydney Morning Herald:

Gillespie now has a higher Test score than Mark and Steve Waugh, David Boon, Ian Chappell, Damien Martyn and Lindsay Hassett.

He joins Brad Hodge, Bob Simpson, Sid Barnes and Syd Gregory as the only Australians to pass 200 with their maiden Test centuries.

Jenko is exited. I cannot quite believe it yet.

After a horrible Ashes where the Aussie team saw ghosts and Jason Gillespie became a ghost of a name where the Australian squad was concerned, Jason Gillespie is back. Not only with wickets, but with runs too! The century from Gillespie proves (once again) that any thing is possible in cricket.

Gillespie did not have a great Pura Cup with the bat making 135 runs at an average of 13.50 with a highest of 33. [Stats attained with the aid of Neil.] However, the defense of Gillespie is underestimated. A solid blocker, Gillespie can stick at the wicket for long periods. His stats for staying at the wicket was a little more than 52 before this test match and is bound to improve as he has already faced 300 balls in the current inning.

Osman Saimuddin writes over at Cricinfo:

… For the purposes of records only should he be called a nightwatchman as he became only the third one to score a Test hundred, but he is much more than that; his Chennai rearguard, fifties against Pakistan and New Zealand over the last year say as much.

But a Test hundred? That surely confirms his as one of the best tailenders, in fact, a tailender who actually isn’t. Lest this seem sarcastic, note the credentials please. Including this hundred, he averages 24.65 from his last 16 Tests with two fifties as well, and if he wishes, he can run those by prodigious Michael `Pup’ Clarke, who averages 25.09, with two fifties and no hundreds from the same.

For the statistically minded, this is the highest score by a night watchman in test cricket history. Tony Mann’s almost 30 year record has been broken.

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