By IANS
Sydney : Adam Gilchrist, who became the first man to reach the three figure mark in terms of career sixes in Test cricket, is now searching for the very ball he sent soaring into the orbit for his historic 100th six in the Bellerive Oval stadium in Hobart.
“It’s a bit frustrating … I’d love to hang onto it,” the Australian newspaper, The Age, quoted Gilchrist as saying. “I’m not a massive collector of memorabilia but I’m sure there are a few bits and pieces that I’m sure every cricketer has stashed away that means something to them. That’s a unique little item. I’d love to get it back, so whoever’s got it, I would be more than grateful.
“There aren’t too many things in life where you are the only person ever to have done it. With that in mind, it would be nice to have that particular ball that notched up that hundred. It’s not a milestone you set out to achieve in your career, but it’s nice.” The 100 Test sixes in his career,
Gilchrist reached 100 sixes in just 92 Tests and the next best in the list West Indian maestro Brian Lara who had 88 in 131 Test and Kiwi Chris Cairns managed only 87 in 62 Tests. West Indian legend Viv Richards had 84 in 121 Test matches. Gilchrist’s teammate Mathew Hayden has 79 in 91 Tests.
For the record, Donald Bradman had only six sixes over the course of his career.
Veteran left-hander Gilchrist playing his 92nd Test smashed Muthiah Muralitharan for his 99th and 100th career sixes off consecutive deliveries. The paper reported Gilchrist’s 100th six cleared the perimeter fence, crashed into a parked ambulance and hurtled down adjacent Church Street.
But the ball was never recovered and that’s when the mystery regarding the ball’s whereabouts began. According to witnesses, a boy returned from the street several minutes later with the ball, but it was confiscated by “an official in a red shirt”. By that time the umpires had changed the match ball.
However, authorities confirmed no officials at the Bellerive Oval were wearing red. So, who was the man, who took the historic ball from the boy? Was he a member of the crowd, who posed as an official and took away the ball?
Till late Saturday night, the historic ball was yet to be returned to the team management. Has the ball been swindled by a devious member of the crowd posing as a match official? Stay tuned.
Gilchrist’s manager, Steve Atkinson, launched an appeal on the ABC Radio for the ball’s safe return and it would not end up for sale on eBay.
Though there were only 5381 spectators at the Bellerive Oval Saturday it might still be very difficult for Cricket Australia to find the person who made away with the historic ball.