Former Australian Test fast bowling great auctions memorabilia

Former Australian fast bowler Jason “Dizzy” Gillespie loved being part of a successful Test and one-day cricket side.

“The highlight of my career was winning Tests and World Series matches and contributing to the victories by bowling well,” he explained.

The first Aboriginal male to become a Test cricketer and the only nightwatchman to score a record 201 not out (against Bangladesh in 2006), Gillespie began both his Test and one-day career in 1996, aged 21.

In 71 Test matches, he took 259 wickets at an average of 36.13 (five wickets in an innings eight times) and scored 1218 runs – becoming a reliable member of the bowling trio that included teammates Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and part of the Australian squad that won the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Like a handful of his predecessors, Gillespie was a prolific collector of cricket memorabilia and some of his collection will be auctioned as part of Melbourne-based Abacus Auctions sporting memorabilia, stamps, postal history, militaria, coins and banknotes sale from 10am Tuesday June 24 to Friday June 27 at 29 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley.

Highlights include Gillespie’s sweat stained, signed One Day International cap (lot 4612) and several examples of signed ODI shirts he wore from 1996 to 2004 (lots 4613 to 4624).

Other memorabilia drawcards include Test and one-day balls where he took at least five wickets against other leading cricketing nations such as the West Indies, Pakistan and India (lot 4691).

Stumps are another feature of the collection, including one (lot 4667) from the 2006 Bangladesh Test signed by captain Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey (who made 182 in partnership with Gillespie) and several other teammates.

A major auction attraction is opener Justin Langer’s Test helmet from the 2004 First Test against Sri Lanka in Galle (lot 4627). Signed by various teammates, it records Warne’s 500^th Test wicket during the match, a record fourth wicket partnership against Sri Lanka of 206 between Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn, and opener Matthew Hayden’s Man of the Match performance of 41 and 130 runs and seven catches over two innings.

Assistant coach Tim Neilsen retrieved the helmet after Langer threw it off in disgust in the dressing room after getting out.

Other highlights include Gillespie’s Test blazer from the 1997 Ashes tour (lot 4626) and “coffin” cricket travel trunks from the same series (lot 4652) and the India and Sri Lanka tour of the previous year (lot 4651).

After retiring from international cricket in 2006 following his famous knock, Gillespie became a successful coach, taking English county team Yorkshire to two successive championships in 2014 and 2015 and Australia’s Big Bash league side the Adelaide Strikers to victory in 2017.

As Pakistan coach from April to December 2024, Gillespie led the ODI team to its first victory in Australia since 2017 and first Australian series ODI win for 22 years.

Now 50, Gillespie said he has collected massive amounts of memorabilia (now in storage boxes) over the years and it was time for others to enjoy it.

The treasured bat with which he made 201 not out against Bangladesh might be offered at auction next year – on the occasion of its 20^th anniversary.