Gary Wilson (cricketer)

Gary Craig Wilson (born 5 February 1986) is a former Irish cricketer, who is a wicket-keeper and right-handed batsman. He played for Ireland in Tests, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, with his first appearance for the national side coming in 2005. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018. In June 2018, he was named captain of Ireland's T20I side, a role he held until November 2019.[1] On 19 March 2021, Wilson announced his retirement from professional cricket.[2]

Gary Wilson
Gary Wilson keeping against Essex in the Friends Provident Trophy at Castle Avenue in 2007.
Personal information
Full name
Gary Craig Wilson
Born (1986-02-05) 5 February 1986 (age 38)
Dundonald, Northern Ireland
NicknameWils
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleWicket-keeper
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 11)11 May 2018 v Pakistan
Last Test24 July 2019 v England
ODI debut (cap 19)23 June 2007 v India
Last ODI21 May 2019 v Afghanistan
ODI shirt no.14
T20I debut (cap 11)2 August 2008 v Scotland
Last T20I19 January 2020 v West Indies
T20I shirt no.14
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2008–2016Surrey (squad no. 14)
2017–2018Derbyshire (squad no. 9)
2018–2020Northern Knights
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 2 105 81 107
Runs scored 45 2,072 1,268 4,834
Batting average 15.00 23.81 21.13 33.56
100s/50s 0/0 1/12 0/3 3/29
Top score 33* 113 65* 160*
Balls bowled 108
Wickets 0
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings 6/0 73/10 40/7 197/5
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 April 2020

Domestic and T20 career edit

Wilson has played county cricket for Derbyshire in England's domestic competitions, having previously appeared for Surrey.He had played for Surrey's first team from 2008 to 2016. He was Surrey captain for the latter part of the 2014 season, following injury to Graeme Smith,[3] and was awarded his cap in the same season.[4] Wilson signed a three-year contract with Derbyshire on 19 September 2016, and the following year, he captained the club to the quarterfinals of the T20 Blast, only the second time Derbyshire had gone so far in the competition

In a match against Leicestershire in August 2010, Wilson scored his maiden first-class century, beating his previous best score of 62. His 125 runs came from 235 balls while batting at number six.[5]

It has been harder work securing a county starting berth, as he has been tried in different top-order positions without consistent success, but Surrey have persisted with him in the middle order and he was a regular starter in 2013, making only his second Championship hundred.

Wilson played for the Northern Knights in the 2018 Inter-Provincial Trophy, featuring in one match against Munster Reds at Cork.[6]

In July 2019, he was selected to play for the Belfast Titans in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament.[7][8] However, the following month the tournament was cancelled.[9]

International career edit

Wilson played for Ireland in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup. He made his Irish ODI debut against India on 23 June 2007 at Stormont.

Wilson was selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup.[10] During the tournament it was announced that Wilson had agreed to extend his contract with Surrey to 2012.[11]

In May 2018, he was named in a fourteen-man squad for Ireland's first ever Test match, to be played against Pakistan later that month.[12][13] He made his Test debut in the match, starting on 11 May 2018.[14][15] The following month, he was named as the captain of Ireland's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the 2018 Netherlands Tri-Nation Series.[16]

In December 2018, he was one of nineteen players to be awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season.[17][18] In January 2020, he was one of nineteen players to be awarded a central contract from Cricket Ireland,[19] the first year in which all contracts were awarded on a full-time basis.[20]

On 3 May 2019, Wilson played in his 100th ODI match, in the one-off fixture between Ireland and England in Malahide.[21] In September 2019, he was named as the captain of Ireland's squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates.[22][23]

On 10 July 2020, Wilson was named in Ireland's 21-man squad to travel to England to start training behind closed doors for the ODI series against the England cricket team.[24][25]

On 19 March 2021, Wilson announced his retirement from professional cricket.[26]

References edit

  1. ^ "Gary Wilson replaced by Andy Balbirnie as Ireland's T20I captain". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Gary Wilson announces retirement from professional cricket". Cricbuzz. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  3. ^ Surrey v Leicestershire
  4. ^ "Wilson awarded County cap". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. ^ f52537 Leicestershire v Surrey: LV County Championship 2010 (Division 2), CricketArchive, retrieved 15 March 2011
  6. ^ Ireland's Wilson extends Surrey deal, ESPNcricinfo, 8 March 2011, retrieved 15 March 2011
  7. ^ "Eoin Morgan to represent Dublin franchise in inaugural Euro T20 Slam". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Euro T20 Slam Player Draft completed". Cricket Europe. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  10. ^ Ireland pick Ed Joyce for World Cup, ESPNcricinfo, 19 January 2011, retrieved 27 January 2011
  11. ^ Twenty20 Matches played by Gary Wilson, CricketArchive, retrieved 24 March 2019
  12. ^ "Ireland announce 14-man squad for historic first Test against Pakistan". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Ireland omit George Dockrell for historic first men's Test against Pakistan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Only Test, Pakistan tour of Ireland, England and Scotland at Dublin, May 11-15 2018". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Ireland win toss, opt to bowl in historic Test against Pakistan". Geo TV. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Gary Wilson named Ireland's T20I captain". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  17. ^ "19 men's central player contracts finalised ahead of busy 2019". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  18. ^ "Ireland women to receive first professional contracts". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Gareth Delany, Shane Getkate amongst 19 men's central player contracts offered ahead of a busy 2020". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Delany, Getkate highlight Ireland men's central contracts list for 2020". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  21. ^ "PREVIEW: Ireland look to begin bumper home summer with a bang as England come to town". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Squad announced for Oman Series and ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  23. ^ "Captains speak of their chances in ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Curtis Campher, Jonathan Garth the new faces as Ireland name 21-man squad for England ODIs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  25. ^ "Ireland names expanded training squad ahead of ODI series against England". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Gary Wilson announces retirement from professional cricket". Cricbuzz. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.

External links edit