Adelaide Zero: Ashley Giles

 
Now normally we wouldn't accord zero status to the 'King of Spain'. On the contrary in fact. For his unheralded role in the 2005 Ashes -  including seeing a nervous England over the line at Trent Bridge and for helping tie up one end whilst Messrs Flintoff, Harmison, Hoggard and Jones wreaked havoc at the other - Gilo is closer to a hero than a zero.

But at Adelaide in 2006 - the scene of the lowest of a series full of lows for England - the King lost his crown with one simple act that if he had executed it properly would likely have led to glorious victory rather than the most ignominious of defeats. And we are picking an Adelaide zero...

Giles was a controversial pick in the series with Duncan Fletcher preferring him to Monty Panesar despite the Warwickshire man having had little or no cricket for 12 months and his erstwhile replacement having made a promising start to his test career. That wasn't Giles' fault, but what he did, or more precisely failed to do, was.

For those with short memories, the Adelaide Test of 2006 started very well for England. Paul Collingwood (206) and Kevin Pietersen (158) compiled a 4th wicket partnership of 310 as England posted 551/6 declared. Then England made inroads with the new ball to reduce Australia to 65/3 and with a scratchy Ricky Ponting looking like getting out at any moment, more joy looked imminent.

And then Gilo's big moment came as Ponting mistimed a hook off Hoggard towards Giles on the deep square leg boundary. But Giles, never the most co-ordinated of cricketers - Henry Blofeld often called him the "wheelie-bin", fluffed his lines hopelessly misjudging the trajectory and clumsily dropping the Australian captain - and some said the Ashes - into the process.

Ponting went on to make 142 as Australia limited England's first innings lead to just 38 and the rest is as they say history. England wouldn't have won that series in a million years, but without Gilo's spill they wouldn't have lost this Test and at least saved England's cricket fans from the most depressing of defeats.

It also proved a sad epitaph to the King of Spain's England career as first serious illness to his wife and then persistent injuries meant that the Adelaide Test was his last. But reluctantly, we have to make Gilo a Reverse Sweep Adelaide zero for his integral part in England's downfall in this Test match.

Where next?

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

An unreserved apology to James Anderson

Adelaide Hero: Wally Hammond

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Comments

[Kathy S]

I know you write this in apologetic tone, but it still makes re furious how Giles was abused by the British press during that tour. Absolutely furious. I remember commenting to one of the Guardian writers on OBO during the Brisbane test that he clearly didn't WANT Giles to take any wickets to vindicate the scorn he was pouring on Gilo and he agreed. It was all "Monty is God" etc.

[The Reverse Sweep]

You're right Kathy, the vitriol heaped on Gilo was a disgrace - it was hardly his fault that Fletcher made such a grave selection error. What did the press expect Giles to do? Refuse to play?

It's a shame that such a hardworking and useful member of the side for so long had to go out like that.