Gillespie Returns To Bolster Sa Bowling
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday February 17, 2000
South Australia's bowling attack is set to be bolstered with the return of paceman Jason Gillespie for the Mercantile Mutual Cup cricket semifinal against Western Australia on Saturday.
Gillespie has not played first-class cricket since September, when he broke his leg in a collision with Australian captain Steve Waugh in Sri Lanka.
Although he is yet to make his return to the longer version of the game, Gillespie was named yesterday in the Redbacks' 13-man squad for the crucial one-day clash.
If Gillespie takes to the field, he is likely to replace medium pacer Michael Smith in the only change to the team that lost to Queensland by nine wickets last Sunday.
The defeat cost SA a chance to host a semifinal and relegated it to fourth on the points table.
It topped off a crushing week for the Redbacks, who also lost their Pura Milk Cup match against the Bulls inside three days.
SA state manager of cricket Greg Chappell said his players would have to overcome their disappointment at the losses and look ahead.
``The beauty is we played in Perth recently and beat them in the one-day game there," Chappell said.
``That's something to draw on and rebuild the morale before the weekend ... one game can turn it all around."
Jamie Siddons remains sidelined with shingles, which ruled him out of the one-day match against Queensland, and he is expected to take about three weeks to recover.
His absence has fuelled speculation Siddons, whose season has also been interrupted by a persistent back injury, may have played his final first-class game.
SA squad: Darren Lehmann (capt), Greg Blewett (vc), David Fitzgerald, Chris Davies, Jeff Vaughan, Ben Johnson, Bradley Young, Graham Manou, Brett Swain, Paul Wilson, Mark Harrity, Jason Gillespie, Michael Smith.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury