• Gilt-Edged Gilchrist

    Posted on October 22nd, 2010

    Adam Gilchrist, Middlesex’s star signing for this summer’s Twenty20 campaign, is the 2010 winner of the Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest hundred of the season. The 38-year-old Australian wicket-keeper/batsman thumped a blistering 47-ball century, which included 9 fours and 7 sixes, in the Friends Provident T20 victory over Kent, at Canterbury, on June 11th.

    Adam Gilchrist receives the Walter Lawrence Trophy from John Barclay

    Adam Gilchrist receives the Walter Lawrence Trophy from John Barclay
    Photograph by Sarah Williams

    Shaun Udal’s dramatic resignation as Middlesex captain on the afternoon of the match, thrust Gilchrist into the role of skipper and he responded in flamboyant style by guiding his side to a six-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires with 106. One of the fiercest-hitting batsmen in the game, Gilchrist retired from international cricket in 2008, having played in 96 Tests and 287 One-Day Internationals for Australia. His astonishing strike-rate in Tests was 81.95 per 100 balls, and in One-Day Internationals an awesome 96.94.

    In the 76th year of the Trophy, which is now open to all domestic international and county competitions, Gilchrist is only the third batsman to win the award for Middlesex : Mike Gatting in 1984 and Roland Butcher in 1987 being the previous recipients. Furthermore, following in the footsteps of Darren Lehmann (2000), Ian Harvey (2001), Damien Martyn (2003) and Marcus North in 2007, Gilchrist becomes the fifth Australian in 11 seasons to pick up the Trophy, which he will receive together with a cheque for £5,000.

    Meanwhile, Rory Burns of Cardiff MCCU is the 2010-season winner of the Walter Lawrence Trophy award for the highest-scoring batsman from the six MCC Universities. The 20-year-old left-handed opener and wicket-keeper hit a sizzling, unbeaten 230 against Oxford MCCU, in the MCC Universities Championship match at The Parks on April 27: the highest score in an innings played against one of the other five MCCUs or against one of the first-class counties this season.

    Epsom-born Burns, who was educated at City of London Freemen’s School, Ashtead, and has played for Surrey 2nd XI, hit 23 fours and 4 sixes in his innings, which was scored off 345 balls in the drawn game. Burns is the sixth recipient of the award since its inception, as well as the highest scorer, and is the second Cardiff player to win it. He will receive a silver medallion and prize of £1,000 at the traditional end-of-season dinner in The Long Room at Lord’s on October 19.


    Below is a short video clip showing footage of Gilchrist’s innings and him receiving the Trophy from John Barclay. Many thanks to Middlesex CCC for allowing us to use the footage, and to Peacocks Media for their production work.