Jason Neil Gillespie (born 19 April 1975) is an Australian cricket coach and former international cricketer who represented Australia in all three formats of the game. A right-arm fast bowler, he was also a capable lower-order batsman, and his unbeaten 201 in his final Test match remains the highest score by a night-watchman in international cricket. Gillespie holds the distinction of being the first acknowledged Indigenous male cricketer to represent Australia in Test cricket.
| Full name | Jason Neil Gillespie |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 April 1975 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Role | Right-arm fast bowler; lower-order batsman |
| ODI debut | vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, August 1996 (Singer World Series) |
| Test debut | vs West Indies, Sydney, November 1996 |
| Domestic teams | South Australia, Yorkshire, Glamorgan |
| Notable record | Unbeaten 201 — highest score by a night-watchman in international cricket |
| Retirement (first-class) | Announced February 2008 in Australia; retired from all first-class cricket at end of 2008 English season |
Gillespie came through the Australian cricket development system and held an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship in 1995. He went on to represent South Australia in domestic first-class cricket in Australia, and later played county cricket in England for Yorkshire and Glamorgan.
Gillespie made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo during the Singer World Series in August 1996. A few months later, in November 1996, he made his Test debut against the West Indies at Sydney. Over the course of his international career he played across all three formats of the game for Australia as a frontline fast bowler.
Although primarily a bowler, Gillespie produced one of the most unusual innings in Test cricket history when, batting as a night-watchman, he scored an unbeaten 201 in what proved to be his final Test match. The score remains the highest by a night-watchman in international cricket.
At first-class level, Gillespie played for South Australia in Australia and for the English counties Yorkshire and Glamorgan. In February 2008, he announced his retirement from first-class cricket in Australia. He subsequently played in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, turning out for the Ahmedabad Rockets. At the end of the 2008 English domestic season, he retired from all first-class cricket.
Gillespie's career is significant for two main reasons: his role as a leading fast bowler in the Australian Test attack of the late 1990s and 2000s, and his status as the first acknowledged Indigenous male cricketer to play Test cricket for Australia. His double century as a night-watchman is also frequently cited as one of the most remarkable lower-order innings in the history of the game.