New South Wales wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes has fallen agonisingly short of his maiden hundred at professional level, run out for 99 during Saturday’s One-Day Cup match against reigning champions South Australia in Sydney.
The 26-year-old, whose previous highest score in List A cricket was 82, was one run short of triple figures when he fended towards short cover and sprinted through for a suicidal single, with former Blues teammates Jason Sangha running him out at the non-striker’s end.
Gilkes, the third-leading run-scorer of last summer’s One-Day Cup, has now passed fifty on 26 occasions across all forms of professional cricket, including the Sheffield Shield and the Big Bash League.
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“You could see before, the fielders crept in, they weren’t on the ring anymore,” Breakers all-rounder Hannah Darlington said in commentary.
“It’s part of the mental game of cricket – it just happens to be on 99 that batters are only looking for one.
“He’ll replay that situation a couple of times in his head.
“I don’t know if he’d make that decision again.”
NSW ultimately posted 7-288 from their 50 overs, setting South Australia a 289-run target for victory. Gilkes and Blues opener Kurtis Patterson combined for a 140-run partnership for the second wicket to anchor the innings before all-rounder Chris Green slapped an unbeaten 39 from 19 balls in a late cameo that featured three sixes.
Patterson’s innings finished in controversial fashion, given out caught behind after attempting a lap short against South Australian seamer Brendan Doggett for 73 – the 32-year-old’s reaction suggested he hadn’t touched the ball.
Earlier this week, Patterson cracked a century during the Blues’ One-Day Cup opener against Tasmania at the same venue, further pressing his case for a national call-up.
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