Dizzy's last tune

For some reason I liked Dizzy Gillespie from the get go.

It might have been cause he was really fast, really young and fast, really young, or cause he had a pony tail, who can tell.

As the years went on he gave people a lot to like about him.

He wasn’t just an aboriginal, he was a fast bowling snarling aboriginal player.

Fu©k load of wickets never hurt.

The amount of effort that went into every ball, some times at delivery it looked like he was giving birth to twins.

His batting, which resembled a father protecting his hot daughter’s virginity.

His bowling, especially his bowling faces. The angry one he pulled on the way to the wicket that said, if there was a wicket inside my dog, I would gut him with a spoon to get it out.

Then on the way back from the crease, he was the most relaxed guy, laughing and smiling.

He had an off cutter than could cut you to pieces and he one rode his bat like Happy Gilmore.

Plus he brought back the mullet.

Nuff said.

The first part of his career was severely injury prone, think Shane Watson, but talented.

And for years every time he went back to his mark he would stretch and I would fear the worst. I was like an over bearing mother.

After all the first aid trips he lost a bit of pace, I blame the face plant with Steve Waugh for that.

Then he became reliable body wise, he was like a warrior in a war film, held together with bandages, but still seemed to get the job done.

After the pace left, the accuracy took over, his line and length was fuller and straighter than McGrath.

I still think if they kept a record of how many catches were dropped per bowler per match he’d be high up on that list.

The amount of times he would get an opening batsmen dropped at slip, only for McGrath to clean up at the other end was extraordinary.

For a while there he was Australia’s best bowler.

To be Australia’s best bowler at any time is pretty good, but to do so when Warne & McGrath are in the side is pretty damn special.

Then Dizzy went a little Ian Baker Finch, he seemed to completely lose is ability to move the ball, bowl a good length and miss placed a yard of pace.

This ended with him sitting out the 2005 ashes.

It would have been an ugly way to go, but the selectors picked him as a batsman and let him smack the kittens around for a test double ton.

Then he was shipped back to South Australia.

His file was stamped, in case of emergency. That emergency being if Brett lee and Stuart Clark died, or got caught in kiddie porn ring.

It didn’t happen.

So now at the age of 32 (I didn’t check it but it seems right) Dizzy has decided to get some superannuation in the ICL.

According to the very well paid Cricket Australia Administracrats, this means he can no longer ply his trade at radelaide Oval.

This is a shame, because the man still gives

Dizzy you will be remembered, as a gun opening bowler, as a brick wall, and as one hell of a mulletteer.

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