da dobrowin： Luke Gillian is a spectator who is an expert atoccupying a rain delay
da fezbet： Roving Reporter by Peter English at the SCG04-Jan-2005Luke Gillian is a spectator who is an expert atoccupying a rain delay. It was a valuable skill as twodays of holiday sunshine was replaced by soppyconditions for the first working day of the year. Ifcricket had a No. 1 ticket-holder system like the AFLclubs, Gillian could make a strong case as the BaggyGreens’ top cheerleader.Since Australia played in Barbados in 1995, Sparrow, as Gillian is known,has followed the team through 79 Tests, and as theweather decided play would begin three hours late hewas busy with his favourite rain-break filler. “Icatch up with friends and acquaintances because Idon’t chat to anyone when the match is on,” he said.Gillian, who is famous for carrying his bat in the stands and waving theAustralia flag, had also encountered rainy days in Chennai and Kandy when Australia were playing Tests at those venues. “If I was in India, Pakistan or Sri Lankaand it was like this I’d just go home,” he said. “Thegrounds there are inadequate and poorly maintained interms of drainage and take three or four hours toclean up.”Gillian moved on for more fat-chewing, and a strollalong the Walk of Honour became a welcome distraction.The SCG and the adjoining football stadium are proudof their histories and recognise their athletes fromthe sprinter Marlene Matthews to Dally Messenger andrugby union’s Ella brothers.Beside the marquees of members chomping through baconand egg rolls the cricketers’ templates created someinterest. Each plaque has a short biography and RichieBenaud’s reminds supporters of when he bowled legspininstead of talked about it. “In 1963 he became thefirst player in the history of the game to achieve the[Test] double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets.”Victor Trumper is another New South Wales favouritewho stands close to the Gregory brothers, four of whomplayed for Australia. Jack Gregory is remembered inthe nearby museum where an entertaining dramatisationdepicts Monty Noble, Bert Oldfield, Bill O’Reilly andBenaud in conversation with the opera singer DameNellie Melba, the Gregorys’ aunt who captained anearly womens’ match at the ground.As the super-sopper rolled out to clean up, coins keptdropping in the wheelie bins for the Asian tsunamiappeal, which passed Aus$120,000 (US$93,400), and young childrenchased autographs. One girl showed off MichaelClarke’s and Matthew Hayden’s signatures on the wayback to the Bradman Stand and was kind enough to getduplicates for her little brother. The weather had notbeen as understanding.
