Book Review: Gilly - The Turbulent Life of Roy Gilchrist by Mark Peel

When I saw that a biography of Roy Gilchrist was among Pitch Publishing's output for this Spring, I was excited.

I had heard a lot about the West Indian fast bowler over the years. Most of it, to be fair, erred on the side of 'nasty and unpleasant', while some offered balance and said that he was 'a nice guy when you got to know him and probably when he was on your side.'

Which is pretty much what comes out of this excellent biography by Mark Peel, an established cricket writer of some reputation.

Gilchrist appears to have gone through much of his life with a chip on his shoulder and a dislike of authority. There was a short fuse, that manifested itself on many occasions, not just on the cricket field.

It is hard to feel a great deal of sympathy for a bowler whose response to a batsman hitting him for four would frequently, all too frequently, be a beamer. That he never did anyone serious damage with such a delivery, bowled  at the pace that he did for many years, was a minor miracle. That he felt the need to do it against amateur cricketers in the Northern Leagues for many years was disappointing. 

The truth of the matter is that Gilchrist, had he focused on his devastating yorker, which got him most of his wickets, perhaps interspersed with an occasional bouncer, might have been a more effective player and more likeable to boot.

His devastating fallout with the then West Indian captain, Gerry Alexander, saw a premature end to his international career, which might otherwise have seen him regarded as one of the greats. As it was, he had to resign himself to a couple of tours, one of them to England in 1957, when some very good batters found him uncomfortably fast.

That some league cricketers managed to score runs against him spoke volumes for their techniques, as well as their bravery. There are countless tales of broken bones, cracked skulls and bruised thighs, not to mention numerous clashes with opponents, captains and many in positions of authority.

It is impossible to read this book with too much sympathy for Gilchrist. His temper was too quick, his attitude too questionable and his patience too short for that. Neither then nor now can his 'branding' his then wife with an iron during a row be excused, nor is it easy to feel sympathy for someone who showed little remorse for the damage that he inflicted on the cricket field.

Bowling bouncers at teenagers in friendly matches, as well as fast yorkers in charity games was not the sign of a competitive edge. Rather that of a bully and high level of petulance.

His end came after his return to Jamaica, when cricket could no longer provide a source of regular income. He was a man who perennially struggled with money and it went through his fingers too quickly, even - perhaps especially - in his salad days.

Yet there were those who claimed he was misunderstood, a gentle soul and a good teammate. I suspect the opinion of those who played with and against him was never indifferent, Gilchrist perhaps the epitome of a 'Marmite' cricketer.

We will not see his like again and that can only be a good thing. That he filled cricket grounds on the basis of his reputation is undeniable. Yet some time before the end of the book, the numerous  transgressions had tipped the scales of this reader to have little sympathy for a man who clearly had very little to give himself, at least until his more mellow, illness- ravaged decline.

This book is another terrific read, one that I got through in just a couple of days. It deserves to be successful and I suspect that it will be.

Yet again, Pitch Publishing have done an excellent job

Gilly: The Turbulent Life of Roy Gilchrist is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing