HAMILTON - Adam Gilchrist had not even considered he might break an Australian wicketkeeping record entering another frantic day of test cricket in Hamilton yesterday.
Gilchrist, playing just his ninth test for Australia, took five catches in New Zealand's second innings to give him 10 dismissals for the match.
It was the equal second-highest number of dismissals by a keeper in test history, alongside Bob Taylor's 10 for England against India in Bombay in 1979-80, and one behind Jack Russell's world record. He claimed 11 scalps for England against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1995.
But Gilchrist moved to the top of the Australia tree, past his predecessor Ian Healy, Rod Marsh and Gil Langley, who all took nine in a match.
Gilchrist had six dismissals going into yesterday and was not made aware of being near any records until lunch, by which time he had eight.
"Certainly I didn't know at the start of the day - it hadn't even come into my mind," he said.
"It was a big thrill to get there. It's a bit weird to have my name up with those guys so soon in my test career."
Most of Gilchrist's catches were from routine edges and he rounded off the 10 by accepting a lobbed catch off Paul Wiseman's gloves.
But there were two special efforts. Gilchrist rated his legside catch to dismiss Stephen Fleming on Saturday off Colin Miller as his best catch for Australia, and he also singled out the catch to get rid of Nathan Astle yesterday off Shane Warne.
"I feel it was the best keeping performance I've ever put on," he said.
The performance put Gilchrist forward as a likely man-of-the-match after a hard-hit 75 on Saturday to help give his side a 20-run first innings lead after they had earlier stumbled at 29 for five.
- NZPA
Cricket: Gilchrist grabs chances as they come to hand
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