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Opening up- Why Gilchrist and Hayden are untouchable

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Pablo Moon- Moonlighting for Betfair. Why the Hayden/Gilchrist partnership wil be missed by all when they're gone...bar the bowlers.

Although senior citizens nowadays, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist are considered the most potent and devastating opening partnership in world limited overs cricket. These two left handers have the ability to decimate and slaughter any attack.

Queenslander Matthew Hayden (36) is the World One Day Player of the Year and has terrific mental strength and attitude. His intention is to dominate bowling attacks at all times. This barrel chested bully has big hitting skills but possesses the expertise to make ugly hundreds in Test Cricket as well. He has scored 27 hundreds in Tests (averaging 53.01) and 10 hundreds in ODI Cricket (averaging 43.99). The statistics says it all. For a big man his fielding is sharp and his catching is superb. He is a fine slip fielder but can be deployed in other positions as well.

As a person he is immensely disliked. He is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) sledgers in the game. He will go to any lengths to upset the opposition batsman and if you want to succeed against the Aussie bowlers you must first deal with his vitriolic rantings! He will not go away.

His batting strengths are that he hits the ball hard. He loves to hit straight down the ground while on the walk and is violent to anything on the leg side. Bowling full length or half volley deliveries to him is asking for trouble, with his height, stride and strength he will bludgeon the ball back past you. The delivery to get him out is the short of a length outside the off stump Hoggard style. He treats spin with similar contempt, his long stride down the wicket a big help. He has no major weaknesses.

He is currently 3.65 with Betfair to be the top batsman in the 20/20 World Cup and I am not sure who can beat him. He is a worthy favourite.

Adam Gilchrist, his partner in crime, is a possibility and he is currently trading at 13 with Betfair. From New South Wales he is considered the best Batman/Wicket Keeper of all time. He has scored 17 hundreds in Tests (average 48.66) and 15 hundreds in ODI Cricket (average 36 with a strike rate of 98.66). This figure could be even bigger as he, unlike the selfish and turgid Jacques Kallis's of this world, never plays for himself or his average. He also walks without being given out by the umpire. A very rare breed indeed!

He loves to free his arms and loves smashing the ball square for six. He is also very strong on the leg side. Flintoff has shown the way to bowl to him and it is from wide of crease over the wicket and to cramp him and not allow his arms freedom of movement. That said, it would still have to be a very good delivery to get him out. Because of his high strike rate there will be times when he does not middle it and he will be caught on the boundary, the only trouble with that is he might have already taken the game away from you.

Because of his powerful square hitting he has been approached by the Boston Red Sox to play baseball after this cricket career had finished but he is now approaching 36 and I doubt whether Gilly would be prepared to leave his beloved Australia for that.

Unlike his opening partner, Gilchrist is liked all over the world and although occasionally in trouble with the umpires throughout his career he is respected for his sportsmanship. Outside cricket his work as an ambassador with the World Vision in India has made him a cult figure in Asia. He is without doubt a credit to Australian cricket.

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