Picture courtesy of family. Keith Gillhouley bowls his left-arm spinners.
The late Keith Gillhouley’s funeral will take place at 1pm this coming Monday, April 13, at Rawdon Crematorium, with the wake following it at Guiseley Cricket Club.
Gillhouley, a left-arm spinner and right-handed batter who claimed 77 first-class wickets at 22.2 runs apiece for Yorkshire in 1961 when he replaced the injured Don Wilson in the side, died on March 5, aged 91.
He was the natural replacement for Wilson after taking 91 wickets in 24 matches for the Second Eleven the previous season – a figure only ever bettered by Fred Trueman and Raymond Illingworth.
Somewhat surprisingly, therefore, 1961 proved to be his only first-team season with Yorkshire because Wilson was fit again the following year, picking up 83 wickets at 22.25, and Keith was not called upon again.
His best bowling for Yorkshire came against Middlesex at Bradford when he took 7-82.
He joined Nottinghamshire in 1963 and served them well for four seasons, with 170 wickets in 83 matches. His first season at Trent Bridge ran on similar lines to his first at Yorkshire because he took 74 wickets at 27.82.
His career record in first-class cricket was 2,051 runs at 14.86 and 255 wickets at 27.14.
Twice in his first season with Notts, Keith showed Yorkshire what they were missing. In a Gillette Cup game against his native county at Middlesbrough he claimed four wickets in a single spell to finish with 4-33 from 14 overs. That same summer, he played for MCC against Yorkshire at Scarborough and returned match figures of 8-113.
Born in Huddersfield, Keith and his wife, Mitzi, had lived in Guiseley since returning from their home in Nottinghamshire. They have a son, John, and a daughter, Kim, and four grandchildren, one of whom, Jack, has played cricket for Guiseley CC.
Upon his return to Yorkshire, Keith became a keen member of Yorkhire CCC Players’ Association and was a regular attender at their meetings and other functions.
Words: David Warner.
