Dave Gilbert (Australian cricketer)
A fast bowler whose Test career was brief but fierce, remembered for his raw pace and resilience in a tough era for Australian cricket.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Australian cricketer·Birthday: December 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Gilbert emerged from the Sydney club scene as a genuinely quick right-arm fast bowler, making his first-class debut for New South Wales in 1982. His peak coincided with a transitional period for the Australian team, and he seized his chance in the 1985-86 season. Standing tall and generating disconcerting bounce, Gilbert faced some of the world's best batsmen in his nine Tests, including a famous duel with the great Viv Richards. His international career was cut short by the resurgence of more established names and the emergence of a new generation. Undeterred, he became a vital workhorse in county cricket for Gloucestershire and later helped develop Tasmanian cricket. After retiring, Gilbert smoothly transitioned into cricket administration, serving as CEO of both Cricket New South Wales and the Sydney Cricket Ground, applying the same steady determination he showed on the field.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Took 27 wickets in his 9 Test matches for Australia, with a best innings figure of 4/46.
- Captured 299 first-class wickets at an average of 28.86 over a decade-long career.
- Served as the Chief Executive Officer of Cricket New South Wales from 2001 to 2011.
- Played a key role in Gloucestershire's 1989 Sunday League triumph as a leading bowler.
Did You Know?
He dismissed legendary West Indian batsman Viv Richards in both innings of his Test debut in Brisbane.
After his playing days, he worked as a commentator for the Nine Network in Australia.
He is the uncle of former Australian women's Test cricketer Lisa Sthalekar.
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