Born on 8th May 1950 in Wanganui, New Zealand, former Test and ODI player for England, also ODI player for the International XI, Gillian Elizabeth McConway.
A right hand batter and left-arm slow bowler, Gill made her First Class debut for Wellington in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield in 1969/70 against Auckland. The Wellington captain was New Zealand Test captain Trish McKelvey. Her first wicket was former White Ferns captain, Rona McKenzie.
In 1972/73 Gill switched to play for Otago and played there for two seasons before making a bigger switch: to England where she played for Surrey from 1975. She got a taste of international cricket when the Australian touring team of 1975 played Surrey, where she bowled Australian great, Sharon Tredrea for a duck.
In 1978/79 she went on a Unicorns tour to South Africa. For someone yet to represent at Test or ODI level, Gill now had the experience of having played in three different countries. It is fitting perhaps that her international debut would be for the International XI in the World Cup of 1981/82 held in New Zealand. Her debut match, against New Zealand, captained by her first skipper, Trish McKelvey.
Gill played twelve matches for the International XI and eleven more for England. In 23 ODI matches she took 15 wickets at 39.33 with a best of 3-12 against India at Osterley in 1986.
The well-travelled cricketer finally made her debut in Test cricket in 1984 in Jan Southgate’s England team against the visiting White Ferns in the first Test at Headingley. She took just one wicket, dismissing Liz Signal in the second innings.
Touring with England to Australia in 1984/85, Gill took 4-42 and 3-35 as England miraculously won the third Test at Adelaide Oval. Wickets followed in Brisbane and Bendigo in what was a close series.
Against India at home in 1986 in the third Test at Worcester, Gill took her best figures in Test cricket, 7-34 from a marathon 42 overs. Against the Aussies in 1987, her second best figures of 6-71 at the same venue. In fourteen Test matches Gill took 40 wickets at 25.47.
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