In retrospect, the showdown may prove to have been a turning point in Giles's career. After watching the left-armer take 10 wickets in the first two four-day games of the England A tour, coach Mike Gatting was moved to say that Phil Tufnell could not afford to rest on his laurels in the England senior party.
Giles, 23, now with Warwickshire, has made huge strides as a bowler over the past few years and he also emerged as a capable lower-order batsman last season.
He has so far overshadowed the senior spinner, Peter Such, on this tour, but is sufficiently level-headed to realise that much hard work lies ahead if he is to stake a claim for future Test honours.
``That's why I am here,'' he said ahead of the game starting in Mount Gambier, South Australia, today against the Australian Cricket Academy. ``But I'm not going to get too far above myself. If it is going to happen it will.
``I personally rate Tufnell as the best left-arm spinner in the country but I am not going to sit back and let him stay there for ever. I want to knock him off the perch.''
Giles was Surrey's young cricketer of the year in 1991 but while playing with Guildford decided to change from seam to spin when he was 18, partly because of an injury.
``When I started bowling slow it just came out well. I didn't have a great action but natural development played a big part.''
Surrey advised Giles not to bowl spin any more. ``They said I was to bowl seam if I was to get a contract. They thought it was ruining my action. I reverted for a while but it wasn't coming out right. I told them I wasn't happy: 'Spin is where my future lies' I said. I made my choice and they didn't like it. So I left and never heard from them again.''
Giles admits that those were dark days. ``I was very low because I still wanted to play for Surrey.'' The only other job he had had after leaving school was working at a petrol station for six months.
His father and brother helped him to write a CV which he sent around the counties. ``Warwickshire came up trumps. I went for a trial, Dennis Amiss and M. J. K. Smith were there and they signed me up.''
At 6ft 4in, Giles is one of the tallest slow bowlers around. He admits he is no great spinner of the ball but believes his height gives him the chance to get more bounce and to fire in an appreciably quicker delivery occasionally.
He has been grateful that the Test and County Cricket Board saw fit to make David Graveney, another member of the slow left-armers' union, manager on the tour of Australia. ``He has pointed out a couple of things but he isn't pestering me. He's there if I want help: that's the arrangement,'' said Giles.
It may be that Surrey's loss will be England's gain as well as Warwickshire's.