Norman Gordon facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Norman Gordon
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| Born | 6 August 1911 Boksburg, Transvaal, South Africa |
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| Died | 2 September 2014 (aged 103) Hillbrow, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 151) | 24 December 1938 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 14 March 1939 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1933–1948 | Transvaal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 22 August 2009
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Norman Gordon (born 6 August 1911 – died 2 September 2014) was a famous South African cricket player. He played in five important Test matches during the 1938–39 cricket season.
He was born in Boksburg, a town in Transvaal, South Africa. What makes him special? He is the only male Test cricketer known to have lived past 100 years old! He became the oldest Test cricketer ever on March 23, 2011. He took this title from Eric Tindill of New Zealand.
Contents
Cricket Journey
Norman Gordon started playing first-class cricket for the Transvaal in 1933. He was a right-handed fast bowler. This meant he threw the ball very quickly. He was also a right-handed batsman, usually batting at the end of the team's lineup.
Test Match Debut
Norman Gordon played his first Test match against England in December 1938. He played in all five matches of that series. In his very first Test, he took 7 wickets for 162 runs. This included an impressive 5 wickets for 103 runs in England's first turn at bat.
In the second match, he took 5 wickets for 157 runs. This was in England's only turn to bat. Both of these matches ended in a draw, meaning no team won.
Later Test Matches
In the third match, Gordon took 2 wickets for 127 runs. England won this game easily. In the fourth match, he took 2 wickets for 47 runs and 3 wickets for 58 runs. This match also ended in a draw.
His final Test match was very famous. It was called the "Timeless Test." This game lasted for 10 days! In the end, both teams agreed to call it a draw. This was Norman Gordon's last Test match.
Playing for Transvaal
Besides Test matches, Norman Gordon continued to play for the Transvaal team. In the 1939–40 season, he had his best bowling performance. He took 6 wickets for just 61 runs against Natal in Johannesburg. He played for Transvaal until the 1948–49 season.
Life After Cricket
After his cricket career, Norman Gordon owned a sports shop. It was located in the centre of Johannesburg. He was the last living male cricketer who had played Test cricket before World War II.
He celebrated his 100th birthday in August 2011. He continued to live in central Johannesburg. After he passed away, another cricketer named John Manners became the oldest living first-class cricketer.
More to Explore
- List of select Jewish cricketers
- List of oldest Test cricketers
- List of centenarians in sport
- List of South Africa cricketers who have taken five-wicket hauls on Test debut
