On this day: Norman Gordon becomes first Test cricketer to achieve this feat
Walking onto the field with the bat, many hope to get a century to their name and many go on to become successful. However, the same players weren’t successful in reaching the 100-run mark in their life i.e. celebrating their 100th birthday. As of today, only three players who have played International matches in either Men’s or Women’s cricket have been successful in doing so.
Norman Gordon, born on 6th August 1911, celebrated his 100th birthday in 2011. Norman represented South Africa in Test cricket and featured in five Tests between 1938 and 1939. He picked up 20 wickets with the help of two 5-wicket hauls but ended up with an average of 40. Gordon appeared in 29 matches in first-class cricket where he took 126 wickets at an average of only 22.24 with eight 5-fers.
He passed away on 2nd September in 2014 at the age of 103 years and 27 days. A couple of months after Norman’s 100th birthday in 2011, England Women’s cricketer Eileen Whelan celebrated her 100th birthday. Whelan was born on 30th October 1911 and went on to represent her nation in seven Test matches between 1937 and 1949, a period of cricket marred by World War II.
She bagged ten wickets in those seven games at an average of only 23. Eileen Whelan is currently 108 years and 280 days old which makes her the oldest living International cricket. No other known cricketer has managed to live for more than 105 years other than Whelan. The last of the three International players to live for 100 or more years is Thelma McKenzie, an Australia Women’s cricketer.
Thelma played only one Test match in her career, against New Zealand in 1948 at the Basin Reserve. She didn’t get to bat, bowl or even get a chance to take any catches during the game but the Australian team completed an innings win. Talking about unlucky misses in this list, New Zealand’s Eric Tindall stands at the top as he was 99 years and 226 days old when he breathed his last. Tindall appeared in five Tests between 1937 and 1947 but could only score 73 runs.
(Stats as on August 5, 2020)
