Gordon Rorke
Encyclopedia
Gordon Frederick Rorke is a former Australia
n cricket
er who played in 4 Tests
in 1959.
Rorke made his Test debut in January 1959 in the Fourth Test of The Ashes
series against England
in Adelaide
. It was an impressive debut, taking 3/23 off 18.1 eight-ball overs in the first innings (including the wickets of Colin Cowdrey
for 84, Tom Graveney
and Willie Watson
) and 2/70 from 34 overs in the second innings. Rorke claimed three wickets in the Fifth Test at Melbourne
a fortnight later, and was selected to tour Pakistan
and India
the following year.
A six-foot five-inch "Blond Giant", Rorke was the fastest Australian bowler and accused of throwing by the English press, but this paled beside his excessive dragging. With his gigantic seven foot stride and dragging his rear foot a yard over the crease he could be only eighteen yards from the batsman when he finally delivered the ball and at times seemed impossible to score from. Fred Trueman
was no balled for dragging his foot a couple of inches over the crease and wrote "It was really annoying as this umpire seemed to allow Gordon Rorke to bowl with both his feet over the front line!". One picture showed him with his rear foot past the bowling crease before he had even begun to drag. Colin Cowdrey
joked "I was frightened that he might tread on my toes".
Rorke did not play Pakistan
in the opening three Tests of the 1959-60 tour, but was selected when Ray Lindwall
withdrew from the opening Test against India
at Delhi
. Rorke played little role in the following Test at Kanpur, bowling only two overs before being forced to retire ill. His situation became so grave he was flown back to Australia for medical treatment. Following this illness, Rorke struggled in first-class cricket, eventually losing his place in the New South Wales
Sheffield Shield
squad in 1964. After three knee replacements, Gordon lives with his wife and four children and he also has 11 grandchildren.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 4 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in 1959.
Rorke made his Test debut in January 1959 in the Fourth Test of The Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. It was an impressive debut, taking 3/23 off 18.1 eight-ball overs in the first innings (including the wickets of Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
for 84, Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
and Willie Watson
Willie Watson (England cricketer)
William "Willie" Watson, was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. He was a double international, as Watson was also a footballer who played for England's national team.-Cricket career:...
) and 2/70 from 34 overs in the second innings. Rorke claimed three wickets in the Fifth Test at Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
a fortnight later, and was selected to tour Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
the following year.
A six-foot five-inch "Blond Giant", Rorke was the fastest Australian bowler and accused of throwing by the English press, but this paled beside his excessive dragging. With his gigantic seven foot stride and dragging his rear foot a yard over the crease he could be only eighteen yards from the batsman when he finally delivered the ball and at times seemed impossible to score from. Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
was no balled for dragging his foot a couple of inches over the crease and wrote "It was really annoying as this umpire seemed to allow Gordon Rorke to bowl with both his feet over the front line!". One picture showed him with his rear foot past the bowling crease before he had even begun to drag. Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
joked "I was frightened that he might tread on my toes".
Rorke did not play Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
in the opening three Tests of the 1959-60 tour, but was selected when Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
withdrew from the opening Test against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Rorke played little role in the following Test at Kanpur, bowling only two overs before being forced to retire ill. His situation became so grave he was flown back to Australia for medical treatment. Following this illness, Rorke struggled in first-class cricket, eventually losing his place in the New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
Sheffield Shield
Pura Cup
The Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
squad in 1964. After three knee replacements, Gordon lives with his wife and four children and he also has 11 grandchildren.