Chris Old
A fast-bowling all-rounder whose gritty runs and wickets were instrumental in England's miraculous Ashes comeback at Headingley in 1981.
Born 1948 (age 78)·English cricketer·Birthday: December 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Old emerged from the formidable Yorkshire cricket nursery in the late 1960s, a strapping fast-medium bowler who could also wield a bat with destructive left-handed power. His international career for England, spanning 46 Tests, was a story of potent talent occasionally hampered by injury, yet he remained a valued component of the side for a decade. Old's moment of indelible cricketing fame arrived during the storied 1981 Ashes series. At Headingley, with England facing an impossible defeat, he partnered with Ian Botham in a furious lower-order counter-attack, smashing a vital 29 runs, before returning with the ball to help Bob Willis skittle the Australians. Beyond that iconic match, he was a mainstay of a strong Yorkshire team and represented England in the 1979 World Cup final. His career wound down with a stint at Warwickshire, leaving behind a legacy as a formidable, hard-nosed competitor who delivered when the pressure was most intense.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Took 143 wickets in 46 Test matches for England as a fast-medium bowler.
- Scored a crucial 29 runs in the second innings of the 1981 Headingley Test, a pivotal contribution to England's famous Ashes victory.
- Played in the 1979 Cricket World Cup final where England finished as runners-up.
- Was a key player for Yorkshire County Cricket Club for 14 seasons, winning multiple county championships.
Did You Know?
His nickname throughout his career was 'Chilly', a play on his surname.
He once took 7 wickets for 20 runs in a Test innings against Pakistan in 1978.
He achieved the rare feat of scoring over 5,000 runs and taking over 1,000 wickets in his first-class career.
His brother, Alan Old, was a rugby union fly-half who played for England.
“You bowl to your field; the plan is everything, even when it fails.”
