Norman Gordon
He bowled with relentless pace in the 'Timeless Test' and lived to become the longest-lived Test cricketer in history.
1911–2014 (age 103)·South African cricketer·Birthday: August 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Norman Gordon’s cricket career was brief but etched into legend by a single, extraordinary series. The South African fast bowler played all five of his Test matches in the 1938-39 season against England, a series culminating in the famous 'Timeless Test' at Durban. This was a match intended to be played to a finish, regardless of time, and Gordon bowled a staggering 92.2 eight-ball overs in England's lone innings, taking five wickets. The match was abandoned as a draw after ten days when the English team had to catch their ship home. World War II then interrupted his career, and he never played another Test. Gordon lived an astonishingly long life, becoming a beloved figure in the cricket world as the oldest living Test cricketer for many years, finally passing away just shy of his 103rd birthday. His story is one of incredible endurance, both on the field in that marathon match and throughout a century of life.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Norman was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Norman Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Norman's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
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
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 70
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 80
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2014Died at 103
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Played in the historic 'Timeless Test' of 1939, bowling 92.2 eight-ball overs in a single innings.
- Was the last surviving Test cricketer to have played before the Second World War.
- Became the first Test cricketer to live to 100 years old and remained the longest-lived until his death at 103.
Did You Know?
He was presented with his Springbok blazer 67 years after his last Test match, in a ceremony at Lord's.
At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Test cricketer by a margin of several years.
He took a hat-trick in first-class cricket playing for Transvaal against Natal in 1938.
“I bowled fifty-nine eight-ball overs in that Durban heat, and we still didn't get a result.”
