Former Australia fast bowler Gordon Rorke has died at the age of 87. The tall right-armer played only four Tests, all in 1959, yet still managed to influence an Ashes series – and, indirectly, the Laws of Cricket.
Rorke burst onto the scene in Adelaide, January 1959, grabbing 5 for 89 as Australia won by ten wickets and reclaimed the urn. Two more Ashes outings and a tour of India followed, but hepatitis struck late that year and he never played another Test.
At well over six feet, Rorke bowled genuinely quickly for the period. He was also notorious for dragging his back foot so far that his front foot landed several feet beyond the crease. The tactic rattled opponents and umpires alike. “I was frightened that he might tread on my toes,” Colin Cowdrey, who made 84 in Adelaide, said. The fuss helped prompt a re-think of the no-ball law, paving the way for the front-foot rule adopted in 1963.
Lingering illness cut his first-class career short at 25, but he still claimed 88 wickets for New South Wales at 24.60. In a statement, “Cricket NSW extends its deepest condolences to Gordon’s family and friends at this difficult time while celebrating his contribution to our game,” the state association said.
Rorke is survived by his wife and three children.
