Gordon Rorke - RIP

John Rogers | July 06, 2025

Gordon Rorke was one of the most significant people ever to have played the game of cricket: he was responsible for a change in a basic rule that had existed since the game began.

For over a hundred years, for a delivery to be legal, a bowler’s back foot had to be placed behind a line level with the stumps. Gordon’s unique bowling action of leaning back in his delivery stride and via his momentum, dragging forward on the toe of his back foot, meant that at the time of delivery his back foot might well be in front of the batting crease - or a further metre towards the batsman than intended by the rule. That led to a change in one of the most basic rules of cricket: part of the bowler’s front foot must be behind the batting crease at the time of delivery. The changed rule stands to this day. Essentially it is: “The Gordon Rorke Rule”.

Gordon I think, couldn’t care less about his significance to the game. What he treasured most were the friendships he made while he played it, and after it. He was much admired and much-liked as well as being such a watchable bowler.

Few cricketers' arrival on the national scene have caused such a sensation as did 20 yo Gordon's in early 1959.

It was an era of Australian sporting superstars. We were still basking in the glow of the 1956 Olympics. Herb Elliott had just set his first world records, the Konrad's, Jon & Ilsa (following on from Dawn Fraser and Murray Rose), were doing the same in swimming. Hoad and Rosewall were supreme in tennis as was Peter Thompson in golf, while the mighty St George had unearthed Reg Gasnier and Johnny Raper.

Cricket interest was at fever pitch as the visiting England team of 1958-59 had won the last three Ashes series. Australia had a new young captain in Richie Benaud and a new superstar young batsman in Norm O’Neill.

Bursting onto the scene came Gordon, a big, blond, giant of a man bowling so fast, from what seemed twice as high as anyone else. It was not just that his drag finished in front of the batting crease, his big frame meant him plonking his front foot way further down the pitch than anyone had ever done before. A famous story is that Colin Cowdrey would say he was afraid Gordon "might tread on my foot”. Not only was he super-quick, he was now bowling from a shorter distance. The poor English were not happy!

Much of his attraction was that he seemed to have little control over where the ball was going. His Mosman and NSW wicketkeeper Doug Ford, became a cult hero for his dives in both directions trying to prevent four wide's as balls zoomed past the batsman on either side. He used to badger Gordon to pay his dry cleaning bill. When Gordon managed to bowl it straight, splintering stumps was a common result.

He was launched on to the international scene for the 4th Test just after New Year in 1959. He had a demoralising effect, taking 5 wickets over the match for 101 runs as Australia won convincingly by 10 wickets to win back the Ashes. He would do less well in the final test but his effect was the same as Australia won by a similar margin. On the tour of Pakistan and India that followed, Gordon would play two tests in India. He would contract hepatitis during the 2nd test, be invalided home having lost three stone and was so debilitated by the experience he would never play another Test, although he continued to play Shield and club cricket. It was a huge loss to Australian cricket.

As a 15yo, I was mesmerised watching him bowl and seeing the reactions of batsmen as the balls reared off the pitch at them. Five years later, i would find myself facing up to him on Manly Oval. I admit to being part-terrified watching on, before going out to bat, especially as the wicket-keeper seemed so far back. When I faced up, it was like nothing I’d seen before. He was a big, big man. These days there are plenty of bowlers of his height, but not then, He had a big head, big chest and shoulders, long arms and a powerful stride. His deliveries came from what seemed like twice the height of anyone else, he bowled from wide of the crease with an arched back so that the ball seemed to be coming from mid off, and I found I was playing everything from chest height. That is my sole memory. I can't have been out there very long as I’ve no recollection of scoring any runs, just the memory of the ball coming from a height and width I’d never experienced before - and quick!

Yet if he was terrifying to play against, he was the nicest, happiest person you could possibly meet. I’d not seen him for over 30 years because of living in WA, and when I next met him in a group of fellow cricketers, I had no expectation he would know me at all. Instead, I received a great big smile and after a brief conversation, I was able to watch on in delight as he entertained the people around us. And so it was on every other occasion I met up with him. What became clear was that he was an integral part of the wonderful group of cricketers who made up the NSW Sheffield teams of the 1950s and 60s that had won 9 titles in a row. Essentially it was a team that Keith Miller had built that included Benaud, Davidson, Harvey, O’Neill, Craig, Burke, Simpson, Booth, Martin, Philpott, Misson, Saunders, Watson, Neil & Lynn Marks, Thomas, Walters and many others.

If Gordon the bowler terrified batsmen, Gordon the person, enchanted everyone he met.

RIP Gordon Rorke - and so well played.

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