06 August,2011 12:55 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
Norman Gordon, the oldest living Test cricketer, will be felicitated at a splendid ceremony to commemorate his 100th birthday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg today. "The function begins at 7 PM at Wanderers. Gordon will walk the red carpet through the Presidential suite, as a guard of honour comprising of former great South Africa fast bowlers will welcome him," Dr Ali Bacher, who has personally organised Gordon's 100th birthday celebrations, told MiD DAY yesterday.
Gordon is presented a portrait by Jeppe High students yesterday.
Pic/Richard Parker
A seven-man team of Neil Adcock, Peter Pollock, Shaun Pollock, Mike Procter, Makhaya Ntini and Fanie de Villiers will form the guard of honour for Gordon. The celebrations began yesterday at Jeppe Highu00a0-- the school that has produced Gordon and many other South African greats such as Jim Christy and Jock Cameron.
The cold weather in Johannesburg, and Gordon's age, pushed back the school's morning assembly from 9 to 11:30.u00a0
The headmaster asked Bacher to introduce Gordon's history, and life, in a speech that lasted nearly 20 minutes. CNN, the international news broadcasters, were present, as Bacher ran through Gordon's life, the timeless Test, and evolution of cricket in South Africa. The head boy and prefects sang the War Cry for Gondon as the school renamed the scoreboard as 'Norman Gordon Scorecard' before presenting him with a portrait of himself in action. Gordon was a fast bowler whose career was cut short because of the World War II.
In a speech that lasted just over two minutes, Gordon spoke of his wonderful memories of playing cricket in the 1930s, thanked the school for giving him a solid foundation. There was an eruption of laughter when he said: "I deliberately failed my final year because I wanted to spend another year here because of its great sporting culture." When he finished, the school gave him a standing ovation that lasted nearly ten minutes.
