O'Neill, Norm

▪ 2009

Norman Clifford O'Neill 

      Australian cricketer

born Feb. 19, 1937, Carlton, near Sydney, Australia

died March 3, 2008, Sydney

was heralded as the new Don Bradman for his brilliant stroke making, but he failed to fully live up to the high expectations that he raised. He was perhaps best known for his score of 181 runs in the famous tied Test against West Indies in December 1960; it was the top score of that 1960–61 Test series and ultimately the highest of O'Neill's Test career. O'Neill made his New South Wales debut in the 1955–56 season and his Test debut at Brisbane in the 1958–59 series against England. He was a fixture in the Australia side through the 1964–65 series in the West Indies. In first-class cricket O'Neill scored 13,859 runs in 306 innings (average 50.95), with 34 not outs; he scored 45 centuries with a high score of 284. In 42 Tests he scored 2,779 runs in 69 innings (average 45.55), with eight not outs and six centuries. O'Neill also was a useful leg-break and medium-pace bowler, with 99 first-class wickets (average 41.01) and 17 Test wickets (average 39.23). A fine cover field with a strong arm, he took 104 first-class catches, including 21 in Tests. O'Neill retired from first-class cricket in 1967.

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