Five oldest cricketers to make their Test debut

Nelson Betancourt

File Photo

Age on debut: 42y 242d

Match: West Indies v England, at Port of Spain (1 Feb 1930)

Nelson Betancourt was a multi-talented cricketer. He was mainly a batsman but also kept wickets and bowled once in a while. He made his debut at the age of 42 in 1930 against England. He was also selected as the West Indian captain for the game. He scored 39 and 13 in the match, which proved to be the only one of his career. He passed away 17 years later in 1947.

Bert Ironmonger

Age on debut: 46y 237d

Match: Australia v England, at Brisbane (30 Nov 1928)

Bert Ironmanger was a brilliant bowler that the world got to see very little of at the Test level. He played in just 14 Tests, but put in some magnificent performances. Highlight being the Australia vs South Africa series in which he picked up 31 wickets. South Africa were bowled out for totals as less as 36 and 45 in the series and Ironmonger was the main reason. One wonders what might have happened if he had made his debut earlier!

Don Blackie

Age on debut: 46y 253d

Match: Australia v England, at Sydney (14 Dec 1928)

Donald Blackie played three Tests for Australia in the late 1920s. He remains Australia’s oldest debutant to date. Blackie was selected in the squad mainly for his off-spin abilities. His greatest strength was his variation of pace. He would every now and then throw in a quicker delivery amidst a series of slower well-flighted ones.

Miran Bakhsh

Age on debut: 47y 284d

Match: Pakistan v India, at Lahore (29 Jan 1955)

Another bowler on this list, Miran Bakhsh is the only post-war cricketer on this list. The off-spinner made his debut in 1955 at the age of 47 years. The Pakistani bowler ended up just playing two tests but was a well-known personality because of this particular feat. He continued playing until 1958-59 when he retired at the age of 51. He played just 3 Tests for Australia, picking up 14 wickets at 31.71.

James Southerton

Age on debut: 49y 119d

Match: England v Australia, at Melbourne (15 Mar 1877)

Englishman James Southerton was nearly 50 years old when he played in the first ever Test match in history in March 1877. His record has stood the test of time and it’s doubtful that it will ever be broken. Southerton had a successful first-class career, playing 286 games and 1,682 wickets at an average of 14.43. Southerton retired from cricket at the age of 52 and died just 10 months later, becoming the first ever Test cricketer to die.