In the last half of the 1950s and into the 60s, Norm O’Neill was up there with Australia’s top sports superstars. He was the most charismatic cricketer of his day and the game’s biggest crowd-puller.
With the sporting public in awe of the all-conquering St George rugby league team’s pace, power and skills, Normie was showing the same characteristics for the St George cricket team. Just as Reg Gasnier had added glamour and class to the St George football team to lift it to a new level, so Norm added those qualities to St George, NSW and Australian cricket.
Billy Watson, Brian Booth and Warren Saunders were all in contention for test spots, but it was Normie who captured the imagination of the sports and general media
