Who is Will O'Rourke? 5 interesting facts about New Zealand seamer who picked up 9 wickets on Test debut vs South Africa
Young New Zealand seamer, Will O'Rourke, has made an excellent early impression by bagging nine wickets in his maiden Test appearance. The tall pacer recorded a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the ongoing second Test against South Africa at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
O'Rourke, who came in place of fellow tall pacer Kyle Jamieson into the playing XI for the second Test, kickstarted his red-ball career by dismissing Proteas skipper Neil Brand. He ended with figures of 4/59, with his last two wickets coming off consecutive deliveries. As a result, he was on a hat-trick when he began his spell in the second innings.
Although he could not get the elusive hat-trick, he bundled half of the visitors' batting unit and bagged 5/89 in the second innings following almost 33 overs of bowling.
The pacer is certainly one to watch out for in the future, and on that note, let us take a look at five interesting facts about the rising Blackcaps player.
#1 Will O'Rourke moved to New Zealand from England along with his family when he was five years old
Will O'Rourke was born in London on August 6, 2001, to New Zealand parents who had moved to the United Kingdom for work and moved to Auckland with the family when he was five years old. His cricketing journey began at a very young age as he played the sport with his brother, and eventually, he began his professional career with Canterbury.
"Dad has always been the biggest motivator for me. [He] played for Wellington for a bit in his career, so he has always wanted me to go as far as I can," O'Rourke said in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
"It [playing for England] was never on my radar. I've always wanted to play for the Blackcaps. It's the only team that I've ever wanted to play for," he added.
#2 He was part of New Zealand's squad for the 2020 U-19 World Cup
Following his excellent exploits with Canterbury at the youth level, where he managed to be the team's leading wicket-taker in the Ford Trophy and the Super Smash, he was included in New Zealand's squad for the 2020 U-19 World Cup in South Africa.
He played a couple of matches, with the first one coming against the Sri Lanka U-19 side, where he recorded figures of 1/23 off six overs.
However, in his next outing, he was taken on by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena during New Zealand's clash against India U-19 during the tournament. He went wicketless after his four-over spell, conceding 28 runs, as the young Blackcaps lost by 10 wickets.
The pacer was dropped for the knockout clashes as the team were eventually knocked out by eventual champions Bangladesh in the semi-final stage.
#3 He made his ODI debut in December 2023
Will O'Rourke made his international debut recently during New Zealand's home series against Bangladesh. He played in all three ODIs of the series, picking up five wickets at an average of 23.00 and an economy rate of 6.10.
His best outing came in the second ODI, where he ended up with figures of 3-47 off 9.5 overs.
#4 His father, Patrick O'Rourke, has played domestic cricket in New Zealand
Will O'Rourke's father, Patrick O'Rourke, was also a fast bowler, who played for Wellington in 29 first-class matches and 19 List A contests throughout his career. The right-arm pacer picked up 89 wickets in red-ball cricket at an average of 24.87, while he claimed 17 scalps in white-ball cricket.
Furthermore, Patrick O'Rourke's brother, Matthew, was also a cricketer, who played a handful of matches for Auckland and the New Zealand Young Cricketers team.
#5 O'Rourke went unsold in the 2024 IPL mini-auction
The youngster was one of the 14 players from New Zealand to have entered their names in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction in Dubai on December 19.
Despite his potential, he could not attract a single bid from the franchises for his base price of ₹20 lakh, largely because of his inexperience at the highest level.
Can the youngster become an all-format pacer for New Zealand in the near future? Let us know what you think.