Socks and Superstitions - Tales from the Centenary of St George DCC Book
St George Cricket Club | May 26, 2026
What was your lucky item of clothing or equipment?
Not for a moment did Norm O'Neill consider himself superstitious. At sixteen he was much too rational and preoccupied with thoughts of earning a spot in the formidably strong First Grade team, which won the premiership in 1952-53.
Then came a Second Grade match with Cumberland when, to his dismay he discovered he had packed only one pair of cricket socks.
For comfort it was his habit to wear two pairs of socks. It might even have been a ritual; certainly not a superstition.
He could not beg nor borrow a spare pair of socks from teammates so he was left with no option other than but to pull his cricket socks over the lemon fashion socks he had worn to the ground.
He batted with confidence for 81 striking the ball with characteristic power. Not until he was preparing to shower at the end of the day did he give the socks another thought. Instantly, they became his lucky socks and he wore them for every match through the season, which produced plenty of runs and saw him promoted to First Grade.
Ten years later and a Test player of three years' standing, he struggled for runs against Ted Dexter's England tourists. Consecutive scores of 19, 56, 19, 0 and 3 attracted a deal of negative press.
When his wife Gwen arrived in Adelaide for the fourth Test match she carried with her a small parcel wrapped in brown paper.
Darl, I remember your mother used to take care of a pair of lemon socks for you as they were supposed to bring you luck. So I've bought you a new pair in the hope they do the same trick.
The magnificent historic scoreboard at Adelaide Oval soon told the tale: N. C. O'Neill c Cowdrey b Dexter 100.
