James Rodgers - I was hooked

Sydney University Cricket Club | February 15, 2023

James Rodgers began his Sydney Grade Cricket Career at the age of 15 in 1968 with Northern District Cricket Club. For 42 seasons James played the game he loves so dearly with the utmost compassion and generosity.

He joined Sydney University Cricket Club in 1972 and took 869 wickets at an average of only 16.03.

James contribution to the game off the field has been equally significant.

He served as Hon Secretary to Sydney University Cricket Club from 1980-84 and was the club's delegate to the Sydney Cricket Association from 1985 to 1993.

James Rodgers was awarded Life Membership of Sydney University Cricket Club in 1996 and the Sydney Cricket Association in 2004. He is also the Patron of Sydney University Cricket Club

It’s been quite the journey, let’s find out more as James delivers his story.

 John Rodgers is wearing the blue cap fourth in front the right in a 1971 Combined GPS School team

BIRTH

I was born, eldest of four, in Innisfail, a small town in North Queensland (hometown also of League legends, Kerry Boustead and Billy Slater) in July 1953.

MY CRICKET JOURNEY

We came to Sydney to live in 1961 and I saw my first Shield game that season, followed by my first Test Match in 1962. My father and grandfather both loved the game and they passed their great enthusiasm onto me.

I was hooked!

James Rodgers with his Grandfather Wilfrid Rodgers

In 1963-64, I played my first competitive game of cricket for ‘South Turramurra’ (I think that’s what the team was called). But I was only ten and I was playing in the Under 12s. I can’t remember much about my first game but I had the sort of season that would offer me an easy excuse for not wanting to play ever again. I was the youngest in the side and possibly the smallest so I batted last (nothing much was to change over the next 50 years). I scored a few runs (possibly 3) and bowled a few overs (possibly 3. No wickets).

But I was hooked!

GRADE CRICKET

In 1964, I attended Saturday morning coaching classes at Waitara Oval and I played for two seasons for my school side, St Leo’s College, in the Under 12s. I gradually did a little better and held my place. One of my heroes at the time was Richie Benaud who had just finished playing for Australia. We played against one of his sons who went to Barker College, I think. And then I saw Richie close up, playing for Cumberland (with Doug Walters and John Benaud) against Northern District (captained by Neil Harvey) at Waitara Oval. From 1964-65, I had a job (6 pence, sometimes a shilling, a day) working the scoreboard at Waitara on Saturday afternoons. I would have paid them to allow me to watch the games as it was a time when Test players and recently retired Test players played regularly for their clubs.

I was hooked!

But little did I imagine that four years later I would debut for Northern District and later still, even play on Waitara Oval.

I played for St Ignatius’ College in secondary school and, for the last three years, for Northern District during the school holidays.

James Rodgers plays a cut shot against North Sydney

FIRST GAMES

My Grade debut was in December 1968 at Trumper Park, Paddington. I scored 1 not out, took a wicket, took a catch, and got (deservedly) sledged by the Sydney keeper for wearing my school cap and for batting too cautiously. Trumper Park was to feature in my last match 42 years later.

I played for the school and I even made the 1st XI and a GPS representative side. But I was never a natural. I never reached the highest levels but…I played on…and on. I always had to work hard and there were some parts of the game whose subtleties consistently eluded me. Batting for instance! Reasonable defence, no scoring shots. In grade cricket, spread over 42 seasons, I was to score fewer runs than the number of wickets I took. Entrenched incompetence! Fielding was ok as long as I didn’t have to throw more than about 30 metres. Bowling: If I tried to bowl leg spin, the ball went straight. If I tried to bowl off spin, the ball didn’t deviate. Much later in my career, I realized that flight, dip, variation, turn were all overrated and I no longer pretended. In 2nd Grade one day at Chatswood Oval, I had tossed one up. The Gordon left hander hit it so far over the long on fence that it lodged in a public toilet well outside the ground. He informed me as he swaggered down the wicket “You’ve just been hit to the s…house!” I didn’t toss too many more up in the next 40 years, especially in the higher grades.

I loved the game. I would have played every day of the week if I could. When I went to Sydney University, as an undergraduate in Arts/Law, I played for the University. My first game was inauspicious. It was against my old club, Northern District. My first over cost 10. My captain surprisingly tossed me the ball again with a withering, “I’ll give you one more.” First ball of the next over was a waist high full toss that should have been hit into the next suburb. The batsman was John Christie against whom I’d played at school (he was at King’s) and with whom I was to play at University when he studied Medicine. Somehow, he missed this juicy gift and it hit half-way up the stumps on the full. The first of many for University but possibly the worst delivery of my career.

DELIGHTFUL ECCENTRICS

Playing for University in the early 1970s was hugely enjoyable but slightly chaotic. There seemed to be a large number of delightfully eccentric characters whose approach to life and to cricket was cheerfully casual. My first two games in 3rd Grade sort of exemplified that.

My debut in 3rd Grade occurred when I was promoted after about six games for the Club. I think I might have been still wearing my school cap as the new batch of University caps had disappeared somewhere or hadn’t been ordered or were in someone’s lounge room. The usual 3rd Grade captain was injured so we were captained by a graduate, a former 1st Grader, who came back just for this match. The temperature was a scorching 40 degrees. Our captain won the toss, decided to bat to the relief of the rest of us and strapped the pads on with a hearty “see you at stumps, boys.” He hit the first ball back over the bowler’s head for four, tried a similar shot next ball which sailed over the keeper’s head for four, tried another from the sixth ball which scattered his stumps. ‘It was a bit hot out there,” he announced nonchalantly as he walked through the gate. 1 for 8 became 6 for 47 when I walked in to bat (what was I doing batting number 8? It was a generous but misguided decision of our captain although, somehow, I scored 15). Next Saturday, we were beaten outright.

For my second game at this level, the regular captain returned from injury. He offered to pick me up, on our way to Bankstown, at 11.40 am if I waited just outside North Sydney Oval as he was coming from Mosman. In those days, the games started at 1pm. I got to North Sydney early but 11.40 ticked by…11.45…11.50…11.55. Was I in the right place? There were no mobile phones to check where he was….12 noon. Finally at 12.05pm, his battered VW hurtled into sight. We now had 55 minutes to get to Bankstown for the first ball of the game, let alone warm up and prepare. But I was greeted by a deafening noise. ‘The Goons’ was on the car radio and my captain interspersed “Shush’’ when I tried to speak, with paroxysms of laughter combined with the car veering alarmingly from lane to lane over the Harbour Bridge during the mad cap exploits of ‘The Goons’. We reached Parramatta Rd. He then asked rather disarmingly, “Who are we playing today?” followed by “What’s the best way to Bankstown?” Somehow, we got there by 12.55. We weren’t the last to arrive. In fact, our opening bowler never arrived at all…not that day or the following Saturday…he’d had a party that lasted ten days to ‘celebrate’ his failing university. We lost outright. After the second day’s play, our captain, rather sheepishly announced that he was taking us to the nearest pub. His shout. We impecunious undergrads piled in. The trouble was, the captain was wearing, for some unknown reason, a lurid purple singlet. And this was working class Bankstown. He went up to the bar. The barman informed him, “We don’t serve your type here, mate.” He shuffled out but fortunately left enough money on the bar for the other nine of us. Remember, we had only ten players.

Two outright losses.

But, I was hooked.

And I played on…and on.

From then on, my career, as has been notably commented upon, was a ‘triumph for availability over ability.’

The team celebrate James Rodgers 700th wicket and it's the wicket that wins the 2002/03 grand final

CAPTAINCY

I learned an enormous amount about the game by playing under influential captains. At Northern District, I was guided by John Jagoe and Ian Fraser and Neil Marks. They were father figures to us. Both Jagoe and Fraser had served in World War II. At University, we had a series of fine men of civilized integrity leading our teams: Ian Fisher, Ian Foulsham, Rob Thomas, Peter Gannon, Damon Ridley and later, Mick O’Sullivan. Rob led an unforgettable side of younger players who had great fun. This year, six of that eleven met up again, 46 years after that wonderful season, at one of our Club reunions. We still enjoy each other’s company. Peter and Damon lead us to Premierships and made us believe in ourselves.

Their example and influence helped me when I became captain. I often found myself thinking, “now what would Damon (or one of the others) have done here?”

Since then, I’ve seen University 1st Grade captains consistently and deservedly lead their sides into finals and premierships: Shane Stanton, Greg Mail, Nick Larkin, Liam Robertson. Dave Butchart, Adam Theobald and Tom Kierath have been dominant in captaining multiple 2nd grade premierships.

Outside our Club, I always admired Ross Turner’s way of running a team and his understanding of the game, and Warwick ‘Wacka’ Murray of Gordon who was a ruthless but always generous opposing captain.

Sydney University the runners up captained by Rob Thomas. James Rodgers front row, far left

OTHER LEVELS OF THE GAME

Apart from Grade cricket, I was unbelievably fortunate to also play in California, Barbados, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Zimbabwe, New Zealand as well as in most of the Australian States and NSW country regions. Playing inter varsity cricket for Sydney University and coaching school sides that toured overseas took me to places I’d only dreamed about and being selected for the Australian Old Collegians’ 1988 tour opened my eyes irrevocably to the world of cricket and to some outstanding players. Whenever the minor details of most games are long forgotten, it is the memory of friendships forged on the field that will sustain. A group of 23 of us who played with and against each other have formed a great email group chat during this time of lockdown. Any four of those would be great fun at a Saturday afternoon BBQ but, I’d choose to be entertained immensely by Mark Sewell, Jim Robson, Rowan McGregor and Chris Elder.

I was on the Committee of the University Club from 1973. I was Secretary of the Club, a delegate to the NSWCA, Deputy Chairman of the Sydney Cricket Association, Chairman of Sydney University and now Patron of the Club. I have spent an extraordinary number of hours at various meetings but the time never dragged and it has been such an invaluable experience. I admire the work of Alan Crompton with whom I served for so long and who reached the top, Chairman of the Australian Cricket Board.

 I’m very aware of what Gideon Haigh wrote last weekend about those who ‘serve’ the game:

“Love of the game is a necessary but not sufficient condition for high administrative responsibility.”

But I simply loved the game and I was continually entranced by it.

 My days are past and I wouldn’t dare give unasked-for advice to modern administrators.

Well…just one observation…the traditional ‘pathway’, junior cricket or school cricket, Green Shield, Poidevin Gray, lower grades, higher grades, NSW and maybe higher, and older players generously playing down the grades to pass on their wisdom and experience, seemed to serve us well.

James Rodgers with Kerry O’Keeffe and the OSullivan OKeeffe trophy presented first when James became Chairman of Sydney University to honour the late Mick O’Sullivan, Kerry's great mate

FACING FAST BOWLERS

I was asked to nominate the best fast bowlers I’d faced or the bowler who caused me most problems. On the basis that I managed to make just about every bowler look good and that I’m not alone in actually not enjoying facing fast bowling, among all whom I faced, I especially remember two incidents.

A Randwick 1st Grade left armer named Roberts in a Poidevin-Gray game in 1974 was swift and difficult to pick up. At 9 down and still 50 or so to get, we were struggling to draw the game. I took most of Roberts but it was my batting partner that he wanted to bowl to…or at. They’d had a running battle all day and words were now being exchanged virtually every delivery down at the non-striker’s end. Finally, his patience ran out. He dropped one short to me. I lost it in the background and it grazed my cap and the top of my head (no helmets!) and knocked me over. I looked up groggily to see my partner with his bat raised with intent. I looked the other way, and there was our ancient and venerable scorer, ‘Skip’ Morris, tottering down the stairs of the pavilion, shaking his walking stick as he reached the gate with “leave my boys alone!” Order was eventually restored. I dabbed a single. My partner had his stumps disturbed by a searing in swinger.

Years later, I faced a young fast bowler who has subsequently played for Australia. Predictably, as soon as I came in, he bounced me. I saw it and evaded it. At the end of the over he snarled at me but I thought I’d help him: “Mate, full and straight. That will get me every time.” While he was digesting that, I said to my partner “Either you take him for the rest of the innings or I’ll declare now.” I declared and remained a defiant 0 not out.

BEST BATSMEN

I was asked to nominate the best I’ve bowled to. Most of them gave me varying degrees of trouble. But, in my third last game ever, I came onto bowl against two 16 year olds whom I’d noticed wearing ‘NSW Emerging Blues’ gear during their warm up. I bowled an over to one of them who announced triumphantly to his partner at the end of the over, “I’ve worked him out. He just bowls straight.” Well, I thought that was a remarkable piece of observation. I confided to the umpire, “What happens if he misses one on the stumps?” “I’ll give him out LBW.” Fortified by that, I got him to miss one next over. I’d barely turned around to appeal before the umpire raised his finger while shaking his head with incredulity. The moral? When bowling, don’t be swayed by batsmen’s reputation and always stay on the right side of the umpires.

For some reason, both times I finished with 8 wickets were against the same club, Balmain. A curious coincidence.

MOMENTS OF HILARITY

I usually said nothing to any of the opposition on the field on the basis that I knew that I would rarely be able to back up comments with action. But, one of the most enjoyable team mates I played with was Bruce Collins an eloquent barrister and a fine 1st Grade cricketer and Hockey player. Facing the terrifying fast bowling of Lennie Pascoe at University one day, Bruce had snicked, mis hit, played and missed his way to 39 in a low-scoring match. There’s a long and a short version of what happened next but here’s the shortened version. Lenny accompanied Bruce from the wicket with all sorts of colourful language, some of it recognizable English. Bruce said nothing until he was about 5 metres from the gate when he turned and faced him: “Lenny, you’re not a bad bowler. You did me over today. You’ll play for Australia. . BUT…I’ll beat you at scrabble any day!”

LAST WICKET PARTNERSHIPS

As I consistently batted last, I was involved in some memorable winning last wicket stands.

Quite remarkably, three of those came in my second last season when I was 56 years old. Those 18 competition points were crucial in getting us into the finals once more that season.

In the first, we had to get 8 from the last 10 balls. I was most relieved when my trusty partner cover drove a four to win the game with 3 balls remaining.

A few weeks later, we were 9-135 needing 170 to win. My batting partner who really could bat, took one look at me trying to defend the first few and came down at the end of the over. “I’ll take all the bowling from now on. You just run.” We put on 35 of which he made 35. I was again 0 not out.

Then, a few games later, we chased 165. We were 9 for 128 when I strode out. The other batsman was a young fast bowler who had one shot, the heave over mid-wicket. The partnership somehow lasted but I spent more time coaching his batting from the non-striker’s end, although I did score 15 myself. He won the game with an almighty swipe over mid-wicket which had remarkably been left vacant.

TEACHING AND COACHING

After graduating in Law, I changed direction and for the last 44 years, I’ve taught secondary school boys mainly English and the so called ‘dead’ languages, Latin and Greek. I was in the position of Deputy Head for 12 years and Acting Headmaster for a few Terms. I’ve also coached cricket and rugby throughout that time.

James Rodgers - Director of Students (Deputy Headmaster)

From 1991 until 1997 when I played for University during the school holidays, and from 2010 until now, I’ve coached the 1st XI. We’ve won premierships but, even more importantly, we’ve produced some outstanding young men. From my earlier years, John Davison and Jackson Bird have represented their countries and in more recent times, Sam Fanning has represented Australia in the under 19 World Cup and many others have gone on to play grade cricket, including quite a few who are currently playing 1st Grade. My approach to coaching can be condensed to two phrases: “Enjoy the contest” and “Relaxed concentration.” It was the same when I was captain and our premiership sides gave me some of the most cherished playing memories.

Best batsman I’ve coached: undoubtedly, Adam Elbourne. His record at school was phenomenal and he had the knack of scoring centuries on big occasions, like in the final of the Gillette Cup when we won the title of best schoolboy side in Australia in 1993.

Best bowler: Among many contenders, Tom Brooks, a leg spinner who now plays 1st Grade with Wests, and who was a consistent match winner.

Best keeper: A toss-up. Luke Hartman of the 1993 side or Oli Zannino of the 2015 side that won the NSW schools’ championship.

FAMILY

I was delighted last season when my nephew, Matt Rodgers, my brother’s son, captained Sydney 1st Grade to the Premiership. Fortunately, his batting ability far outshines that of his father and uncle.

No one plays as long as I did without the support of my school and the unqualified support of my family. My wife, Liz, and sons, Patrick and Michael, endured long days without me but Liz just didn’t put up with me playing. She encouraged me, having played 1st Grade herself!

James Rodgers coming off the field to be met by his 3 year old son Patrick. Patrick passed away when working in Cambodia with the poorest of the poor, aged just 23.

TRUMPER

I mentioned earlier that I’d played my initial grade game in 1968 at Trumper Oval. When I’d finished my last grade game, a semi final against Campbelltown at Raby Oval, in March 2010, we gave a lift home to one of our players who lived at Paddington. Through the shadows of dusk, I saw Trumper Oval just across the road. A huge part of my life had started there 42 years before.

It’s a life in cricket that endures and has given me the most vivid and wonderful memories. 

Sydney University team coming off the field after a premiership win, 50 years after the photo of James and his grandfather Wilfrid