Evan Atkins - keep the game moving forward

Sutherland District Cricket Club | February 06, 2023

Evan Atkins made his first grade debut in 1985 as a wicket keeper and has had a long and distinguished association with cricket in Sydney.

Always a very popular team mate, Evan’s significant and valuable contribution to the game extends to many years without the gloves as an administrator and selector.

Let’s find out more about Evan’s journey in the game

Welcome Evan,

Firstly, what year were your born?

1965?      

Where did you go the high school?

Caringbah High? 

Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?

I remember it well. I was 9 years old, it was at Lilli Pilli Oval against St Pats and we got spanked. I didn’t keep in that game but asked the coach if I could wicket keep and my career was cast in stone from then! 

Where did you play your junior cricket? 

Caringbah Sports?              

Which clubs have you played for? 

Only 2 - Sutherland and Sydney University.? I went to Sydney University in 1987 when John Dyson and Steve Rixon bans were lifted for going to South Africa with the rebel tours. Stumper (Steve Rixon) obviously came back into the Sutherland team so I left to join the students with Dyso. I must say some of the Uni hierarchy were mortified a carpenter was drafted into their system. Not sure there were scholarships in those days! 

How old were you when you first played grade cricket? 

I was 15 when I played 5th grade for Sutherland. I was still playing junior cricket and would leave junior to head down to Tonkin to play 5ths. 

What age did you make your first grade debut? 

I was 19 when I debuted in September 1985. My first captain was Len Pascoe and ?I ended up with the dubious honour of running him out for a duck in my debut. The post-match discussion had Len berating me for running him out. My response was “If you slid your nose you would have made it by metres” I think Len used that yarn on more than a few occasions in his after dinner speaking empire so in a sense he owes me ? 

Who was the fastest bowler you kept to?  

Glenn McGrath. 

Who was the best spinner you kept to? 

Stuart MacGill

Who was the best bowler you kept to? 

Apart from the test players when I was making my way up the grades I spent a year in 3rd grade keeping up to the stumps to a 47 year old Merv Black. He took 57 wickets that year and he was the ultimate master at work. I’ve never seen a wiser bowler with more guile than him that season and those who remember him will be aware of his skill and legacy. 

What is your highest score in first grade?

I opened the batting in the last game of the season 1986 against Parramatta at Caringbah Oval – ended up with 66 and wasted an opportunity to go on and get a hundred. 

What is your highest score in any grade?

92 one season against Balmain. The young Balmain keeper was Nicky Geale and he was keeping up to the stumps to their opening bowler from the first ball. When I came into bat the bowler slid one down the leg side and I pivoted and dragged the back leg out, Nick had the bails off and I was gone for all money. Our player Col Christie was umpiring at Square leg and claimed he didn’t see the stumping and said to our captain afterwards “Sorry Tom, I was thinking about my yech exams and wasn’t watching”

Who played the best innings you’ve seen in first grade cricket? 

Jake Kenny got a century on a horrible Village Green wettie – against a very good attack of Geoff Lawson, Jim Dixon and David Gallop. Anyway, Henry (Geoff Lawson) wasn’t a happy camper and was sledging Jake calling him a slogger. It was very funny actually. Jake played and missed early in the innings which he often did but he won the game and carted Henry all over Village Green. 

Who were the three players you admired most in grade cricket in terms of skills and competitive spirit? 

Mick O’Sullivan, Ken Hall and Steve Small.

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?  

John Dyson got felled by a bouncer late one day at Coogee Oval against Randwick. He got hit right on the emblem and as soon as he took the helmet off it revealed a large purple egg so Jake Kenny took him to the hospital for a check over. The bowler was a guy called Mick Moore - funny thing was Randwick picked him out of the Moore Park men’s comp and they used to play on mats. Wasn’t long and he had the nickname ‘Mickey Moore Park.’ Apparently when he turned up to training he didn’t own a pair of spikes!  

         

Sutherland First Grade team 1989/90

Back row - Jake Kenny, Kevin Tuite, Geoff Barron, Glenn McGrath, Darrell Mann, Mark Chapman, Greg Davison

Front Row - Tony Clark, Rod davison, Paul Bourke, John Dyson, Phil Weatherall, Greg Horner, Evan Atkins

                                                    

Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career? 

Steve Rixon. As a keeper I watched the way he trained at Sutherland. He set the standard for me and every training session I went to, I tried to emulate his approach. The other thing was when he got a stumping off Zoey Goss at the SCG and the batsmen was Brian Lara he was using my keeping gloves, pads and it was the closest I came to being on television !

Who was the funniest cricketing team mate? 

The Sutherland teams in the mid to late eighties weren’t short of characters and funny individuals so there quite a few funny men that would make sure things went along with some humour

Who is your favourite all time cricketer? 

Rodney Marsh

What was the best win you were involved in?

We took 9 wickets in a session at Howell one year to beat a very strong Penrith side boasting Steve Small, Rod Bower and Trevor Bayliss. We had a quick Martin Wood who got a few and Phil Weatherall took 5 wickets.

I recall Phil almost hit Bayliss with a short ball which came from nowhere. We went into the Penrith dressing room for a drink and there were quite a few Penrith batsman who wanted to get physical with the groundsman and he’d been on the cans all afternoon and ended up in the dressing room as well. That was an interesting afternoon

What did you enjoy most about playing Premier/Grade Cricket in Sydney? 

Without doubt it was the spirit the competition was played in during the 80’s and 90’s. Training sessions were conducted by captains and senior players. The captains were responsible for their team’s performance and if their teams had a poor day in the field on Saturday then it was penance at training on Tuesday.

It was a flat system then and players were accountable through performances. There weren’t batting, bowling, fielding coaches and no mental skills coaches.

Socially the competition in Sydney was very solid and clubs mixed together after each game. I remember my 21st birthday party was at Caringbah Oval the day we played Wests & there were 4 Wests players still in the clubhouse during the speeches wearing the themed togas!

I recall mixing and socialising with players from Bankstown, St George and Randwick till very early hours at Carmens and Northies after matches and it didn’t seem to matter where the other clubs played they always ended up at a Shire nightspot somewhere !. They were good days and not to be repeated.  

If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1flight to London which team mates would you choose to on your left and right? 

Phil Weatherall and Justin Kenny - both close mates and very funny to be around and having flown with them both it was be a good flight. (As long as Lennie was on the next flight!).

Did you have any cricketing superstitions? 

No 

Which ground in Sydney club cricket did you enjoy playing at the most? 

Hurstville was probably my favourite - short boundaries and plenty of seam meant there were plenty of chances for nicks in the cordon.

Who was the fastest bowler you ever faced? 

Wayne Holdsworth. He was bowling at Caringbah Oval late on day with a howling southerly and a very dark ball - it was harrowing.

Who was the best spinner you played against? 

Murray Bennett

Are you still involved in Cricket and if so, in what capacity? 

I was made a life member at Sutherland in 2010 having spent 20 odd years on the committee at 9 years as chairman of selectors, deputy president and secretary. I stood down this year. This is my 6th season on the SCA committee of management so get a good input and say on the running of the Sydney comp. I really enjoy this role. 

What advice would you offer a young 18 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket? 

Let’s have a chat in 2 years and firstly see if you are still playing cricket!

What are your hobbies? 

I am now a keen cyclist. I’m a member of Sutherland Cycling club and compete in club races during the summer. I’ve also ridden through the Italian Alps, the Dolomites and some parts of France.

Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general? 

I found in cricket the more disciplined you were the better you fared and this definitely applies in work and life in general.