Steve Rixon's Final 1st Grade Season
Sutherland District Cricket Club | December 23, 2024
Back row: Greg Horner, Tony Clark, Nick Howard, Kevin Tuite, Geoff Barron, Nigel Brookes, David Givney, Rodney Davison.
Front row: Darrell Mann, Mark chapman, Paul Bourke, John Dyson, Steve Rixon, Justin Kennt, Phil Weatherall.
At the end of the 1987-88 season, Steve Rixon announced his retirement from first class cricket, meaning that he would be available for a full season of first grade in 1988-89. At the end of the season, John Dyson wrote in his captain’s report for the annual report:
Our other allrounder, Steve Rixon, had a great final year. He remained the premier gloveman in NSW and thankfully his tenacity with the bat returned, so that we were treated to some vintage Rixon strokeplay, including the world-renowned “woop” through mid-wicket from outside off stump. On top of this, he captained the team during my State duty absence and performed the Club Coach’s role with distinction. I know that I’ll miss playing cricket with Steve in the future.
Steve topped the batting averages for first grade with 516 runs at 43.2, including two centuries and two half-centuries. His two centuries involved two record-breaking double century partnerships:
Round 1 – Sutherland vs Parramatta at Caringbah Oval
Parramatta won the toss and elected to bat. They were bowled out for 182 off 79.3 overs, with Phil Weatherall the best of the bowlers with 5-58. At stumps on day 1, Sutherland were 1/72 off 16 overs, with Justin Kenny not out on 48 off 46 balls. On day 2, Kenny and Paul Bourke took the score to 117 before Bourke was dismissed. Three more wickets fell for only 24 runs (including Kenny for 91 off 118 balls) – the score was now 5/145 shortly before lunch, with Steve Rixon on 4 and 21-year-old Greg Horner the new batsman. By lunch, the score had moved to 5/160 off 47 overs, still 22 runs behind Parramatta’s total.
After lunch, first innings points were achieved in the 54th over. This was the first match under the new bonus points system that had been introduced and captain John Dyson worked out that we could gain more points from scoring as many runs as possible within the cut-off for earning bonus points than by winning outright – so that’s exactly what the team set out to do! By tea, the score had advanced to 5/296 off 82 overs, with Rixon on 89 and Horner on 60. Rixon was eventually dismissed for 142 off 183 balls, with 16 fours. Horner was not out on 114. They had added 261 for the 6th wicket in 198 minutes, off 337 balls. The partnership was the record partnership for any wicket in all grades for the Club at the time and is still the record partnership for the 6th wicket in all grades. Horner went on to finish on 153 off 187 balls, with 15 fours and 1 six. The team total of 493 set a new record for the highest innings total in any grade for the Club, a record that stood until the day Phil Jaques scored 321 and the team total was 6/500 in 2006-07.
Round 5 – Sutherland vs Penrith at Caringbah Oval
Sutherland won the toss and elected to bat. At lunch, we were 1/110 off 34 overs. When Justin Kenny fell for 86 in the 39th over, the score was 3/131. Steve Rixon joined 19-year-old Rodney Davison who was on 2. By tea, they had taken the score to 3/242 off 74 overs – Davison was on 57 and Rixon on 55. After tea, they continued on their merry way, taking the score to 3/378 before Rixon was dismissed. He scored 130 off 187 balls, with 17 fours and 2 sixes. The partnership was worth 247 in 192 minutes, off 358 balls – the record partnership for the 4th wicket in all grades for the Club at the time and still the 1st Grade record partnership for the 4th wicket. Davison went on to make 141 off 211 balls, with 18 fours. He was dismissed in the last over of the day with the score on 6/452.
On day two, Sutherland dismissed Penrith for 121 off 51.3 overs, with spinners Darrell Mann (4-23) and Mark Chapman (3-30) taking the bulk of the wickets. Forced to follow on, Penrith fared better the second time round, making 2/161 before play was called off.
