David Rodgie - 3 generations of first grade cricket
UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | February 07, 2023
David Rodgie made his first grade debut for North Sydney in the 1976/77 season.
Over 16 seasons David scored in excess of 6,000 for the club, 1,188 in 1st Grade and 4,455 runs in 2nd Grade including 6 centuries.
David’s family has a unique history in Sydney Grade Cricket (NSW Premier Cricket). David’s father Keith played Grade Cricket from 1950 to 1975 and played 9 first grade games and he two sons Scott and Justin have also played first grade premier cricket.
Three generations of first grade cricketers and David’s journey continues in the game as he is now an Umpire in NSW Premier Cricket. In Round 14 of the 2018/2019 season David made his first grade umpiring debut.
Let’s find out more about David’s journey
Welcome David,
What year were you born?
1958
Where did you go the high school?
North Sydney Boys high School
Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?
I was 9 years old and playing in the U12s. It was against Allan Border and I got a hat trick.
Where did you play your junior cricket?
North Sydney Juniors
Which clubs have you played for?
North Sydney and Stirling (Scotland)
How old were you when you first played grade cricket?
I played a few games as a fill in emergency as a 13 year old but then started in playing regularly as a 14 year old in 4th grade
What age did you make your first grade debut?
18 years
What is your highest score in first grade?
77 vs Petersham at North Sydney Oval
Who was the fastest bowler you ever played against?
Hard to split but Geoff Lawson was extremely quick one day at North Sydney on a green top and he only had to bowl at us for an hour at the end of the day.
The other one was Warren “Cec” Pepper who was very quick when I played him towards the end of my career.
Who was the best spinner you played against?
Without a doubt David Hourn
Who were the 3 bowlers that provided the biggest challenges throughout your career?
David Hourn 0- left arm wrist spinner - I could never pick his wrongun.
Steve Bernard used to bowl a lot of quick throat balls in the pre-helmet era
Ro Shelton was an extremely quick leg spinner who got a lot of spin and bounce and I found him very difficult to wicket keep to.
Who were the 3 batsmen you admired most during your time in Grade cricket?
Greg Mail-the accumulation of runs was just incredible.
David Johnston was a terrific player of both fast and spin bowling.
Steve Small was very determined and hit the ball very hard.
Peter Clifford was very calm and everything looked so easy
Who were the 2 players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit?
Mike Pawley and Barry Knight
What was the best innings you’ve seen in Grade Cricket?
Phil Jacques getting 321. He got out in the last over of the 96 over day but got the runs of, I think, 240 balls. The only reason he got out was that he was chasing the all time highest score in grade cricket but fell a few short.
Who in your opinion was the best wicket keeper you got to see firsthand in Sydney Grade Cricket?
Steve Rixon
Tell us about your wicket keeping career
I initially played first grade as a stop gap keeper when the 1st grade keeper unexpectedly left. I only had the gloves on for about 6 games before my 1st grade debut!
I gave keeping away after about 2 seasons as I crept up the batting order.
Who was the quickest bowler you kept to?
Steve Taylor
Who was the best spinner you kept to?
Ro Shelton
Who was the best bowler you had the good fortune to keep to?
Ro Shelton
What did you enjoy most about playing Premier/Grade Cricket in Sydney?
The camaraderie as well as regularly playing against Test players e.g. Bob Simpson, Doug Walters, Geoff Lawson. Imran Khan, Geoff Boycott, Allan Border, Peter Toohey etc.
Was there a particular team you really looked forward to playing?
Petersham was a game you were always waiting for as they had a few hard heads led by Brian Riley who could sniff out any nerves or doubts you may have had.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Getting married on a Monday night so as to avoid a clash with the cricket finals.
Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?
Bevyn White
Who is your favourite all time cricketer?
Ian Chappell
What was the best win you were involved in?
We had 3 players travelling to a game in the same car to play Bankstown. The car broke down on the way, leaving us with 8 players to start the game. We lost the toss, had to field and our opening bowler delivered 3 half volleys in the first over. The 3 missing players finally arrived and we managed to beat Bankstown by stumps on Day 1.
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?
Ross Chapman (former Aust team psychologist with many stories to tell) and Bevyn White (a cricketing story for every hour of every day of the year)
Did you have any cricketing superstitions?
Whatever I did when I had any success I tried to repeat.
You son Scott has scored over 8,000 first grade runs in NSW Premier Cricket, you must be very proud of what he’s achieved to date?
I continued playing up until Scott started playing junior cricket at about 6 years of age. It’s been lots of fun watching him develop. His grandparents were very proud of him and they used to follow him to all of Sydney’s grounds. To have 3 generations of the family play 1st grade is quite rare, especially for the same club. With my younger son Justin having played a few 1st grade games it is no surprise about what is talked about over dinner.
Son Justin far left, David Rodgie, father Keith and son Scott far right
Which Grade Cricket ground did you enjoy playing at the most?
Always enjoyed North Sydney but I must say the ovals have all improved markedly since I started.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Look after what you can control and not worry about what you can’t.
Are you still involved in Cricket and if so, in what capacity?
I was secretary of Norths for a few years and then I have been umpiring Premier Cricket for the last 4 years.
What was the attraction to get back into the game as an umpire?
I was looking for something to do in retirement for work. There was always a need for umpires in midweek cricket in the state schools. Then I thought that I always enjoyed being around grade cricket so why not give that a go.
If you were running Cricket Australia what would your priorities be to ensure Australian cricket remained strong and a world leader not just in 5 years but 20 years and beyond?
While it is important to identify the future elite cricketers I would like to see a lot more emphasis on earning your stripes in 1st grade rather than 17s & 19s.
Are you a fan of technology in cricket?
Only if it proves me right!
How do you value the pathway programs for young cricketers against the currency of runs and wickets in grade cricket?
Success in Premier cricket over 19s every time. The drain on Premier Cricket of players to Shield, Test, Big Bash, 2nd X1, 19s, 17s and other games impacts every week.
What advice would you offer a young 17 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket?
By all means strive for your success at 17s but strive even harder at Premier Cricket.
Listen to all the advice you will get but, in the end, you need to be able to work at your own game
What are your hobbies?
Love my rugby and golf
Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?
Play hard but enjoy life.
