James Allsopp is the proud owner of Bankstown District Cricket Club first grade player number 214 after making his debut as a 16 year old during the 2000/01 cricket season.
A very accomplished and stylish wicket keeper James is the clubs all-time leading keeper with 433 dismissal in his career. He took 395 catches and 38 stumping.
He is a former first grade captain of the club and an instrumental players in a number of first grade premierships winning teams.
After putting the gloves away James continues to make an influential and all important contribution to the game as he is the Executive General Manager of Community Cricket for Cricket Australia.
Let’s find out more about James journey in the game.
Where were you born and what year?
Brisbane, 1984.
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
It would have been an Under 10s game for Tahmoor Cricket Club. Can’t recall how I went but probably safe to say I didn’t bowl well as I was keen on taking the gloves early on.
I will never forget the first impression I had of the game and the deep affinity I felt towards cricket thanks to a wonderful first coach I had that year and the passion both my Dad and Grandfather had for the game. Backyard cricket was a daily affair! The power of the first impression has stuck with me and I am very mindful in my current role how important the first experiences in the game are for young boys and girls and their families – these first experiences can hook them for life or turn them off forever. Thankfully, my early experiences in the game were magic and I am fortunate to be deeply involved in the game to this day.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I played my junior cricket for Tahmoor Cricket Club and the Oaks-Burragorang Cricket Club.
I played a year of Green Shield at Wests as a 13-year-old before Ian Gill convinced me to come across to the mighty Bankstown Bulldogs for my final two years of Green Shield. Played a year in 5th grade, a year in 3s and debuted in first grade during the opening round of 2000/01 season. I played 14 consecutive years of first grade for the club and had the opportunity to captain the team for 5 of those years.
Represented NSW in 17s, 19s, Colts and Second X1 but never scored enough runs as a wicket keeper to push into first class cricket. Adam Crosthwaite and the current Aussie Test captain always had me covered for national selection in the underage stuff.
James Allsopp NSW Under 19 wicket keeper in 2001
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
Sixteen against Sutherland. I got a couple of catches and was run out for not many. First dismissal in the top grade was a tickle from Phil Jacques bowled Wayne Holdsworth who had taken me under his wing and provided me a colourful education as a 16 year old
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Wicket keeper who batted ok but not well enough in the Gilchrist and Haddin era.
James Allsopp batting for Bankstown
What were your strengths as a player?
Glovework. The dog bowl.
What was your highest score in first grade?
I never cracked triple figures and that will never sit well with me. Scored 80 odd a couple of times.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Mitchell Johnson – played some Colts cricket against Mitch coming through and he was scary fast. Thankfully, he was playing first-class cricket before too long.
Mark Cameron – On his day was a quick as they came - always hit the bat really hard. He had the ball reversing at pace in a semi-final at Bankstown one year that almost got Sydney Uni home in a game where we were 1-200 chasing 252.
Doug Bollinger and Grant Lambert – can’t split the two. Both amazing competitors who just kept coming at you all day. We had some fierce battles with the Lions when Bankstown and Fairfield were both at the peak of their powers. I reckon they both used to have giggle when I walked out to bat as they would both dismiss me for fun.
Mitchell Johnson
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Stuart Magill – spun the ball more than any other spinner I played against.
Beau Casson – I could never pick his wrong-un!
Steve O’Keefe – his subtle variations (change of pace, use of crease etc) were outstanding. Rarely bowled a bad ball and I always found I was second guessing my plan against him.
Stuart MacGill
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Ed Cowan – He loved scoring runs against us. Ed scored a hundred against us in a one-day game at Sydney Uni that was on another level.
Phil Hughes – only played against him a handful of times but he scored a ton against us in a semi final in 2006/07 as a 17 or 18 year old when we had a really good attack (Thompson, Bird, Van Diensen, Betsey, Freedman). I’ll never forget how composed he was against an experienced and aggressive attack and no matter what we did he accumulated so many runs in front and behind point.
Greg Mail and Matthew Phelps – Always admired their professionalism and work ethic. They both scored big runs against us consistently. Two people I really enjoy talking cricket with and have been fortunate to work with in recent years.
Ed Cowan
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Corey Richards – there were several innings that Spoons played that were at another level but his ton in the limited overs first grade final again Randwick was something else. Special mention to Dean Magee who got a ton off 52 balls at Howell Oval with some of the cleanest hitting I have seen and before it was popular!
Brad Haddin scored a couple of tons that knocked us out of both the two-day and one semis in 2003/04 that were pretty special too.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used?
Most weekends during my early years in first grade. International and state players were obviously available a lot more and every attack had 2-3 genuine quicks and a really good spinner.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Brad Haddin. His glove work up to the stumps was something I always strived to emulate. He used to stand up to a left arm medium quick from Easts and made it look so easy. His presence let alone his ability to execute a leg-side stumping built so much pressure on batters.
In terms of wicket keeping is there a catch and stumping that still brings a smile of satisfaction?
The stumping’s would have to be two leg-side stumping’s against Fairfield in my second game in first grade. Steve Waugh played in that game and encouraged me to stand up to the stumps to Graeme Smith, as had he identified that the batter from Fairfield was falling over and we could be a chance of getting him stumped down leg side. As a 16-year-old, I was just happy to be catching them standing back let alone up to the stumps to Smithy and I remember the first ball when standing up to the stumps hit me flush on the chest. Between overs Steve encouraged me to stick at (even though I was doubting my own ability to glove them up there) and then sure enough next over Smithy snuck one down the leg-side and I whipped the bails off. A couple of overs later I managed to do it again. One of Steve’s greatest leadership attributes was his ability to inspire belief in his players that they didn’t know they had. This leadership trait has stuck with me in how I aspire to lead people in teams.
Favourite catch would have to be in the first grade final vs Fairfield when I dived full stretch to catch Grant Lambert off the first ball of the second innings. Grant had scored an extraordinary amount of runs that year and when we dismissed him it felt like we had one hand on the Belvidere Cup.
Who was the fastest bowler you kept to?
I was fortunate to keep to my great mate, Aaron Bird, a lot over the years and he was consistently fast. Daniel McLauchlan was really quick and so effortless. Kim Daley bowled quick when he was in the state squad and at his peak.
Who was the best spinner you had the good fortune to keep to?
I need to name a few here:
David Freedman – still blows my mind how many people could not pick his wrong un’ and would come charging past it regularly. Freddy used to even spin it out of his hands before bowling it and still not many caught on. Great team-man, great competitor.
Jarrad Burke – incredibly crafty. Would play mind-games with batters, was a fierce competitor and had an incredible cricket mind. Would be fascinated to see what percentage of his dismissals have been LBW.
Jason Krezja – it is unusual to always feel in the game keeping to an off spinner but because Jason spun the ball so much, I always did. Was a great room mate during youth cricket!
David Freedman
Which bowler did you enjoy keeping to most? If you could add a few words as to why
Hard to single out one but any bowler where you felt you were always in the game. Darryl Tuffey and Jackson Bird were great – both would consistently hit the seam and get steep bounce so always felt I was chance for a nick. Mitchell Phelps would wobble them around and find the edge a lot too. Also enjoyed being entertained by bowlers that were ‘aggressive.’ One, who I won’t name, was that aggressive that he once head-butted a batter whilst wearing a helmet. Needless to say who came off second best.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Scott Thompson – an inspiring leader that led us to a couple of competitions and taught me a hell of a lot of lessons through cricket that I have taken with me through life. The game was never dead when Thommo had bat or ball in hand. His leadership transformed a talented team of individuals into a champion team by instilling respect into everything we did.
Greg Mail – always set a great example of how the game can be played with intensity but still in the right spirit.
Ken Hall – his contribution and longevity in the game has been extraordinary. Best set of hands I have seen and incredibly competitive ‘old bastard’ to his last game. I was really fortunate to play and learn from Kenny and I know the club love having him around supporting the team to this day.
Scott Thompson
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
I played under some great captains and all for different reasons. Thommo as mentioned above, Paul Maraziotis was terrific at galvanising a team (especially on end of season trips) and tactically Jarrad Burke was as good as I played with.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Darren Ettridge, Geoff Spotswood, Wayne Holdsworth.
What was your most embarrassing on field moment in senior cricket?
I dropped a high ball when I ran all the way to the boundary once when fine leg could have stood still and swallowed it. After this moment I always ensured I practiced catching high balls at training.
Who was your childhood hero?
Steve Waugh. My Grandparents took me to the Caribbean in 1995 when Australia won the Frank Worrell trophy against the West Indies for the first time in many years. The way that Steve stood up to their attack throughout the series (plus his double ton in Jamaica) in my opinion was the turning point in the success of Australian Cricket over the next 10-20 years.
Steve Waugh
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Roger Federer
Michael Jordan
Tiger Woods
Roger Federer
Who are your favourite cricket commentator?
Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Mel Jones.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Bankstown Oval, closely followed by Manly and Hurstville.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
Sydney University. Built a great rivalry over the years but always enjoyed a drink after the game which became rituals. Also enjoyed playing against Sutherland as I had some good mates that played there who we hung out with a lot after games.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
The feeling of a winning change room stands out for me. Winning competitions and the celebrations with some great mates that followed are where my fondest memories are embedded. Our double premiership win in 2006/07 stands out.
Bankstown 2006/07 First Grade Premiership winning team
Bankstown 2006/07 Limited Overs First Grade Premiership winning team
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
The first grade one day final in 2006/7 vs Randwick Petersham was a great game. Thommo (who usually had hands like rocks) took a remarkable catch to dismiss Katich full stretch to turn the game in our favour.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Too many to name. Fortunate that my best mates are all guys that I played a lot of cricket with and we have an ordinary punters club that has kept us amused and connected during lockdown!
What are your hobbies?
I have three little ones under 8 who are sport mad, so I am really enjoying seeing them experience the joy of sport at a young age and supporting them as they experiment with different pursuits.
I enjoy my golf but don’t get out enough.
Your last game in first grade was an extraordinary game of cricket.
In 2013/14 I took over the captaincy with three rounds to play as our regular skipper had been suspended for the remainder of the year. We needed to win all three remaining games to even be a chance of making the top six and I had let everybody know this would be my final year. In the final round we played Sydney Uni who had barely lost a game all year and we needed to win to qualify sixth. We knocked them off and then took them on the following week in week one of the finals. We beat them again and then won a nail-biter over Manly in the semi to progress to the final to play, yet again, Sydney Uni at Hurstville Oval.
It had been wet all week, so the wicket was juicy. I lost the toss and Sydney Uni sent us in. We got knocked over for about 90 but we then knocked Sydney Uni over for just 37. In the second innings we got ourselves to about a 150-run lead and had Sydney Uni on the ropes at 5/50 heading into tea on day two. I remember walking off at tea thinking how good a way this will be to finish my cricket career. It wasn’t to be – the sun came out after tea and Sydney Uni snuck home with 3 wickets up their sleeve. We had lost a final after bowling a team out for just 37!
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
There are two things in life you can always control your effort and your attitude.
Inspire the people you lead to fulfil 110% of their capability. The additional 10% is the capability they don’t even know they have yet.
You’ve worked in Australian Cricket for 5 years and have recently been appointed to the role of Executive General Manager Community Cricket and Capability at Cricket Australia. Can you tell us a little bit about the role and its key objectives?
I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in cricket over the last five years as a coach at CNSW and CACT, CEO at CACT and now in my role at CA which I have now been in for seven months. The sport has been so good to me throughout my life, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility in my role to preserve the rich traditions of our sport that makes cricket so unique whilst balancing the need to innovate and evolve to ensure the game remains relevant to current and future generations.
My role is responsible for overseeing the development, growth and health of cricket in the community that sits outside of representative teams. Capability development (coach and umpire development, volunteers, teacher and integrity support) also sits in my portfolio.
The key objective of my role is to support and shape the future of cricket to grow participation through great experiences in the game.
EGM of Community Cricket is a tremendously significant role. Are you able to share with the Australian cricket fans the priorities within the role to ensure Cricket in Australia remains strong on and off the field not just for the next 3 years but for the next 15 to 20 years?
Growing participation is fundamental to the future success of Australian Cricket. We are embarking on the new strategic design process now which has been good timing for me to get my feet under the desk and build an understanding of the key challenges and opportunities for cricket. This entails working closely in with the Community Cricket leaders across the country. I have been keen to understand what the state of play of cricket looks like by leaning into what the participation and quality of experience of data is telling us from across the country.
There are some standouts in the feedback we have received that we are keen to address within the next strategic period. Firstly, we are committed to being the sport in every Australian Community, inclusive to all. Whilst we have made significant inroads in bringing more girls into the game, only 10% of all registered cricket participants are females and we want committed to see this continue to increase. Equally, multicultural participation in the game is not comparable with the multicultural representation of the Australian population. This is also another great opportunity for us to grow the game and ensure it is reflective of Australian communities.
Bringing more kids into the game from an early age is mission critical for us. We know that cricket can be a complex sport and the need to develop the fundamental skills to play whilst young is important. For cricket to remain strong for many years to come we need to ensure more kids and their families are joining the game when they are young, having great experiences and developing a deep affinity with the sport, like all your readers would have had at a young age. These young players will become future youth and adult cricketers and their parents our future volunteers that are so critical to the game. Our Entry Level program, Woolworths Cricket Blast (WWCB), is an important program that we are keen to see grow. As the shopfront of our sport, often the first impression families have in cricket, it is an important program to develop the first amazing experiences in cricket for kids and their parents. Our feedback also tells us that kids are less likely to play backyard or street cricket than those of my generation did, so WWCB can be a substitute for that. Our intention is to inspire kids and their families to have ongoing involvement with cricket when they leave the program and join our Stage one competitions. My 6-year-old daughter can’t wait for WWCB each week and my son just made a very memorable debut is Stage 1. The new junior formats have been a great innovation to ensure every child gets an equal opportunity to participate in the match. Junior Cricket retention has subsequently increased since the introduction of the new formats.
Finally, we are committed to ensure cricket creates the best digital experiences in community sport to complement what happens on the field. We know that technology will be vital for the future of cricket, so we need to ensure our digital platforms make things easier for the volunteers - who do such an incredible job throughout the summer but are time poor – and also provide enriching off-field experiences for players.
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