Rod Bower made his first class debut for NSW in the 1983/84 season and played 13 first class and 9 one day games for the Baggy Blues.
From 1977 to 1998 Rod scored 11,841 runs in Sydney Grade Cricket at an average of 41.98. He scored 24 hundreds and 71 half centuries and is widely regarded as one of the hardest hitters of a cricket ball.
At the time of publishing Rod sits 6th on the all-time most runs scored in this the history of first grade cricket.
Let’s find out more about the man affectionately known as Log
Welcome Rod,
Firstly what year were you born?
1959
Where did you go the high school?
Picnic Point High
Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?
Revesby Workers under 11
Where did you play your junior cricket?
Bankstown Junior Cricket Association
Which clubs have you played for?
Bankstown, Balmain, Penrith
How old were you when you first played grade cricket?
I was 14 and played 5th Grade for Bankstown
What age did you make your first grade debut?
17
What is your highest score in first grade?
200 against Hawkesbury, Howell Oval.
Who was the fastest bowler you played against?
Jeff Thompson
Who was the best spinner you played against?
Line ball, Greg Matthews and Murray Bennett
Who were the best three bowlers you played against in grade cricket?
Steve Bernard (St George) - always hit the seam, excellent control good sustained pace.
Dave Chardon (Petersham Marrickville) - good pace, good control and hit the seam regularly
Gave everything he had whether it be at 11.00 am or 5 30 pm - plenty of aggression and was always a great contest.
Greg Matthews, excellent off spinner. Great control and flight, mixed the pace up very well and used the angles of the crease. Had a great arm ball and leg cutter.
Who were the 3 batsman you admired most during your era in grade cricket?
A really tough question played with and against some very good players.
I was very fortunate to play a few seasons of grade cricket with the Waugh twins at Bankstown.
Mark Waugh - superb timer of the ball and made batting look effortless. Mark seemed to have more time than most to play his strokes and was able to change his mind halfway through a shot. The most elegant player I have seen.
Steven Barry Smith - another great timer of the ball and had a wonderful technique. He scored 4 double centuries in one season and had the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.
Steve Small - great striker of the ball and could turn a game very quickly. An extremely tough minded player and when it got tough or there was a pressure situation you could count on Steve to stand up and get the job done.
Special mentions - Wayne Seabrook , Mark O'Neil , Phil Marks, Trevor Bayliss
Who played the best innings you saw in first grade cricket?
A few line ball innings of note, Steve Smith 215 not out and Adam Gilchrist as a kid batting six for Northern District came in just before lunch and got out just after tea for 150 odd.
But probably the best was Trevor Bayliss 204 not out. I was at the other end for all of it and I don’t think he missed the middle of the bat the whole innings. It was a great dig with exceptional timing and skill.
Who did you admired most in terms of skill and competitive spirit?
Ken Hall and Phil Marks
Rod - fielding drills at NSW state practice
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
My first class debut for New South Wales.
Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career?
My coach for many years, ex English Test cricketer Barry Knight.
Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?
Ken Gentles
Who was your most annoying team mate?
Not sure all of my team mates were pretty good, all different in there own way.
Who is your favourite all time cricketer?
Viv Richards.
What was the best win you were involved in?
In Grade cricket, playing for Penrith against Randwick at Coogee when we chased down 400 odd to win
What did you enjoy most about playing Premier/Grade Cricket in Sydney?
The contest every week. When I played first class players played quite a few games and the mate ship forged over a number of seasons.
Was there a particular team you really looked forward to playing and why?
Petersham Marrickville they had a great bowling attack and had Brian Riley as their skipper (the best sledger of all time). It was always a wonderful contest and a test of physical and mental strength
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?
Wayne Seabrook and Mark O’Neill
Did you have any cricketing superstitions?
Always put the left pad on first.
Which ground in Sydney club cricket did you enjoy playing at the most?
Bankstown Oval
Rod batting in a Tooheys Cup game in 1985 - Taree v Port Macquarie
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Listen to everyone and sift out what you can use, work hard and respect your opponents.
Are you still involved in Cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Yes I am a working with a number of male and female’s players as a batting coach
Do you like the modern game and what can the game do to make it better?
The game has evolved but I’m not a fan of the amount of T20 that is played. We have developed to many flat track bullies and I would like to see a bit more in the decks and maybe Dukes balls used.
What advice would you offer a young 16 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket?
Learn as much as you can, always look forward and stay positive and never give up on your dream.
What are your hobbies?
Coaching and these days I ride horses and I’m a competitive showjumper
What is your occupation?
Account manager.
You may as well give your employer a plug, who do you work for?
Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?
Analyse the situation without too much dissection. Control the emotion or it will control you and stick with the common sense approach.
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