Пол Эндрю Никсон: Англиялық крикетшінің өмірі мен мансабы

English cricketer

Paul Andrew Nixon (born 21 October 1970) is an English cricket coach and former professional cricketer who played for Leicestershire, England, England A, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and Kent. He is a wicket keeper and left handed batsman. Nixon played in twenty international matches for the England cricket team, all within a four month spell in 2007.

Since playing international cricket, Nixon has been known for his contributions from behind the stumps. On the matter, Nixon remarked, "I've been doing it for 19 years and no one ever noticed before! It's not sledging mind. It's banter – like playing golf with a mate. I'm just trying to get 'em away from their concentration really." On the last day of the 2006 season, Nixon was used as a declaration bowler against Essex. He was clubbed for 69 off five overs, whilst Darren Robinson, bowling at the other end, was hit for 117 off just 4.4 overs. Mark Pettini smashed 114 off just 29 deliveries, a knock including 11 sixes. According to a BBC report, they both served up "10 overs of utter rubbish – on agreement – to allow Mark Pettini the easiest century he will ever hit." In October 2007, Nixon said that he would join the Indian Cricket League, joining fellow English cricketers Darren Maddy and Vikram Solanki. He remarked, "This is an exciting opportunity, it is perfect timing. India is the mecca of cricket and Twenty20 interest is high due to the national team's success". He played two seasons for the Delhi Giants before the ICL folded. Nixon is an ambassador for Dorothy Goodman School, a Special Educational Needs school in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

Nixon made his first class debut in 1989 with Leicestershire and with them he won two Championship titles in 1996 and 1998. He played for the club until 2000 when he moved to Kent. He spent 2 years playing for Kent but due to the emergence of Geraint Jones he was forced into returning to Leicestershire in 2003. During his second stint at Leicester, Nixon won the Twenty20 cup twice and helped them reach final day from 2003 to 2006. His highest score for Leicestershire was a career best 144 not out against Northamptonshire in 2006. In July 2007, it was announced that Nixon had been appointed captain of Leicestershire until the end of the county season. The wicket keeper took over from Darren Robinson, whilst Jeremy Snape remained in control of the one day side. In August 2007, it was announced that Nixon would be the new club captain for all competitions, after signing a three year contract.

Nixon shared his thoughts on the T20 game which were as follows, "Wicket keepers play a very central role as the captain often asks you a lot about the lines people are bowling and the pace of the pitch. Both of these things have an impact on the skipper placing his fielding positions. Therefore the keeper in any team is an integral part of a captain's thought process."

In Leicestershire's first ever Twenty20 Cup match against Yorkshire, which they won by 16 runs, Nixon scored 43 off 26 deliveries, hitting four 6s, and took two catches and a stumping. After his first game, the next few innings were relatively unsuccessful. 5 runs against Durham was followed by 26 against Lancashire, before 1 off 8 deliveries against Nottinghamshire. Despite this, Leicestershire ran out winners on each occasion. In the next game he scored 27 off 13 balls, including two 4s and two 6s in the 1 run victory over Derbyshire, as the Foxes made their way to the semi final of the competition. Warwickshire were the opponents, and despite Brad Hodge scoring 66 with the bat and taking 1–27 with the ball, the Foxes lost by 7 wickets. Nixon hit 7 off 10 deliveries, including a 4, but his team's total of 162 proved inadequate in the end.

A new year and a new competition, and Leicestershire played well to see off Lancashire, before losing to Durham. Next up were Yorkshire and in a high scoring encounter, with both sides notching up over 200, the Foxes won by 10 runs, with Darren Maddy scoring 111 off 60 balls, hitting eight 4s and six 6s. Nixon had hit 3, 0 and 9 in these first three matches, and in the next game against Nottinghamshire scored 23, including a 4 and a 6 to help his side to a 40 run win. A quarter final win over Essex with a contribution of 3 by Nixon was followed by a semi final clash with Glamorgan. In the encounter, the Foxes won by 21 runs, with Nixon hitting an unbeaten 14. In the final, Leicestershire faced Surrey and won by 7 wickets, with Brad Hodge scoring an unbeaten 77. Nixon was not required to bat on the day, but was now a winner of a Twenty20 Cup medal.

In the first game of the season, Leicestershire played Nottinghamshire first, and won, winning by 5 wickets, with Nixon hitting 32 not out to help win. A loss against Derbyshire followed, although Nixon still contributed 16 and two catches. However, Leicestershire were soon back to winning ways against Durham, triumphing by 3 runs with Nixon hitting 11 off 11 balls. Lancashire ran out winners in the next game, with Nixon being dismissed for a duck. Scores of 15 not out and 4 followed in the next two wins over Nottinghamshire and Durham, and Nixon was not required to bat in the Leicestershire victory over Yorkshire as his side moved on to the quarter finals. In the quarter final, Middlesex were the opponents, and the Foxes ran out victors by 19 runs, with Nixon hitting an unbeaten 26 off 18 balls. Despite scoring 27 not out in the semi final against Somerset, it was not enough to win, as Leicestershire bowed out of the competition.

In the first game of the 2006 tournament Nixon scored 14 in the win over Nottinghamshire. This was followed by 21 in the loss to Lancashire. Next an innings of 42 off 25 deliveries, including four 4s and two 6s helped Leicestershire to an 86 run win over Derbyshire, although 13 was not enough to help see off Nottinghamshire in the next match. Derbyshire were next up, and Nixon helped his side to an 18 run win with an unbeaten 25. A score of 11 followed in the win over Durham. He scored his first half century of the tournament in the next game with 52 off 39 balls, a knock which included four 4s and three 6s, saw his side over the line against Yorkshire and won him the man of the match award. 19 off 12 deliveries in the victory over Durham then lined up a quarter final clash with Kent, where Nixon contributed an unbeaten 17 to help his side to a 9 wicket win. The semi final of the competition brought another man of the match winning performance from Nixon. Hitting an unbeaten 57 off 33 deliveries, with six 4s and a 6, and taking a catch, he helped his side to a 23 run win over Essex, as Leicestershire made it to the final of the competition for the second time. Nottinghamshire were the opposition on the day, but the Foxes prevailed, winning by 4 runs, although Nixon was not required to bat.

Leicestershire set out on the road to retain their title in winning fashion, beating Yorkshire by 13 runs. Nixon hit 23 off 18 deliveries. A no result against Nottinghamshire followed. The next opposition were Durham, and in a game reduced to 13 overs per side, the Foxes succumbed to an eight wicket defeat. Nixon hit 16 off 15 balls and took a catch. In the next game, Nixon then went on to record his highest ever Twenty20 score against Derbyshire. He scored 65 off 41 deliveries, hitting seven 4s and a 6, before being bowled by Graham Wagg, as Leicestershire got back to winning ways with a 6 wicket win. He posted a partnership of 121 with Hylton Deon Ackerman and stumped Greg Smith after the South African had made 79. Leicestershire then had games against Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Durham abandoned and the game against Lancashire ended with no result. After having five of the first eight group games abandoned, the Foxes' hopes of retaining the trophy were ended.

At the age of 36 he was called into the squad for the 2007 triangular one day tournament against Australia and New Zealand, as one of two keepers along with Chris Read. His closest opportunity to representing England prior to this came in 2000–01 when he was selected to tour Pakistan and Sri Lanka but did not replace the incumbent Alec Stewart as England's keeper. In July 2007, he was named in the provisional 30 man squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, to be held in South Africa, fighting for the wicket keeper spot with Matt Prior. However, when the actual fifteen man squad was announced in August, Matt Prior was chosen as wicket keeper for the tournament.

He made his international debut in a Twenty20 match against Australia on 9 January 2007, scoring 31 not out – hitting two 4s and a 6 off 22 balls, stumping Mike Hussey and running out Michael Clarke with Paul Collingwood, as England slumped to a 77 run loss.

His first one day call up came three days later, as England took on Australia in the first match of the Commonwealth Bank Series. Despite being dismissed for 0, he caught Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden off the bowling of Jamie Dalrymple and Monty Panesar respectively, but despite this, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke each recorded unbeaten half centuries to complete an 8 wicket win for their side.

Nixon's highest score with the bat came on 30 January 2007, against New Zealand. Nixon and Liam Plunkett set a new record 8th wicket partnership (of 76) for England in One day Internationals, beating the previous effort held by Ben Hollioake and Darren Gough. He finished with 49, missing out on his half century when he got out to Jacob Oram off the last ball, hitting two 4s and two 6s along the way. Nixon also contributed with the bat in the 1st final against Australia with an unbeaten 11 from 10 balls as England won with 3 balls to spare.

Nixon first played at the start of the Commonwealth Series, starting in January 2007; a competition contested between Australia, New Zealand and England, with all games being played in Australia. The hosts and England made it through to the finals. This meant that of Nixon's first ten One Day International, six were against Australia. Nixon made an appearance with the bat in each match with a top score of 11 not out. The other five innings brought 0, 9, 4, 4 and 6 runs. This gave him an average of 6.8 against the one day champions. However, his keeping and banter from behind the stumps helped England to a series win. He caught eight Australian batsmen off a range of bowling, and helped run out Adam Gilchrist with Liam Plunkett in the third encounter between the two sides. Nixon was dismissed by Glenn McGrath, with what was the Australian bowler's last ball in cricket at the SCG. Australia were again the opposition for England in the third match of the Super Eight stage of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Australia ran out winners by 7 wickets, with Nixon hitting 8.

On 26 April 2007, Nixon was named as one of two wicket keepers (along with Matt Prior) in the 25 man performance squad for the summer series against the West Indies and India. Following his performances in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Nixon was rewarded with a place in the squad, ahead of the two keepers selected for the Ashes series: Geraint Jones and Chris Read. Chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said, "The wicket keeping position remains a competitive area – Paul Nixon and Matt Prior have been included in the squad but will be aware that they face strong competition from keepers outside of the squad." Inclusion in the squad gave Nixon the chance to extend his England career. Ultimately, Matt Prior was selected as wicket keeper for the First Test against the West Indies, despite Nixon contributing with the bat during the early stages of the season for Leicestershire. However, Nixon was selected as wicket keeper for the England Lions team facing the West Indies before the tourists' one day series against England. Nixon, along with a number of other players, saw the selection as an opportunity to push for a place in the senior squad. He said, "After the World Cup I thought I might not get another call up to be honest, especially with the change of management, and Matt Prior has done so well since he came in." In the end though for Nixon, he was not named in the squad for the series against the West Indies, as Prior kept his position.

In England's first 2007 Cricket World Cup match against New Zealand on 16 March 2007, he again shared a stand with Liam Plunkett – this time of 71 – to boost the total to 209. He ended the innings 42 not out, hitting five 4s having faced 41 balls. This stand turned out to be the best eighth wicket partnership in the whole of the competition. In New Zealand's reply, Nixon caught Lou Vincent off the bowling of James Anderson as the opener was dismissed for 0. Despite being 2–2 at one stage, the Kiwi's eventually won by 6 wickets, with Scott Styris and Jacob Oram both hitting unbeaten half centuries. On 18 March, England took on Canada and Nixon hit 23 off 8 balls, a knock which included four 4s and a 6 – a strike rate of just under 288. This helped his side accumulate 279. In their innings, Canada were chasing England's total well, when Nixon stumped Asif Mulla who was on 58, off the bowling of Ravi Bopara. A certain amount of momentum was lost as a result, as the Canadians succumbed to a 51 run defeat. Six days later, England beat Kenya by 7 wickets, although Nixon was not required to bat.

He announced that he would play his final game of professional cricket at Grace Road against Kent on 6 August 2011 in a T20 quarter final, which meant that should Leicestershire beat Kent and get into finals day he would play. Leicestershire got into finals day, with their highest ever T20 chase of 203 in 20 overs, which they managed in 19.2 overs, with Nixon scoring 31 runs from 17 deliveries. Leicestershire then went on to win the competition; firstly beating Lancashire in a super over eliminator, then beating Somerset by 18 runs in the final, meaning that Nixon got the winning end to his career. His retirement on 27 August 2011 marked the end of his 23 year career.