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.Major Teams from www.cricket-online.org 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.
Style and personality
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."Nixon on behind the stumps banter comment from www.guardian.co.uk
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.Declaration bowler scorecard from www.bbc.co.uk 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."Declaration bowling report from www.bbc.co.uk
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".Indian Cricket League from www.cricinfo.com 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.
County career
Nixon made his first-class debut in 1989Debut from www.cricketarchive.com 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.Career Best from www.cricketarchive.com
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 team.Appointment as One-day captain from www.bbc.co.uk In August 2007, it was announced that Nixon would be the new club captain for all competitions, after signing a three-year contract.Appointment as Club captain from www.bbc.co.uk
First Class Centuries
Nixon has eighteen first-class centuries to his name, with sixteen for Leicestershire and two for Kent. On only two occasions has his team lost after he has scored a century. The first time was whilst playing for Kent against Warwickshire in August 2002, where he hit 103 and then performed well as a keeper by taking three catches and making two stumpings, however Kent lost by 10 wickets.Kent v. Warwickshire scorecard from www.cricketarchive.com The second time was a 177 run loss playing for Leicestershire against Northamptonshire in September 2007, where he scored 110, and took four catches.Leicestershire v. Northamptonshire scorecard from www.bbc.co.uk
ForAgainstDateFormatResultScoreFirst Class Centuries from www.cricketarchive.comLeicestershireHampshireJune 19923-dayDraw107*LancashireJuly 19934-dayWon by an innings & 58 runs113*NorthamptonshireApril 19944-dayWon by 10 wickets106EssexJune/July 19944-dayWon by an innings & 49 runs115HampshireSeptember 19944-dayWon by 7 wickets131OxfordApril 19963-dayDraw100*LancashireMay 19964-dayDraw106DurhamSeptember 19964-dayWon by an innings & 251 runs103*GlamorganJune 19984-dayWon by 140 runs107*SurreySeptember 19984-dayWon by an innings & 211 runs101*EssexApril 19994-dayWon by an innings & 22 runs121KentHampshireAugust 20004-dayWon by 15 runs134*WarwickshireAugust 20024-dayLost by 10 wickets103LeicestershireKentApril 20034-dayDraw113GloucestershireAugust 20064-dayWon by 4 wickets103NorthamptonshireAugust 20064-dayDraw144*GlamorganJuly 20074-dayWon by 10 wickets126NorthamptonshireSeptember 20074-dayLost by 177 runs110 * denotes not out
List A career
Nixon played 197 List A matches for Leicestershire, before moving to Kent and making 65 appearances there. He returned to Leicestershire for the 2003 season, and continued to feature for them until the end of the 2011 season. Other List A outings have been for England A, First Class Counties Select XI, England XI, and England.
Nixon made his first List A fifty in his 37th match, against Nottinghamshire, hitting 60 in a 7 wicket loss.First List A Fifty scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk He hit his only hundred to date, against Sri Lanka A,First List A Hundred scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk before totalling 53 against the same opposition,Fifty v. Sri Lanka A scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk and 60 against Sri Lanka B.Fifty v. Sri Lanka B scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 96* followed against Kent,96* v. Kent scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk before hitting 51 against Ireland which would be his last fifty for 35 games.Fifty v. Ireland scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk
He had to wait another 35 matches for his next fifty, which came for Kent against Surrey,First Fifty for Kent scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk and went on to hit two more half centuries for the Spitfires. After returning to Leicestershire, he hit four fifties in his first nineteen games, but then had to wait forty-four matches for his next landmark innings. Three half centuries in the 2006 season followed, and his form continued for England over the winter, and then his domestic team in the 2007 season.
Nixon hit over 6000 List A runs, with landmarks being reached at various speeds along the way: 1000 runs, match 80, for Leicestershire against Sussex, in August 1994, making 14, and finishing the game with 1013 runs1000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 2000 runs, match 151, for Leicestershire against Warwickshire, in May 1998, making 36, and finishing the game with 2027 runs2000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 3000 runs, match 195, for Leicestershire against Essex, in August 1999, making 20*, and finishing the game with 3014 runs3000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 4000 runs, match 254, for Kent against Worcestershire, in July 2002, making 60, and finishing the game with 4002 runs4000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 5000 runs, match 306, for Leicestershire against Durham, in April 2005, making 29, and finishing the game with 5025 runs5000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk 6000 runs, match 360, for England against West Indies, in April 2007, making 38, and finishing the game with 6019 runs6000th List A run scorecard from www.cricketarchive.co.uk
List A Centuries
Despite scoring twenty eight half centuries in List A cricket, Nixon managed just one century, and this was for Leicestershire against the Sri Lanka A team. His highest score for the Foxes in domestic cricket is the 96* he made in May 1999 against Kent.Highest Domestic List A Score from www.cricketarchive.com
ForAgainstDateFormatResultScoreList A Centuries from www.cricketarchive.comLeicestershireSri Lanka AMarch 199950 oversLost by 2 runs101
Domestic Twenty20 career
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."Twenty20 Comment from www.bbc.co.uk
2003
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.Twenty20 Cup 2003 results from www.thetwenty20cup.co.uk
2004
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 teams 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 team 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.Twenty20 Cup 2004 results from www.thetwenty20cup.co.uk
2005
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 team 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.Twenty20 Cup 2005 results from www.thetwenty20cup.co.uk
2006
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 team 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 team 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 team to a 9 wicket win.