Alan Hitchcox

Alan Hitchcox
Personal information
Full name
Robert Alan Hitchcox
Born (1938-05-14) 14 May 1938
North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1958–59 to 1959–60South Australia
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 11
Runs scored 148
Batting average 11.38
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 63
Balls bowled 2,544
Wickets 37
Bowling average 29.43
5 wickets in innings 2
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/71
Catches/stumpings 7/0
Source: Cricinfo, 17 April 2025

Robert Alan Hitchcox (born 14 May 1938) is a former Australian cricketer. He played in eleven first-class matches for South Australia between 1958 and 1960.[1]

A right-arm fast-medium bowler, Hitchcox's best first-class bowling figures were 6 for 71 for South Australia against Queensland in the 1958–59 Sheffield Shield.[2]

Hitchcox was one of several Australian bowlers at the time whose actions were widely considered to be suspect,[3][4] although he was never no-balled for throwing.[5] He tried to amend his action to make it more acceptable, but lost form as a consequence. He continued to play in the Adelaide competition, but retired in the mid-1960s after continued unfavourable reports on his action from rival captains.[5]

Hitchcox worked for 25 years in the composing room of the Adelaide Advertiser before moving to Victor Harbor in the 1980s to work on the local paper, the Times.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Alan Hitchcox". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  2. ^ "South Australia v Queensland 1958-59". Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. ^ Gideon Haigh, The Summer Game, Text, Melbourne, 1997, p. 176.
  4. ^ Jack Pollard, Australian Cricket: The Game and the Players, Hodder & Stoughton, Sydney, 1982, p. 988.
  5. ^ a b c "Alan looks back at cricket career". Times: 11. 9 May 1990.