Sub Parks speed machine beating illness and the bat
QUEENSLAND Country representative paceman Justin Dixon has conquered bowel disease to be crowned the best grassroots bowler in the state after a poll of cricketers across every region.
The leading wicket-taker in Townsville cricket this season took home a best-in-state 9 per cent of the popular vote to win the honour, four years after a health scare forced him to give the game away for nearly a year.
His illness is in the past but is always present, and scuttled any hope he once held of moving away from his family support system to chance his arm in Brisbane’s grade cricket competition.
Instead the seamer has ruled the roost in North Queensland, scalping 39 batters in 13 matches at an average of 11.67 this season.
Dixon was surprised to win the honour as Queensland’s top bowling force because he had tried his best to keep his nomination quiet.
“I didn’t tell my mates to vote for me so I thought someone else would win,” the Charters Towers product admitted.
Votes from both Townsville’s cricketers and those he had terrorised in representative fixtures against other regions carried him to the title.
Dixon said he was honoured to be voted the best from a field of 79 talents across every region in Queensland but trophies and accolades were not the reason he played the game.
Dixon spent 10 months on the sidelines in 2018 fighting bowel disease and now plays purely for the friendships he has forged at Sub Parks and his love for the game.
“That’s probably the main reason I play, just for the enjoyment factor and playing with mates,” Dixon said.
“All the other stuff like trophies, they’re always good as well but just enjoying it, that produces wins if you’re happy as a team. That’s when you’re playing at your best.”
Dixon and his Sub Parks teammates can deal Wests a decisive blow in the race for the Townsville A Grade minor premiership at Endeavour Park on Saturday.
The sides are neck-and-neck on the ladder with three days of play remaining in the regular season.
Dixon took 3-30 from 13 overs last week to dismiss Wests for 126.
An early collapse with the bat has left his side at 5-76 with all day to chase the final 51 runs for victory. Dixon is next in.
“Tomorrow is going to be very important on who gets into the grand final,” he said.
“It’s going to be a big first hour and whoever wins that will probably take the match.
“Hopefully we get off to a good start because it’s going to be hot. If we can dig in early, it’ll get easier as the day gets on.”
Brothers are well on top against Wanderers while Norths have the day off after rolling Beaches.