Alan Kippax (5 February 1900 – 15 February 1972) was an Australian cricketer who played as a right‑handed batsman for New South Wales and the Australian national team during the 1920s and 1930s. He is noted for his elegant stroke play, particularly his cover drives, and for being a leading figure in Australian domestic cricket.
Early life and education
Alan Geoffrey Kippax was born in Sydney, New South Wales. He attended Sydney Grammar School, where he first displayed cricketing talent, representing the school’s First XI.
Domestic career
Kippax made his first‑class debut for New South Wales in the 1919/20 season. Over a career spanning more than a decade, he played 61 first‑class matches, scoring 3,798 runs at an average of 38.55, which included eight centuries and twenty half‑centuries. His highest score, 253 not out, came against Queensland in the 1931/32 season.
He captained New South Wales on several occasions and was a regular member of a dominant New South Wales side that won multiple Sheffield Shield titles during the 1920s and early 1930s.
International career
Kippax’s international appearances were limited. He played in one Test match for Australia, the Fourth Test of the 1930 Ashes series at The Oval, London. In that match he scored 23 runs in his only innings. Despite a brief Test career, he was selected for the 1930 Australian tour of England as a reserve batsman, and he participated in many tour matches, contributing effectively in the first‑class fixtures.
Playing style
Contemporary reports described Kippax as an elegant and technically proficient batsman, excelling in front‑foot play and with a particular strength on the off side. His cover drives were frequently highlighted as exemplary.
Later life and legacy
After retiring from first‑class cricket in 1934, Kippax remained involved in the sport as a selector for New South Wales and as a cricket administrator. He also pursued a career in business, working in the financial sector in Sydney.
Alan Kippax died on 15 February 1972 in Sydney. He is remembered as one of the leading batsmen of his era in Australian domestic cricket, and his contributions are recorded in the histories of New South Wales cricket and early 20th‑century Australian cricket.