Postcard from Downunder

Hi All

Inaugural Over 50s Cricket World Cup - Sydney

Hope you're ok back there in Nottingham , County Championship fixtures out soon so the planning can start . I bet you can't wait for The Hundred mate what a joke. Hope you're ok too Nev an umpire I bumped into at Hurstville remembered you , he's with the Middlesex league but sorry I can't recall his name.  All fine here . Am keeping busy umpiring school matches and Sydney Grade Women's Competition on Sundays.

  

Anyway I wanted to let you all know what's happening here with the Over 50s Cricket World Cup.  

All the information about the World Cup can be found either via:

Facebook page - Over- 50s Cricket World Cup

or

veteranscricketaustralia.com.au

Over 50s>DRAG> My Cricket>DRAG> Matches>DRAG> Fixture CLICK> Over 50s World Cup - Click on arrow for scorecards

All the fixtures, results and scorecards are there. Have a look at the excellent brochure they produced.

The matches are all 45 overs per side. Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Pakistan , Canada and Sri Lanka are participating countries.

The competition has been organised solely by unpaid cricket loving volunteers . The logistics and arrangements required here and internationally in bringing together 8 countries to compete with all that involves is pretty amazing. The lead organiser is Stirling Hamman of Sydney whose dedication to veterans cricket here for many years is exemplary. In Australia veterans or seniors cricket as it's sometimes referred to has grown greatly in recent years. There are Over 50s, Over 60s and indeed Over 70s competitions including "Ashes" Tests , Middlesex and MCC friend David Silverman having watched one of the latter in England.

Similarly in England there is a County structure now. In the 2018 Over 50s competition Yorkshire defeated Leicestershire in the final.  In other countries veterans cricket is in an earlier growth phase but the key ingredients of enthusiasm and commitment are there. More and more older cricketers who thought their days were over are realising that there's a whole new competitive cricket structure developing.

Certain changes for the next World Cup might be considered [likely to be in Cape Town in 2020] a key one being clothing. A dispensing of the coloured clothing and pink ball used here seems sensible. It is expensive for these cricketers to fork out for the coloured clothing on top of all their other costs. The wearing of whites and playing with a red ball seems obvious and logical . There is some sponsorship which lessens expenses  but  in a sense thankfully nothing like the sponsorship and commercialisation in cricket. One special treat in watching the cricket at this competition so far is the complete absence of noise other than conversation and the sounds from the cricket field itself. No booming PA , no interludes of rock, pop or adverts ….bliss.

On Wednesday I went to Hurstville Oval to watch England's opening game v. Sri Lanka. Hurstville Oval is legendary. St Georges CC play there and Bradman and Lindwall are just two wonderful former players who entertained the watching public there in the day. Sri Lanka won the toss on a cloudy morning and elected to bat. They struggled to 102 all out. The pick of the bowlers was Yorkshireman Steve Forster with 6 for 17. His skiddy, accurate medium pace deliveries causing real problems for all the batsmen.  England had the jitters at 31 for 4 in their reply. However, that man Forster excelled with 43 not out to help steer England home at 103 for 5. Other highlights on the opening day was Wales narrowly beating South Africa whilst Pakistan and Australia defeated NZ and Canada respectively.

Yesterday saw me at the lovely Oval at Jubilee Park in Glebe where England played South Africa. I used the new light rail line from Central station to Jubilee Park. The ground itself is surrounded by fig and palm trees and is scenically very attractive. You can if you walk to the edge of the park to the right of the pavilion obtain views of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Jubilee Oval hosts Shires cricket which is one step in standard down from Sydney Grade.

The toss was won by England who inserted South Africa amongst whose team was "the Beast" a truly huge man who resembled one of those massive Springbok forwards. SA  notched 147 all out which looked about 50 under par on a good track. England bowled and caught very well also were much fitter than the South African side. This clearly showed in the respective fielding performances. Again Forster impressed [ what a cracking player this bloke is] picking up a couple of wickets and scoring a brisk 34 runs. He has played for England Amateurs and ECB XIs. England won comfortably by 6 wickets with Essex man Brathwaite hitting a fine 57 not out.  Australia beat NZ , Sri Lanka defeated Canada and Wales lost against Pakistan in the other three matches played yesterday.

  

Sunday sees a meeting between Australia and England at Manly Oval. I will be umpiring a Women's fixture at Asquith but aim to watch England v. Canada at Mosman on Monday. Teams are resting up to-day and to-morrow when the club venues being used in this World Cup competition return to Grade and Shires cricket.

Have a good weekend all..

cheers

Andy M