WANDERERS’ CRICKET A SOCIAL HIGHLIGHT

The historical Army vs Wanderers cricket match took place recently.

The Wanderers’ Cricket Club’s first association with the NZ Army was to assist with reintegrating returning service men from World War Two.

First played during the 1946/1947 cricket season and continuing into the early 1980’s, the match was played semi-regularly before gradually fading away. In April 2021, headed by Brigadier Hugh McAslan and ex-test cricketer Evan Gray, the fixture saw a re-emergence coinciding with the Army’s 175th and Wanderers’ 75th anniversaries.

The Wanderers won the toss and chose to field first, putting the Army up to bat on an uncertain pitch and slow outfield which offered a challenging innings for the batsmen. After 40 overs the Army side scored 152 runs with 9 wickets lost, a decent score for the Wanderers to chase down. Due to some great catches from the Army side the Wanderers managed 116 runs all out. Overall it was a great day for both sides with the top players being Hewson (Wanderers) managing four wickets, and Parkinson (Wanderers) with 43 runs from 63 balls. A social night at the Officers Mess concluded the day and talk of continuing the annual match was paired with drinks and friendly banter. The Wanderers Cricket Clubs Charter is to promote the sport, with a current focus on supporting the growth of youth and women’s cricket.