WVC Summer Magazine 2013

WAIKATO VALLEY CRICKET MAGAZINE

Summer 2013

STAYING CONNECTED

Nicola Browne

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The day the Aussies came to town!

JIMINY CRICKET

WELCOME TO THE SECOND EDITION OF THE WAIKATO VALLEY CRICKET (WVC) MAGAZINE, WHERE WE ENDEAVOUR TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON ALL THAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN OUR ASSOCIATION.

Hi everyone

CONTENTS 1. CEO COMMENT Trevor Gill 2. YOUNG CRICKETERS ON PARADE 3. CAMBRIDGE GIRLS GO GLOBAL 4. MEET OUR NORTHERN SPIRIT RISING STARS Page 6.

It's been a busy summer of cricket so far. In our second edition of WVC, we have an exclusive interview with Waikato Valley's White Fern, Nicola Browne. We chat to her about un-retirement, World Cups and her favourite things about Waikato Valley.

Check out the photos from the Junior March Past, Cambridge Girls Mini World Cup, Junior rep tournaments and Senior cricket.

Jiminy is back with his thoughts on ‘bought vs bred’, the great debate over buying players to win championships, or breeding local talent to develop them for higher honours.

Also have a read of our "Stories from around the world" and the match report from the Australian Over 60's vs Cambridge Antiques game. A few sore hips and knees the next day but a great game had by all.

Thanks for reading our second edition of WVC. Share the link with your friends, family and teammates. All the best for the rest of the season.

Nicola Browne’s success is simple - she just wants to be the best!.

8. JUNIOR CRICKET REP CRICKET 10. WAIKATO VALLEY CRICKET SENIORS Page 12.

Cricket stories from around the world

Page15. Jiminy Cricket’s view on‘bought vs bred’

Yours in cricket,

Anna P.S. Tell us your cricket thoughts, share your stories or just ask a question. We’d love to hear from you and will publish letters to the Editor in the next issue.

Page 17.

They came, they played...

Congratulations to our two competition winners!

Keith Vincent has won himself a Gray Nicolls gear bag and Jaxyn Mihaka has won the GM prize pack!

facebook/waikatovalleycricket

Many thanks to Grant Bradburn Sports for donating the prizes, make sure check out their new website and just for telling them you saw their ad in WVC mag (pg 14) you’ll receive 10% off your next purchase!

FROM THE CEO

AS IS USUAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE ARE IN THE BUSIEST PART OF THE SEASON. I never cease to be amazed at what gets squeezed into the 24 weeks that make up the domestic cricket season.

The  ND Age Group tournaments all got played before Christmas.

Our teams were well prepared and competed well with the other five associations.

The best result was the WV Plains Primary Boys team that went through unbeaten. Congratulations to them.

The Secondary School Girls team only lost one match ( to Poverty bay) and finished second at their tournament.

A number of our age-group and senior players have achieved higher honours. Their names are mentioned in the magazine- congratulations to them.

We also acknowledge St Peters School Cambridge who won their way through to the Gillette Cup Tournament.

And don’t forget our loyal group of umpires. David Tidmarsh is doing an excellent job with his team of umpires. By next season we hope to formalise the group and have a WVCA Umpires and Scorers Association.

On behalf of WVCA I extend our best wishes to outgoing NDCA CEO David Cooper who is moving to a new role with NZ Cricket.

We thank David for his work with the associations and wish him well in his new role.

Craig Ross (High Performance Manager) also left NDCA just before Christmas. Craig, who we worked closely with for many years, has relocated to the Hawkes Bay where he is employed by Central Districts Cricket.

Waikato Valley Cricket 2012/13 Season

AWARDS NIGHT Mark this date: Saturday 5 April 6.30pm onwards Venue: Iguana Restrurant and Bar, 203 Victoria St, Hamilton (in the Garden Bar function room).

Special Guest speaker Dress: Smart

Until next time, Trevor M Gill Waikato Valley Cricket Assn (Inc)

The girls SMASHED their way into the record books...

...and a cricket bat to boot! White Fern and Spirit all-rounder Nicola Browne scored115 off 143 balls, including 12 fours and White Fern and Spirit opener Nat Dodd 106 not out from 150 balls, with the duo putting on a record-breaking 236 against Wellington Blaze at Mt Maunganui in December.

For more on Nicola check out her story on page 6.

$15 includes: Drink on arrival Silent Auction Platters of fingerfood Cash Bar Click here to book your ticket(s) office@wvca.co.nz with your name, number(s) of tickets required and a contact phone number.

By phone or visit in person during office hours: Phone 07 838 1311 Payment is cheque, or direct debit Page 1

Check out the Waikato Valley Primary Schools taking part in the Knights March Past!

Our young cricketers were given the chance to march around Seddon Park in the opening HRV Cup game along with the Knights mascot.

The children also received free tickets and a chance to get autographs and photos with the Northern Knights team.

Page 2

Cambridge Girls

Mini World Cup

Participating teams: Leamington Primary (South Africa) Cambridge Primary 1 (England) Cambridge Primary 2 (West Indies) Roto-O-Rangi School (Jamacia)

Well done to all the girls that participated in the Mini World Cup! Some great skills were on show and there are definitely some future stars in those schools.

Winners of the Mini World Cup were Jamacia (Roto-ORangi School), and the question we ask is: Can Jamaica...

DEFEND THEIR TITLE IN THE TERM 1 WORLD CUP? Stay tuned!

Page 3

Waikato Valley Cricket

RISING

STARS

Three of the best: local girls Brooke, Emma and Alisha have all been selected for the Northern Spirit and they share with us some of their history, hopes and humour!

BROOKE KIRKBRIDE: Bowler right-arm medium /Right-hand bat

ALISHA ROUT: Right arm bowler / Right hand bat

Top wicket taker in the domestic T20 competition, Brooke is now seen as an attacking bowling option in the Spirit side.

Alisha’s debut for the Spirit saw her facing competition heavyweights Canterbury and for her this was a huge step up from any other cricket she had played.

From club cricket in Cambridge to men’s cricket for Melville, has your change your game changed? Melville have been great to me coming into the team and it really helped me with being more precise with the line I was bowling. Too straight and I would get smashed through the leg side, I’m now more accurate with line and length.

What did you take from being in the NZ Emerging players team against a very strong Australian A side in Sydney?

Playing 4 games of quality cricket against such a strong team really set me up for a successful domestic season back in NZ. This was my first overseas tour and having those resources in one place was awesome.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS: Favourite ground? Cobham Oval Hardest domestic opposition? Wellington Most exciting game? Cambridge High first XI final. Defended 120. I got 4 wickets including the final wicket.

Fav quote? ‘Great players don’t have confidence, they have courage’ - John Parker HRV Cup or Big Bash? HRV Cup You wouldn’t know it but I’m really good at...puzzles!

Page 4

How did it feel to get your first wicket in your first game? Getting a wicket in my first game gave me a real buzz. It was even better that it was the wicket of White Fern Erin Bermingham!

Playing in your first Under 21 tournament, how different was the level compared with first class Cricket? It was a really good experience and I learned so much while I was there but the cricket wasn’t as intense as first-class cricket.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS: Favourite ground? Cobham Oval.

Hardest domestic opposition? Hamilton.

Most exciting game you’ve played?

Spirits win against Canterbury.

Favourite quote? Never give up Believe in yourself.

HRV Cup or Big Bash? HRV Cup. You wouldn’t know it but I’m really good at... Milking cows and Badminton.

EMMA PARKER: Right hand bat After only a few years of cricket, Emma chose in 2011 to see how good she could be, instead of settling for playing cricket socially.

For your debut for the Spirit, were you nervous? I was so excited on the trip to Whangarei, but when we got there and gear was handed out I started to get ‘butterflies’. I was 12th man for the T20 so I could fully take in the game situation.

Playing for Spirit the first time I was so nervous, I remember thinking ‘I feel like I am going to be sick!’

How much of an influence has your Dad been in your game? Dad has taught me everything; I have also learned heaps from watching the batting styles of some of the players Dad has coached.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS: Favourite ground? Kaipaki Hardest domestic/district opposition?

Bay of Plenty Most exciting game you’ve played?

Waikato Valley vs Hamilton, Kaipaki 2012 Favourite quote? To become a great player you don’t need confidence, you need courage.

HRV Cup or Big Bash? Big Bash You wouldn’t know it but I’m really good at...Music.

NICOLA BROWNE has been described as the world's top international female cricketer after being named player of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup. With a wealth of playing experience behind her, this Waikato all-rounder is excited about her future in both the domestic and international game.

And whenever Nicola steps out for either team, her aim is to be...

“the best bowler and the Nicola spoke with us prior to her departure for the One Day World Cup in India

After retiring in 2011, what was it like coming back into the White Ferns for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka?

The environment itself was exactly the same as I had only missed one tour and had played the domestic season. But personally I was a lot different, I had restored energy and a better balance in life with working full time in a challenging and rewarding role. I thoroughly enjoyed coming back and playing as cricket didn’t have such a big hold on me and was able to play with more freedom.

Page Page 46

What was the teams preparation like for the tour?

It was the best ever, starting with two winter camps putting game plans in place and simulating Sri Lankan conditions with different material being used in the nets.

We bowled on dirt and softer carpet that held the ball up slightly. We were fortunate to have Shane Bond as bowling coach who directed us to change our normal 3-4 line to more of a middle and off line with the decks being slower and variation of bounce. We also learned how to concentrate in heat by attending bickram yoga courses 90 minutes of yoga in 40 degree heat! The best training opportunity was a 10 day training camp in Sri Lanka along with the Australian team. Daily training, warm up matches against Sri Lanka and Australia and a boys team meant we were able to cement game plans. I suffered a side strain missing most of the camp but was able to gain a great deal of insight by watching different players whose games were similar to mine.

Looking to the future, what are your personal goals for your game both in NZ and overseas?

For me I have accrued a lot of individual accolades now and my focus is on gold medals. That means being the best player I can be consistently and then helping others achieve the same, or in some instances they help you. Especially the younger ones who drive you with the energy and passion.

You can follow Nicola on Twitter: njbrowne

best best batter batter in the in the game.” game.”

What can we expect from the White Ferns at the 50 Over World Cup in India?

We have a new coach, Katrina Keenan, an ex White Fern who was part of the World Cup winning team in 2001 and she is very passionate and focuses in on players strengths. The World Cup is the pinnacle of the women's game in a country crazy about cricket.

We’ve had a great domestic season so you can expect some great individual performances, we go in ranked behind Australia and England but know we have the skills to beat them. You can expect a top three finish minimum, and the belief that we can win it!

You’ve recently been diagnosed with Coeliac’s* Disease, how has this effected your game, being on tour and your life outside of cricket?

Following diagnosis I now have more energy than ever and I’m a much happier person and don’t get as anxious. This goes for all aspects of my life. The challenge is to find enough of the right kind of food to eat. I am spending a lot more time in the kitchen in 2013 and am experimenting which has been fun...with a few fails along the way!

Going on this tour I’m leaving a bat and some clothes behind so I can take my chilly bin of food. *Coeliac’s Disease - an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine

What do you enjoy about playing for your home club Waikato Valley?

This season we had two more Valley players, Emma Parker and Alisha Rout, who made their debut into the Northern Spirit team. There is now a total of 4 of us in the team.

It’s awesome seeing young talent come through and being able to play with them at association level. Both Alisha and Emma did very well this season and should be proud of themselves and hungry to train even harder to retain their place.

We are starting to produce a greater pool of play ers in ND and there is competition for spots. It will come down to who shows more commitment to training and preparation and therefore performs more consistently.

Snaps from Sri lanka Top: Beautiful beach in Galle, down south Sri Lanka.

Right: Having HUGE fun with a nervous looking Felicity Leydon-Davis in the drivers seat.

Nicola’s advice for girls wanting to play cricket:

Give all sports a go - including cricket. And do everything in cricket: bat, bowl and wicket keep. Enjoy the friends you make and playing outdoors.

For me cricket grabbed me for three reasons: 1. It was the sport that challenged me the most in terms of learning the skills,.

2. Cricket provided great opportunities in terms of travel.

3. I enjoyed playing a team sport and could also succeed as an individual by putting in the hard work.

WAIKATO VALLEY REP CRICKET ROUND UP

WAIKATO VALLEY JUNIOR CRICKET

Below: Junior Secondary South playing Poverty Bay

ANOTHER REP SEASON HAS COME AND GONE, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GREAT INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCES OVER ALL THE AGE GROUPS.

Above: Junior Secondary South team TWO STANDOUT TEAM performances was the Primary Boys Plains team who went through their tournament undefeated.

The other standout was the Secondary Girls team that due to the final day being washout, came second in the secondary girls tournament. Had they played they most certainly would have given Hamilton a run for their money.

In the Junior Boys we had a hattrick by Souths fast bowler Jackson Morgan. Well done to all players that were selected and represented Waikato Valley.

page 8

Junior Secondary Plains team

Congratulations

to the following players selected in Northern District Age Group teams: U16 Boys: Brandon Weal, Zac Gibson, Danyn Stewart Junior Secondary Girls: Emma Parker, Sam Hickey, Tiffani Hickey, Katie Foulkes

Cricket is the fun way for girls to stay fit and have loads of fun too!

GoGirl Cricket is a pilot scheme which puts in place dedicated GoGirl Cricket Officers within each District Association across the country. These officers will target Primary, Intermediate and Secondary school girls. GoGirl is a tailor-made 5/6 week programme which is run during or after school.

Waikato Valley's GoGirl Officer Kerry Tomlinson, is out in schools taking sessions with girls in lead up to the GoGirl Cup!

U19 Boys: Tim Seifert, Sam Cooper Senior Secondary Girls: Alisha Rout, Sarah Laing.

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19 VETERINARY CLINICS

THE WAIKATO VALLEY MENS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF NORTHERN KNIGHT ANURAG VERMA AS THEIR MARQUEE PLAYER THIS SEASON.

WAIKATO VALLEY SENIOR CRICKET WAIKATO VALLEY were very fortunate to have Anurag for most of the season after his fantastic bowling performance for the Knights in the Plunket Shield against Auckland taking 7 for 82.

This young side have had some close games against some polished opposition but alas have not had a win yet. In spite of this there are signs of some great things to come with record partnerships being made and record wickets being taken.

The race to 1000 runs for Waikato Valley is on with Kieth Vincent on 862, Leighton Parsons on 859, and Fraser Kilgour trailling on 711.

Morrinsville's Jeremy Rout has equalled the most wickets in a season for a Valley player in the Brian Dunning Cup which is 10.

Page 10

WAIKATO VALLEY WOMENS CRICKET Senior Club Cricket: Results from the Pre-Christmas Competitions.

Hinuera A have struck again taking out the Mike Cotter Cup (North Comp). Hinuera won 5 out of their 7 games to claim top spot on the points table, then beating Te Aroha convincingly in the final. Can the legacy continue with the Champions Trophy?

In the Peter Bennett Cup (South Comp) there was a tussle for top spot as coming into the final rounds, there were four teams all a win away from taking out the trophy.

But the cricket gods smiled on the Camridge team as they managed to win the last two crucial rounds to secure the Peter Bennett Cup.

Waikato Valley Women pose after their win against Hamilton.

Winners are grinners! Waikato Valley Senior Womens team have secured their first win of the season against formidable Hamilton.

Batting first, Valley put on 186 for two with standout performances from Brooke Halliday (50), Emma Parker (44) and Helen Bastion (44). In reply Hamilton could only muster a tiny total of 56 all out, with Sarah Laing being the Valley's star bowler taking 5 for 16.

CRICKET STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

THE CARIBBEAN ASHES Trinidad and Guyana have produced many a talent for West Indies

By Roger Sawh, Canada ONE OF THE MOST important aspects of international cricket is the fact that countries, rather than franchises, go head to head on such a regular basis. Unlike the Yankees v Red Sox, Celtics vs Lakers or Barcelona v Real Madrid, the national representation structure of cricket (not the world of franchise cricket in T20s) lends regular matches and series the feeling of a quasi-war. There are some rivalries that are so spirited and historically significant that their manifestation in cricket is quite fierce – India and Pakistan, Australia and England and anyone and England (the colonial masters). On a slightly smaller scale, there's one rivalry within the Caribbean nexus that is big and is only getting bigger – Guyana v Trinidad.

This rivalry is spurred on by a shared history and a similar socio-cultural andeconomic reality.

A quieter and purer game

By Vidya Hariharan, India The women's game has more camaraderie, and less commerce.

In a nutshell, it's like two siblings fighting. On the face of things, Trinidad and Guyana have much alike – they're the only two countries to have large Indo-ancestral roots alongside Afroancestral ones, which has led to the creation of cultures that appreciate curries as much as calypso. Hinduism and Islam exist alongside Christianity.

The small differences act as springboards for ‘difference’ – Guyanese say 'chicken curry' while Trinis say 'curry chicken', Trinis like to 'fete' while Guyanese like to 'sport'.

Besides linguistic differences, there are claims over who does things better, who has had more success, or even who is the smarter one – as I said, a real sibling rivalry!

STAR CRICKET’S INTERESTING ad campaign and a certain sense of gender-based guilt has got me watching the women’s World Cup. I’m, “a rabid cricket fan” – meaning I will watch any match, anytime, anywhere.

There is something about watching tall, lanky, lithe women, with flowing hair held back by headbands, display aggression – makes for compelling viewing. There’s not enough power. If you’ve been weaned on a steady diet of the male version of the game you do miss that. Strikes don’t go as far, the ball is not attacked as much and throws from the deep don’t make it back as quickly. That throws your viewing judgment off – hits don’t go to the boundary – even at Brabourne which has a decently fast outfield – and throws come back slower – so they run more runs than you expect.

Page 12

Loved Mark Butcher's pitch report – when he said - “The girls play as intensely but are a lot lighter – so as you can see, the pitch is in beautiful shape, even though we had a game yesterday!” The shapes are more interesting. Not as muscle-bound. More grace.

Men – if you will excuse my bluntness – all look the same! So once the helmet is on – there’s not much to see. With the women – this is not the case. They remind me of the shape of the athletes in the eighties who used to play – before the gym and the bulk and the protein shakes all became mandatory.

World’s two fastest men – Bolt and Blake are bowled over by cricket Courtesy of Crincinfo.com

THE WORLD’S TOP TWO FASTEST MEN, Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake – the winners of gold and silver medals respectively in the 2012 Olympics in the 100 and 200 metre sprints – have expressed their desire to play Twenty20 cricket.

Blake, who finished second in men’s 100-metre dash in London, had grown up to “love cricket even more than track and field” and that he is extremely interested in playing in the Indian Premier League.

Blake has asked his agent to get him a try out with the Mumbai Indians and the [Royal Challengers] Bangalore because of West Indian, Chris Gayle. “I think I can be one of the fastest bowlers in the world,” claims the second fastest man in the world.

“I want to show you that I am better at cricket than running! I am a really talented batsman. I am a T20 batsman. You guys need to see me in action.

I am a bowling machine that can bat all day. I have played some cricket...that's my love, that's my passion, every day I watch cricket,” Blake said with the enthusiasm of a kid.

Meanwhile, Blake’s legendary fellow Jamaican sprinter, Bolt is seriously considering playing in Australia’s Big Bash League, the top two teams from which qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.

Bolt played junior cricket as a fast bowler and surprisingly once clean bowled Chris Gayle in a charity match in Jamaica in 2009. During the 2012 Games, Bolt confirmed his intention to take time off from the track to play T20 cricket professionally.

“Twenty20, I love it. Just the fact that it is so exciting, it's about going hard the whole time, not just about playing shots. It's about being aggressive and I like that style of batsman. If I get the chance I will definitely try because I know it's going to be a lot of fun. I don't know how good I am. I will probably have to get a lot of practice in,” Bolt enthused.

The 22-year-old Blake might be second best to Bolt on the track. But when it comes to cricket, Blake says he is better: “Of course, I can beat Bolt at cricket.” The very idea of the two kings of the track sprinting towards the likes of Gayle, Tendulkar or Sehwag with the cricket ball in their hand gets the adrenaline rushing. Blake, has already announced an open challenge to some of the best batsmen in the world. ”I can even [bowl] out Sachin, you know, and Virender Sehwag. So, I know what I can do.”

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JIMINY CRICKET STOP PRESS

Bred or bought?

SO THE HRV CLOSES, with the Otago Volts winning the silverware. I think we can all agree – they deserve it. The streak they went on was phenomenal, and they were the best team out there. The Volts were served very well by imports (well one to be precise), and it raises the interesting debate of bred vs bought.

It’s a fine juggling act for districts around the country – buy the best talent to win, or develop the young guns for higher honours. Much more than that though, it’s securing the services of a top gun.

Let’s look at some great import buys over time –

Ryan ten Doeschate

He’s slowing working his way around the country turning out for different teams in the HRV cup. Quite simply – one of the best T20 guys going around. With the Netherlands virtually not playing international cricket, he’s normally good for the duration of a tournament. Not only a master blaster, he’s a more than capable bowler, making his skill set invaluable to any team. One of the big reasons the Volts won the HRV cup.

Graeme Hick

Casually set the ND batting record (recently broken by Daniel Flynn) for most centuries for a province. He averaged 63.61 in his first season of first class cricket, and an amazing 94.46 in his second. He scored a first-class record 173 runs in the session between tea and the close of play against Auckland.

Andre Adams

Okay, I’m sort of cheating here. Adams is technically an import, based on the fact he currently plays County Cricket under his English passport (he is an English citizen). He is still plying his trade for Nottinghamshire in the county scene, he takes a bucketload of wickets with his accurate bowling. His presence in the locker room is immense, having played the first class game for over 15 years. More than handy with the bat, he will forever be remembered as the man who hit 12 off the last ball to beat ND in a T20 match.

Kyle Jarvis

The unknown Zimbabwean hung around after the tour of NZ and teamed up with Central Districts. At a time when their stocks were depleted with injuries and form, Jarvis took an incredible 34 wickets at an average of 21.06. He finished 5th on the wicket taking charts, and bowled around about half the overs that leading wicket taker Neil Wagner did, yet was only 12 wickets behind him. Jarvis is hoping on returning again in the future.

Steven Croft The “perfect” import. A power-hitting batsman who cashes in when he’s set, a tidy bowling option, and one of the best fielders going around. The Knights picked up the Englishman for the duration of the HRV cup, and he responded scoring 326 runs at an average of 40.75, and taking a few wickets at an average of 24.00. A couple of match-winning knocks, and some incredible outfield takes made him the buy of the tournament, smart business decision.

Azhar Mahmood Just the typical professional. Best bowler in the team, best batsman in the team, quite simply brutal. The Aces owe him a large chunk of the money they earned from the T20 champions league – he was just pure class.And when there is good, there’s always bad – Phil Mustard Credit to the guy, he’s a funny bloke. He was bought in to score runs, which he did once (97*), his other 71 runs came in 9 innings. Not pretty reading. So much so, he was dropped as the crunch time finals loomed for Auckland.

Brett Lee (Firebirds, 2010) A tremendous competitor, and a speed demon in his day. Sadly, he thought he was 10-15kph quicker than he actually was. The result wasn’t pretty for his figures, and he got carted to all corners.

Not a good look when you sign a guy to hurry up and intimidate bowlers, and he is just a run feeding machine. To his credit, he’s come back a smarter bowler now.

Yasir Arafat It’s not ideal when you sign a guy to lead your bowling attack, and he gets hit for 8’s an over. And with a highest score of 4 from 10 innings, I think the less said the better. I don’t think we will see Arafat back anytime soon for Canterbury.

Yours in cricket,

- Jiminy

LIMITED

Phone Bruce Kirkbride 0214 90 1170 Page 13

The day the Aussies came to town Australian Over 60s New Zealand Tour.

Match 8. Thursday 8 February 2013 The Australian Over 60s vs Cambridge Antiques at Victoria Square, Cambridge - JOHN FRYER WE LEFT HAMILTON at 8.30am accompanied by Captain Garry Webb and Gordon Calder of the Cambridge Antiques for a tour of the famous Cambridge Stud, home to several stallions of fine repute and about 140 brood mares. We were explained in close detail the ‘ins and outs’ of horse breeding and foal delivery. The tour concluded with a look at stallions Tavistock and the famous Zabeel. These horses “stand” at the stud for up to $200,000, while one WAG noted that her husband just stood around for nothing! Frivolities over, we drove in convoy (an achievement) to Victoria Square, a delightful cricket pitch next to the town square in the true English village tradition. After a pleasant light lunch upstairs in the pavilion, Stirling Hamman won the toss and Australia elected to bowl in conditions that became very hot as the day progressed.

A WAG Moment WAGs Stephanie Howes, Carmen Harrison, Margaret Fryer and Helene Axelby photographed by Dawn Paterson at St. Paul’s Collegiate School, Hamilton on 7 February 2013

LIGHTER MOMENT It is easy to discover which players are on tour without a WAG. After the first game when it was essential to shower at the ground and change into good shirt, trousers, tie and blazer for the dinner, a few players discovered a distinct shortage of fresh underwear in their kit bag. It is rumoured they travelled to the dinner ‘commando-style’ rather than put their soggies back on...

Prior to the tour an entertaining article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald titled: “Veteran cricketers on tough tour of Shaky Isles.” Click here to read the story.

MATCH REPORT:

The game was one of 45 overs with 12 players, 11 on the field at once, retirement at 30 with ‘recycling’ (an appropriate description for Over 60s), and a bowling maximum of 7 overs. Cambridge Antiques started confidently enough against Colin Cooke and Brian Kratzmann, but Brian then turned on an inspired early spell to take 3 for 5 off 5 overs and have the Antiques reeling at 3 for 10.

A former nemesis of previous Australian touring teams, Gavin Chatfield (the batting brother of New Zealand cricketing bowling legend Ewan Chatfield) was still at the crease. He steadied the innings and batted beautifully to retire at 30 not out. Other Antiques came and went, often with a flurry of cross-bat strokes for 4, until captain Garry Webb also compiled a neat 30 not out. The return of Gavin Chatfield and Gary Webb sent shivers down the backs of the fielders in anticipation of what may develop. Ross Chapman (2-12 off 3.1 overs), bowling his right-arm medium-paced off-breaks around the wicket, then ended the Cambridge innings. Gavin Chatfied cut one back onto his off-stump with his tally on 33 and the Antiques were dismissed for 145 in 36 overs.

Other good bowling for Australia came from Colin Cooke (0 for 22 off 5 overs), Tony Paterson (0-32 off 4), Stirling Hamman (2-23 off 7), Derek Grove (0-26 off 5) and Denis Axelby (3-21 off 6). The highlight of the sound fielding performance was a very low running catch by Peter Harrison. He made what seemed an impossible attempt look easy and was later duly recognised as Australia’s man-of-the-match for that catch.

Australia Over 60s began their innings after a nice afternoon tea, with Chris Tobin (23) and Peter Harrison taking the score to 30 before Chris edged one behind. Peter Harrison (6) followed Chris back to the pavilion soon after with the score on 2 for 36. Tour Captain Stirling Hamman joined Manager Ross Chapman at the crease. They pushed the score quickly to 77 when Ross had to retire at 31 not out. Rob Haling joined Stirling but the bowling tightened and the run rate was strangled until the 32nd over when the shackles were broken. Stirling retired with the score on 2 for 122. Brian Kratzmann (16 n.o) joined Rob Haling but Rob was dismissed shortly afterwards for 22. Gill Chapman remained not out on 8 and Australia passed the required total in the 42nd over with the score at 3-146.

The Australian Over 60s and Cambridge Antiques Victoria Square, Cambridge on 8 February 2013.

A HIGHLIGHT of the day was the singing of both national anthems by local school girls prior to the start of the match. They were so good, Captain Stirling Hamman invited them back to perform some more popular songs after the game, where they accompanied themselves on guitar. Unfortunately their singing was so good, it was infectious and a rousing rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ was performed by the entire Australian team, perhaps to the annoyance of local residents, but also to the amusement of the Cambridge Antiques.

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