Veteran cricketers sought

VETERANS Cricket Victoria (VCV) is on the lookout for new players as the new season begins.

Although it is a game where everyone gets a hit, batters must retire at 40 and bouncers are a no-no, concessions to age are few.

The competition started with four teams playing in Victoria, but now there are now more than 60 active clubs with more than 1,200 players.

It fields teams graded over 40, over 50, over 60 and 70-plus. There is no over-80s competition yet, but given good health, VCV expects to see one in about five years’ time.

Players are a mix of those who stopped regular cricket in their thirties, those that have continued the summer ritual throughout their later years, and newcomers to the sport.

Turning to veterans cricket gives a new lease on your cricketing life as you again are playing against others in the same age profile.

The regular 40-over-a-side competition starts in October and runs until March.

Matches are played on Sundays, usually from 11am to 5pm, with a barbecue and chat after the game generally observed.

Players have varying levels of ability, from one long-retired Test player through to those who have never played cricket before.

Everyone gets a bat and a bowl – each team must use seven bowlers.

Boundary cones are set a little closer to the wicket than is usually the case, but there are no other restrictions except the player’s own physical limitations, which means it is rarely seen that batsmen run three.

Run-outs are contingent on fielders not fumbling the ball, so tend to be rare, and fielders cannot really be relied on to take catches – but if they do, the celebrations are lengthy.

While the players might lack the athletic ability of their salad days, and club matches are mostly light-hearted, the underlying competitive spirit remains.

VCV also participates in several national carnivals each season. These competitions allow players who in earlier times would never have dreamed of representing the Big V the chance to live their childhood cricketing fantasy.

Recently there has been a move to representative carnivals in age groups split by five years rather than 10 – over 50s, over 55s, over 60s, and so on – which gives a larger number of players the opportunity to represent their state.

The best players can go on to compete for Australia. A team recently returned from England after competing for the Grey Ashes.

But for many, the highlight is a week-long end-of-season carnival in Echuca, bringing together teams from across the state and beyond.

There exists a great future for veteran’s cricket, and the VCV is keen to continue to grow the sport and get more people involved.

For more information, email VCV secretary Craig Martyn at [email protected] and you will be put in touch with a local club.