Australian Over 70s Cricket Tour of England 2018

The Australian Over 70s team that toured England for five weeks in 2018 consisted of eighteen players representing all Australian states.

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Back row L to R: Tom Wood (NSW), Bruce Pooley (Vic), Phil Smith (NSW), Ian A Gibson (Vic), John Stackpoole (Qld), Alan Reid (SA), John Costello (Vic), Roger Edmunds (Tas), Tim Spear (Vic), Wavell McPherson (Vic)
Front row L to R: John Terrell (WA), Ron Kasputtis (Vic), Ian B Gibson (Vic), Lindsay Fisher Vic - team manager), Ian Petherick (Qld - captain), Stirling Hamman (NSW - vice-captain), Colin Cooke, Harry Solomons (NSW), Robin Court (Vic).

There were seven WAGs supporting the players on the tour. L to R: Vicki Court, Helen Gibson, June Thornhill, Margaret Smith, Ann Edmunds, Shirley McPherson and Patricia Costello.

The tour started on 27 July when we arrived in London with the final ODI on 27 August. We returned home the following day though some of the group remained in Europe for another week or two.

Thirteen matches were played during the tour - nine County Games and four ODIs.

Having the opportunity to represent Australia playing cricket in England is something many cricketers dream of. I am sure that twenty years ago none of the players in this squad envisioned that they would have the opportunity to do so once they had reached the age of 70. To be healthy and fit enough at 70 plus to be able to play a high standard of the game that they enjoy and have played for years is definitely an achievement to be celebrated.

There were many highlights on this tour. Australia won eight of the nine county games and the game they lost was short by one run. On this tour the first over 70s ODI match Australia versus Wales was played, which Australia won, and it is hoped that this will become a regular fixture on future tours. There were also three closely fought ODIs against England with England winning the Silver Ashes on this occasion two games to one. Next time ...

What really stood out on the tour was the camaraderie and good will among all the players and supporters we met. The hospitality received was excellent. As we travelled around southern UK we often met the same people, especially those playing in the ODIs, and friendships were formed. At least one county team is considering making a trip to Australia in the future and regular tours by the Australian and England over 70s team will continue.

Each player would have had personal highlights from the tour. For Robin playing an ODI against England, an ODI against Wales (the country where his parents were born) plus a game against Worcestershire (the county where he was born) were special events.

Of course there was more than cricket on the tour. The trip to England also provided the chance to explore. Towns, villages and cities we visited included Waltham Abbey,  Chelmsford, Tring, Maldon, Cambridge, Kings Lynn, Fackenham, Stratford upon Avon, Warwick, Banbury, Nottingham, Pershore, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Moreton Pinkney, Dorridge, Bibury, Cirencester,  Abergavenny, Crawley, Horsham, Chichester, Middleton on Sea, Canterbury, Maidstone, Cobham, Tunbridge Wells, Horsley, Windsor, Sutton.

The tour covered counties in southern England as well as the visit to Wales. The counties included Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey and Berkeshire. We had also visited some of these counties previously on other trips to the UK.

Visiting Tunbridge Wells

On our free days and travelling days we were able to spend time exploring buildings and locations such as Canterbury Cathedral, Kings College Chapel, Windsor Castle, Warwick Castle and Chichester Cathedral. Being a cricket tour we also visited cricket grounds including Lords, Trent Bridge and the Nevill Ground at Tunbridge Wells.

During the matches there was often opportunity for the WAGs to explore the local area and sometimes shop. People from the hosting club often provided suggestions and directions for these expeditions.

War memorials and Centenary of First World War displays were in many of the locations visited and information about some of these appear in my Exploring Military History blog.

In 2015 we had the opportunity to tour with the Australian over 60s team in England. Three other players on that tour - Ian Petherick, Colin Cooke and John Stackpoole - were also in the over 70s team and it was good to catch up with them again.

Alistair

One of the differences we noticed between the tours was that on this occasion we had a coach to transport us around England and to the games. On the 2015 tour we had hired cars which meant that players driving the cars, and the navigators, had the additional strain of driving, often long distances, before and after each game. The coach was definitely a better option. Alistair, our driver for most of the tour, enjoyed watching the cricket and also provided additional suggestions for sight seeing options.Travelling in the coach provided an additional opportunity for those on the tour to get to know each other better and by the end of the tour there was a friendly demarcation between those at the back of the bus and those who preferred to travel in the front.

Lindsay in 'his office'

On this tour we also had a manager, Lindsay Fisher, who did a marvellous job organising all aspects of the tour, including any unexpected changes. Whenever we arrived at a ground Lindsay would find a corner in the clubroom which became his office for the day - when he wasn't watching the game. On the 2015 tour this role was undertaken by the players and the strain on the captain and vice captain on that tour was obvious.

Margaret - our international scorer

The Australian team was also fortunate that Margaret Smith enjoyed scoring and volunteered to be the scorer for the team. This saved the players or manager having to take on this role. Of course, after scoring for our first ODI, Margaret became known as our 'international scorer'.

Communication about the tour was recorded on the Facebook page - Australia Over 70s in England - which contained regular summaries and photographs of our progress. Detailed reports of each game were added to Veterans Cricket Australia website.

The following posts describe some of our adventures during the five weeks spent touring southern England and Wales. It really was a fantastic tour.