Seniors Cricket Australia - National Championships - Hobart - Dinner

The Championship Dinner was held on Friday 20 November in the Tasman Room at Wrest Point Casino.

As usual there were impressive views of the river from the casino. It was hard to believe that only a few hours earlier rain had stopped play for the day.

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 Almost 700 people attended this event.

Most of the Victorian teams were seated on the upper level providing a view of the activity below.

The proceedings began at 7.30 As well as the presentation of awards to the winning team in each division, those players who had participated in each of the 10 National Championships were acknowledged.. The members of the victorious Australian Over 60s team that toured England in June were each presented with a medal from Cricket Australia for winning the Test Match series against England.

A three course dinner was served during the evening. Between the serving of the Main Course and Dessert the guest speaker was former Australian Test Cricketer, David Boon.

All in all it was a great evening with opportunity to catch up with so many of our cricket friends. A great way to finish the National Championships. Next year - Western Australia.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Hobart - Game 4

Friday 20 November was finals day. In our part of the draw in First Division Queensland had won two games and the three other teams won one game each. The percentages fell the way of Victoria Metro, making us second, so we were to play off for third or fourth palace in the championships. Unfortunately Victoria Country had lost their final round robin game to South Australia so Victoria Country were our opponents. South Australia played Queensland for first or second position.

TCA Ground

The match between the two Victorian teams was played at the Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) Ground in Davies Avenue, Queens Domain. The ground is the home of the North Hobart Cricket Club.

TCA Ground

Cricket has been played on this ground since the 1870s. The main stand was built in 1880. The ground is only 1 kilometre from the centre of Hobart and as can be seen from the above photo provides good views of the city and the river.

I did not get to the ground as I still had some exploring of Hobart to do in the morning but had planned to go after lunch. I was on my way to the ground when Robin rang suggesting that it was best not to come as the forcast rain was on its way. Shortly afterwards heavy rain heralded the end of play.

We had been lucky with the weather during the week. The long term forcast had been for fine weather on the Monday with the liklihood of showers or rain on the other days. The Friday was the only rain we encountered during the day though it did rain on at least one evening.

Victoria Country batted first and posted a good score which Victoria Metro had no hope of passing when rain stopped play. Having the two Victorian teams play off for third and fourth place was an anti-climatic end to the championships. Queensland defeated South Australia in the main finals game.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Hobart - Game 3

Thursday 19 November saw us travel across the Tasman Bridge to Kangaroo Bay where Victoria Metro was to play Western Australia.

Once again the cricket ground was situated in a picturesque location.

The ground is the home of the Clarence District Cricket Club and the ground is currently being developed. At present a number of portables serve as changing rooms, toilets etc. but there are plans for building permanent  club rooms in the next year or two. Before the game open tents needed to be put up for some protection from the sun.

Once the initial preparations were underway the players posed for the team photo for the champioship.

Western Australia batted first and made 146 runs. The Victorians passed the score in the 41st over.

After some close games, victory at last.

It was a beautiful day, except for the gusty wind in the area near the ground, so after watching the start of the game I went for a walk following a path by the river.

Views of Hobart from across the river

View of the Tasman Bridge

In the afternoon I went for a short work by the river in the other direction.

Past the marina I came to the Charles Darwin Trail. Charles Darwin had visited Kangaroo Bay in February 1836.

The Charles Darwin Trail goes for 11 kilometres but I only had time to walk a short distance before returning to the cricket to see the end of the match. It had been a great day.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Hobart - Game 2

Tuesday 17 November and members of the Victoria Metro team set off for the short journey to the University of Tasmania cricket ground at Sandy Bay. Victoria Metro played Queensland.

Victoria Metro batted first and made 168 runs which was not enough against the Queensland side who passed the score with a few overs to go.

Although in the city, this was another ground with a picturesque background.

At the bottom of the sports grounds is the marina of the Derwent Sailing Squadron.

I spent the morning exploring parts of Hobart and did not arrive at the university until after lunch. I did arrive in time to watch Robin bowl and to watch Graham Yallop take a catch from Robin's bowling.

Graham Yallop with Robin at Kangaroo Bay

Robin bowled 8 overs, 2 maidens, 1 wicket for 20 runs.

In the evening, those of us who had toured with the Australian Over 60s Tour of England in June met for dinner at the Duke of Wales Hotel at Battery Point. It was a great opportunity to catch up again.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Hobart - Game 1

Monday 16 November and we piled into the cars to go to Gunn Oval at Pontville, 28 kilometres north of Hobart, where the Victoria Metro team was to play Tasmania. The weather was fine and sunny and the ground was situated in a picturesque setting.

Gunn Oval is one of three ovals at the Pontville Recreation Grounds. In the same complex Western Australia was playing Queensland at Ferguson Park while in Division 3,Victoria played South Australia. The Brighton Agricultural Show is held at the Pontville Recreation Grounds on the first weekend in November each year.

After inspecting the pitch which looked a road it was time for the warm-up before the game.

Members of the Division 1 Victoria Metro team were Les Quarrell (captain), Robin Court, Greg Johnson, Ron Kasputtis, Neil King, Ian Longmuir, Ian Marks, John Ryan, Trevor Selby, Gary Semple, Wayne Stokes and Graham Yallop. Unfortunately Neil King injured his leg during the match and was unable to take part in the other matches, though he continued to supervise the warm-up sessions before the games.

Graham Yallop having a hit before the game

Victoria batted first and made 5 for 191 in their 45 overs. Unfortunately for Victoria, Tasmania passed this score in the final over.

A disappointing start to the carnival for Victoria Metro. In the other Division 1 games Queensland defeated Western Australia, Victoria Country defeated ACT while South Australia defeated New South Wales.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Hobart

The 10th National Seniors Cricket Championship was held in Hobart from Sunday 15 November to Friday 20 November 2015.

We arrived in Hobart early Sunday afternoon and met up with a number of other players from Victorian teams at the airport. Robin was in the Victoria Metro team (1st division) and cars had been organised to use by the team while in Hobart so, after establishing who would travel in which car, our group set off for the Mid City Hotel. The hotel was conveniently situated in the centre of the city within easy walking distance of places I wanted to visit as well as some of the cricket grounds where games were played.

Once we had unpacked it was time to explore our immediate surroundings before heading off to the Meet and Greet. We headed down Elizabeth Street to the Docks area where we had a late lunch at Fish Frenzy on Elizabeth Street Pier. We shared a delicious serve of fish and chips served in a paper cone.

The Meet and Greet was held at Bellerive at the Blundstone Arena, a venue we have frequently seen on television when cricket matches have been televised from there. The Premier of Tasmania, Will Hodgman, opened the Championships.

Thirty-six teams took part in the 2015 championships divided into three divisions for the Over 60s plus a division for the Over 70s. States such as Victoria had more than one team entered in a division. It was therefore a fantastic operation undertaken by Seniors Cricket Tasmania to organise the event especially as players and partners attending the championships totalled almost 700 people. As well as being the 10th National Seniors Cricket Championship, Tasmania was celebrating 150 years of cricket in the state.

One of the features of attending the championships this year was the number of people who Robin and I knew. This was our third championships so we caught up with a number of players and their wives who we had met previously. Added to this we had been on three cricket tours this year so we now knew many other players from other states and other Victorian teams. Everywhere we went we met someone that we knew consequently there was much socialising and catching up on what had happened since we had last met. We felt that we were part of the Seniors Cricket community.

The Bellerive ground is situated in a most attractive setting as these views show.

The Meet and Greet provided a great introduction to the week of cricket ahead.