Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Perth (part 2)

Tuesday 7 November was a rest day from cricket but on Wednesday morning we were back on the mini-bus heading to the Des Penman ground at Nollamara.

On this occasion we were scheduled to play Queensland which we knew was a very strong side. Before the game the Victoria 2 team photo was finally taken.

Several of the original players in our team had transferred to the Victoria 1 team to replace their injured players.

Victoria 2 batted first but could make only 112 runs which Queensland passed at 4 for 113. During the game we connected again with Jill and Phil Drescher as well as Colin Cooke and Kevin Meikle who toured England with the Australian team last year.

During the game I went for a walk around the local shopping centre which had many African shops. There also appeared to be a number of older people who had probably lived in the area for many years. There was a wide range of food shops, especially those selling kebabs. Next to the IGA is a bakery which from the signs outside appears to be Lebanese. This had been recommended as a good place to find lunch and when I went in part of the shop was full of buns, delicious cakes, cooked pies and pasties and fresh salad rolls. A small sign indicated that the bakery was now a Vietnamese bakery and their products were excellent.

The weather up until the last day of the competition had been fine though the breeze made it seem cooler than it probably was. However rain was forecast for Thursday afternoon - a repeat of Finals Day in Hobart last year. We travelled to Gwynne Park in Armadale where four matches were to played. As a Division 1 team the cricketers were not impressed with having to play on a synthetic pitch.

This match was against Tasmania. Tasmania batted first and made 4 for 179 in the 45 overs. Shortly after lunch the rains came resulting in a drawn match.

With all the games at Gwynne Park called off we headed back to Perth. Victoria 1 was playing Queensland in the final and Plan A was to go to that ground to give the Victorian team some encouragement. However the heavy traffic (for Perth) delayed us. We did keep up with the progress of the match via a ball to ball description of the final overs provided by Rex on his phone. Queensland batted first and made 7 for 216 in their 45 overs. When the rain came the target was reduced to 186 runs required. It proved to be an exciting game making 9 for 187 in their allotted 37 overs. Wayne Stokes steered Victoria1 home with 31 not out off 30 balls, including a last wicket partnership with Trevor Saker 26.

Victorious Victoria 1 team - Champions [Image from VOSCA Facebook page]

In the evening we all went to the Championship Dinner at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. The guest speaker for the evening was Brad Hogg who entertained the audience of more than 600 with tales of his cricketing exploits.

Next year the 70s championships will be held in Adelaide at the beginning of November while the Over 60s championships will be held in Canberra two weeks later.

Seniors Cricket Australia National Championships - Perth (part 1)

The 11th National Senors Cricket Championships were played in Perth, Western Australia from 5 to 10 November 2016. Forty-two teams competed in the tournament. This was the last time that the Over 60s and Over 70s teams will compete together with split championships from 2017.

Entrance to Gloucester Park

The Meet and Greet was held on Staurday 5 November at Gloucester Park, a short walk from the hotel.

Gloucester Park

Looking across Gloucester Park there is a view of the new stadium being built to stage sports such as cricket and Australian Rules Football.

WACA

Next to Gloucester Park is the Western Australian Cricket Ground where a test match between Australia and South Africa was being played.

When we attended out first National Championships at the Sunshine Coast in 2013 we hardly knew anyone at the Meet and Greet. Since then we have met so many cricketers, not just from Victoria but from all over Australia, and it is great to catch up with friends.

After the Meet and Greet the First Division Victorian teams had dinner at the Antico Caffe on the corner of Plain Street and Royal Street, East Perth, where we enjoyed a fine Italian meal. The restaurant is close to Gloucester Park and the WACA and a short walk from the hotel where we stayed.

The first match of the carnival was held on the Sunday at Iluka, Joondalup, north of Perth. It was primarily a sunny day but the breeze was cool. The spectators soon learned to bring a jacket to games in Perth.

In Division 1, Victoria 2 played New South Wales on one ground while Victoria 1 played South Australia on the second ground. It was great to catch up with Sharon and Brian Scott again who we had toured with when Australian toured England last year.

Bird joining in the game

The Joondalup Sports Associationcomplex hosts a number of sporting facilities including the  Bowls Club next to the cricket grounds.

At the start of the match three of the teams posed for team photos but the Victoria 2 team decided to have the team photo taken at the beginning of the second innings, This did not happen so the closest is this photo of a drinks session. The game between Victoria 2 and New South Wales was a close game which New South Wales won. Victoria 1 defeated South Australia.

The next day, Monday, Victoria 2 played the ACT at Burrendah Reserve at Willetton.

Here we met up with Ann and Murray Harrison, John Dedman and Jim Martin who had been on the Australian tour.

This was another close game which ACT won in the last over. Robin took two wickest.

Southlands Boulevard was across the road from the second cricket ground in the sports complex. A number of sporting groups operate in Burrendah Park. In the area between the two cricket grounds families of ducks contentedly swam, unconcerned about the cricket being played nearby.

After the match we walked from our hotel to The Royal on the Waterfront, a hotel and restaurant diagonally opposite the Antico Caffe we had visited previously. The restaurant overlooks Claisebrook Cove and a wide range of food. This provided another opportunity to catch up with other Victorian cricketers playing in the First Division teams. The Victoria 1 team had lost to Western Australia, also in the last over.  By the end of the second day of the competion four of the Victoria 1 team had injuries and replacements from other teams had to be made for the last two games of the carninval.