Cricketers score 60-plus

Casey cricketers, from left: Jon Martindale, Barry Levens, John Buissink, Rob Wilson, John Moore (with bat) and Colin Jones will represent the Australian over-60 team this year. 30921 Picture: Stewart Chambers

By Marc McGowan
FIVE Casey cricketers will be in contention to take on the old enemy in England this August.
Former City of Casey mayor Rob Wilson, Colin Jones, Barry Levens, Jon Martindale and John Buissink will be among 20 players touring the country with the Australian over-60 team.
All five donned the whites for Casey in the Victorian Over 60 Cricket Association last summer.
They have played Twenty20 matches against Bayside Over 60 Cricket Club in recent weeks and train fortnightly at Pakenham’s P.B. Ronald Reserve in preparation for the tour.
The national side will play 11 games, including the single Test match against England’s over-60 team in Sheffield on 16 August, during the three-week trip.
Wilson, who has played more than 500 games of cricket in a career that began 50 years ago, is thrilled to have the opportunity to play for Australia.
“It will be fantastic and will be my first game of cricket in England,” he said.
“I’ve had only one international game in Malta three or four years ago when I was at a conference over there.”
Wilson also praised the over-60 cricket format that encourages older players to return to the game.
“You’ve got a lot of guys who are good cricketers who haven’t played for five, 10 or 20 years and the camaraderie is fantastic, obviously, because we’re all a pretty similar age group,” he said.
“It’s mostly players in their 60s who have still got a bit of skill, but they’re all like me and can’t run as fast as they used to.
“But they’re still pretty competitive and the players are playing to win and to do their best.”
The first over-60 cricket match was played in Victoria six years ago.
They are 40-over games, where batsmen retire once they reach 40 runs and bowlers deliver a maximum of eight overs each.
Wilson hopes the fact he is still also competing for Maranatha Methodist each season will play in his favour when it comes to selection against England.
“Everyone will play about five matches each, but they’ll probably pick the best 11 or 12 for the Test match,” he said.
“After playing B-grade at Maranatha Methodist, I don’t really fear any fast bowling because there’s a huge difference between playing B-grade and playing over-35s and another big difference going down to over-60s.
“Playing regular Saturday cricket is a big advantage.”