Seevent England 60+ Seevent Cricket Tour to Australia 2016
Full Tour Report
The 18 strong England 60+ cricket squad, previewed on page 97 of the November 2016 issue of The Cricketer magazine, toured Australia from 18 November to 16 December 2016. England won 11 out of 13 of their matches: 2 wins out of 3 in the one day internationals (ODIs), and 9 wins out of 10 in the state matches. Full scorecard details are available on the tour website www.englandover60tours.co.uk.
The 13 matches were played in beautiful cricket grounds in Sydney, Wyong, Canberra, Bendigo, Melbourne, Geelong, Mount Gambier and Adelaide as the England squad and 17 supporters travelled 3,000km by luxury coach around southern Australia.
Not one ball was lost to inclement weather but, fortunately for the England tourists, the early Australian sustained searing summer heat did not arrive until after Christmas, barely reaching 30 degrees on most days of the tour.
The Australian hospitality, hotel accommodation, travel arrangements, organised trips and tour organisation were all excellent. Other than trips around the cities, visits were organised to Bowral, Bradman’s home cricket town, a reception for both squads and supporters at the deputy British Ambassador in Canberra, a sheep station, a tour of the MCG, winery tastings, museum visits honouring the two world wars, and frequent stops along the spectacular Great Ocean Road on the way from Melbourne to Mount Gambier. The spirits of the England squad remained high all tour, and many new friendships were made.
Match reports are as follows:
Match 1 – vs New South Wales City 60+ played at Manly, Sydney on 21 November:
Tour off to a great start at Manly - comfortable victory for England by 5 wickets
NSW City provided the first opposition of the tour - the match being played at LM Graham Reserve in Manly. On a warm sultry day NSW were invited to bat first and were soon wobbling at 7 for 2 after a good run out by Ian Caunce and an excellent catch by Rupert Staples. A stand of 45 brought about a recovery until Nigel Belletty took the first of two excellent stumpings.
Miserly spells by Dave Pegg and Murphy Walwyn kept the run rate down but a stand of 50 took the score well past 100. Chris Swadkin and Dave Bartholomew slowed the run rate down again and a couple of late wickets for Rupert Staples closed the innings at 156 for 7. Eight bowlers were used - wickets taken by Staples, Ivill, Bartholomew, Walwyn and Swadkin.
After tea, the England innings got off to a good start, reaching 28 in quick time before Ian Caunce was caught and bowled. Skipper John Foster then fell for 27 with the score on 48 before Chris Swadkin and Neil Calvert took the score to 107 before Swadkin fell leg before. A couple of cheap wickets fell quickly soon after Calvert retired at 50 no, but victory was achieved by 5 wickets with 10 overs to spare.
MoM awarded to Neil Calvert for an excellent 50.
Match 2 – vs New South Wales Country 60+ played at Wyong on 22 November:
Exciting England victory at Wyong by 5 wickets - England feel the heat but stay cool!
After the first win the squad travelled to Wyong CC for the match against NSW Country on a very hot day. Skipper John Foster opted to field first and was rewarded with an early wicket in the 4th over for Tim Mynott to leave NSW 6 for 1. Doug Trigg came to the crease and played an excellent attacking innings scoring at more than a run a ball to put the 'heat' on to the England team before he retired at 50. The run rate slowed following the introduction of spin with Trevor Shales, Norman Botton and Bob Plowman bowling economical spells with little reward. As a result, the England fielders showed signs of wilting in the hot sun but managed to hold on, restricting NSW to 179 for 4 off 45 overs. Wickets were shared by Botton, Mynott, Shales and Staple.
The England reply got off to a bad start losing 2 wickets for 12 runs after 10 overs with Nick Andrews and Geoff Beale back in the pavilion. Dave Bartholomew and Neil Calvert staged a good recovery bringing the run rate up to 3 an over by the 20 over mark leaving 130 required from the final 25 overs. Calvert fell to a good catch and Bartholomew continued to sweep well before he was bowled for 43 with the score on 99. 80 were still needed from 15 overs when John Foster joined Murphy Walwyn. The pair added 73 in 13 overs, both hitting sixes before Foster was caught for 38 from 42 balls. Walwyn saw the team home with 4 balls to spare for an exciting victory.
John Foster awarded MoM to Doug Trigg for his excellent innings, and the England MoM went to Dave Bartholomew.
Match 3 – vs Australia Capital Territory (ACT) played at Queanbeyan, Canberra on 24 November:
Another England victory at Queanbeyan by 50 runs
Skipper Chris Swadkin chose to bat on a lovely sunny but cool (by recent standards!) day. Geoff Beale and Ian Caunce opened with Beale striking the first ball for 4, but then disaster struck with Caunce being caught and bowled in the 5th over. England struggled to break free in the face of some accurate bowling from Ron Axelby. Martin Ivill and Tim Mynott tried to rebuild the innings after Beale went for 22 in the 16th over. A mix up lead to Ivill being run out and 2 further wickets fell soon after to leave England 76 for 4. A good stand of 54 between Mike Stafford and Chris Swadkin brought about a recovery and the innings closed for 165 for 7 after 45 overs.
A magnificent lunch was taken by all followed by presentations by the Mayor of Queanbeyan, before ACT set about chasing 166 to win. The innings struggled to get moving against the new ball attack of Ivill and Pegg and 4 wickets fell quickly to leave ACT stranded at 32 for 4 after 14 overs. A good partnership of 76 between Neil Bulger and Murray Harrison pulled the hosts into a winning position at 108 for 4 before Bulger was bowled by Trevor Shales for 45. Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals before the innings closed at 115 all out. Wickets were shared between Shales (3 for 17 from 5 overs), Pegg (2 for 17 from 9), Ivill (2 for 19 from 9) and Botton (1 for 16 from 5). The new ball spells of Ivill and Pegg gave a great start to the England defence of the total. This was followed by 2 good run outs and a good catch by Stafford.
MoM for England was Mike Stafford and Neil Bulger for ACT.
The whole touring party were royally entertained by the Queanbeyan Club during and after the match which was watched by Joe Leach, the Worcestershire CCC Captain.
Match 4 – vs Australia 60+ played at Tuggeranong, Canberra on 27 November:
Resounding England victory in first ODI - England win by 6 wickets with overs to spare - excellent team performance
A long awaited first ODI match began after a rousing rendition of the two National Anthems. Australia won the toss and decided to bat on an overcast morning. The innings started cautiously in the face of some accurate seam bowling from Rupert Staple and Martin Ivill. Runs began to come more steadily when Phil Drescher struck some lusty blows but then he fell to a magnificent diving catch by Martin Ivill. Staple completed a great spell of 10 overs, 1 for 18 with 4 maidens, whilst Dave Russell batted steadily to compile a sound 50. A late flourish which included 32 from 22 balls from Greg Quinn allowed Australia to reach 192 for 6 at the end of the 50 overs. The England bowling and fielding was excellent including a great display behind the sticks by Nigel Belletty. There were 2 wickets apiece for Trevor Shales and Dave Pegg and a very tight spell of 10 overs without reward by Mike Stafford.
England started with a rush of boundaries from Caunce and Foster reaching 30 after 5 overs until Ian Caunce was out for 35 with the score on 56 in the 8th over. John Foster and Neil Calvert continued scoring quickly until the second wicket fell at 92. Neil Calvert eventually fell for 47 but Chris Swadkin saw the team home to win by 6 wickets with 15 overs to spare.
The Australian MoM was Greg Quinn and England MoM was Rupert Staple for his 1 for 18 from 10 overs.
The team were appreciative of the wonderful support from the whole touring party and the presence of Joe Leach, Worcestershire CCC Captain.
Match 5 – vs Victoria Country 60+ played at Strathdale, Bendigo on 29 November:
Victoria make it hard work in 10 run victory for England - Pegg takes hat trick!
England opted to bat on a fine sunny morning at Strathdale Cricket Club at Bendigo. Martin Ivill and Ian Caunce opened against a strong Victoria Country team but made a disappointing start with Caunce out in the 3rd over followed later by Geoff Beale (to an excellent catch) with the score at 38 in the 17th over. Nick Andrews joined Ivill and they steadied the innings with some singles mixed with the odd boundary (very difficult on an extremely slow outfield). After Andrews fell for 10 with the score on 71, Dave Batholomew came to the crease and the pair accelerated the score to 90 before Bartholomew had to retire with a muscle strain. Ivill retired shortly after having reached an important 50. Thereafter things stuttered along as the batsmen struggled to beat the infield. Wickets fell and only some lusty, late blows by Dave Pegg and Bob Plowman enabled lunch to be taken with the score at 155 for 8 (worth at least 200 due to the slow outfield). Ivill's 50 was the highlight of the innings with only Dave Bartholomew reaching 20 in support.
Victoria started slowly against the accurate attack of Ivill and Mynott even though a couple of missed chances let them off the hook. The score crept to 36 for 3 after 20 overs as Mynott in particular bowled an excellent spell of 9 overs, taking 1 wicket for 14 runs supported by Ivill with 9 overs, 1 for 21. A good piece of fielding by Nick Andrews resulted in a run out, even so the score had moved to 87 (from 34 overs) before the fall of the 4th wicket. Barry Hopper looked strong with some powerful drives and completed an excellent 50 before he retired. Norman Botton bowled a tidy spell to keep the run rate down and was unlucky not to take a wicket. Bob Plowman took an important wicket but the undoubted highlight of the England bowling was a spell of 6 overs (5 for 32), including a hat trick by Dave Pegg. Graham Cowling, striking the ball well, was joined by the returning Barry Hopper with the Victoria team needing 25 to win with just over 4 overs remaining. With Victoria needing 13 off the final 2 overs Cowling was eventually caught at deep mid wicket leaving England victorious with 9 balls to spare.
MoM for England was Dave Pegg with additional award to Martin Ivill for a really important 50. Barry Hopper deservedly won MoM for Victoria.
Match 6 – vs Tasmania 60+ played at Elsternwick, Melbourne on 2 December:
Belletty and Walwyn star in England 73 run victory - three sixes for Staple
England batted first on another glorious day and were given a solid start by Nick Andrews and Chris Swadkin with a first wicket partnership of 58 from 15 overs before Swadkin was caught for 30. Andrews followed shortly afterwards, lbw for 30 to stall progress. Tim Mynott came and went after which Murphy Walwyn joined Mike Stafford and the pair ran well and added 40 before Stafford was lbw for 36 from 59 balls. Wickets fell at regular intervals against some accurate swing bowling and only Walwyn came to grips with the moving ball. Ian Caunce and Norman Bottom made good contributions but it was left to Rupert Staple who smashed three consecutive sixes to boost the score to 220 by the end of the allotted overs.
The home side lost an early wicket when Mynott gained an lbw decision but then a partnership of just over 100 (helped by some missed chances) kept the hosts in the hunt for victory even though they were behind the clock at 114 for 2 after 30 overs. Two retirements slowed progress dramatically and things never recovered with wickets falling quickly in the final 12 overs. Staple took 3 wickets, Stafford and Bob Plowman 2 wickets each to leave England victors by 73 runs. Nigel Belletty had a good game behind the stumps claiming five catches.
MoM awards went to Murphy Walwyn and Ian Fraser for their 50s
Elsternwick CC hosted the match and an excellent meal was provided for all the party after the game.
Match 7 – vs Australia 60+ played at Trinity Grammar School, Melbourne on 4 December:
Ashes victory for England by 9 runs - Swadkin and Calvert star
With skipper John Foster sidelined after a freak arm injury, England were captained by Chris Swadkin for the second ODI on a steamy hot day in Melbourne.
Australia won the toss and elected to field first on a good looking pitch with some moisture evident and a light dew showing on the vast lush outfield.
Ian Caunce and Martin Ivill opened up for the visitors and it was soon apparent that there was some extravagant movement both in the air and off the seam as the bowlers took the lead rein. Scoring was difficult and runs were hard to come by on a huge playing surface. Two lbw decisions accounted for both openers with the score on 17 followed soon after by a third one to send Swadkin back to the pavilion. Mike Stafford was promoted to No 5 and he set about rebuilding the innings with Neil Calvert. A magnificent stand of 124 put England in a much improved position at 146 for 3 off 35 overs before Stafford fell shortly after a drinks break for a solid 36. Calvert followed soon after for a magnificent 94 accumulated from some accurate seam bowling. No question that this was the innings of the tour to date. Tim Mynott then carried the innings to the close (after another lbw decision accounted for the dangerous Walwyn) with a mixture of watchful defence and some singles and boundaries to finish with 31 from 39 balls - a very valuable innings in the context of the game.
Teas was taken (thankfully in an air conditioned room above the pavilion!) with a view of the superb facilities at Trinity School, the only downside was the prevalence of many signs warning of snakes being present in the wildlife areas on the fringe of the outfield!
Whilst not a big score, 226 gave the England team a fighting chance after recovering from 22 for 3 off 12 overs. Australia signalled their intentions with some bold attacking shots from the first ball. Both Russell and Gaskell soon finding the boundary regularly. The score was on 88 in the 18th over when England took their first wicket with a run out - Russell departing for 36. England hoped that this would provide some respite from picking the ball out of the wildlife areas. Two wickets fell quickly with Broad lbw to Mike Stafford for 9 and then the dangerous Phil Dresher was well caught by Tim Mynott falling backwards whilst taking a skyer. At 118 for 3 England were back in the game but still with a lot of work to do. Meantime Gaskell continued to look dangerous as he accumulated runs at will until he was well stumped by Belletty for 85 off the bowling of Chris Swadkin leaving Australia hovering at 145 for 4 after 34 overs but with two new batsmen at the crease. Still 82 required from 16 overs. Another quick wicket saw the hosts teetering on 150 for 5 but two successive partnerships of around 20 clawed them slowly up to 194 for 6 whereupon Trevor Shales took a stunning catch to remove the dangerous Greg Quinn - was this to be the game changer?
32 were required from the final four overs with three wickets left. Swadkin began to ring the changes with his bowlers - using one over spells - and wickets proved hard to take, leaving the crowd on the edge of their seats. With rain threatening, Duckworth Lewis apps were being consulted to see who held the upper hand. The eighth wicket fell at 212 and the ninth at 216 - and the home side came to the final over still needing 13 to win. Bowled by Swadkin leading from the front England finished victors by 9 runs in a tense finish. What a match!
So - England regained the Ashes and left the Australians to think about what could have been.
A dinner for all the players and the touring squad took place following the match - speeches were made and the MoM awards given to Gaskell and Calvert.
Ian Fraser - President of the Seniors Cricket Australia - spoke about their desire to emulate the England organisation and how the special relationship with England had improved over the last 12 months. Tour skipper John Foster replied expressing thanks to all the Australian organisations which had contributed thus far to a very enjoyable tour - the hospitality, friendships and tour arrangements. He also thanked all the touring party for their desire, attitude and support and the overall willingness to work as a squad. A great night followed with a reminder from the skipper to his players to drink a lot (of water!) - as there are still 6 games to go!
Match 8 – vs Victoria Country 60+ played at Grovedale CC, Geelong on Tuesday 6 December
England suffer first defeat by 6 wickets - missed chances cost dear
England batted first at Grovedale Cricket Ground on a hard pitch with a fast outfield. Ian Caunce and Nick Andrews gave England a solid start putting on 80 for the first wicket at a good rate of over 6 an over before Caunce was caught for 49. Andrews followed a few balls later (for 27 from 44 balls) and the run rate stalled whilst Dave Bartholomew and Martin Ivill established a recovery. A stand of 90 followed with runs coming more freely all around the wicket before both batsmen had to retire at 50. This brought Murphy Walwyn and Chris Swadkin together and Walwyn began hitting out, but some good fielding by the VC team kept the run rate under control. A late flurry of wickets meant England finished on 250-6 from the 45 overs. Perhaps not quite enough given the pitch and the fast outfield.
The VC team came out all guns blazing and the ball flew to all parts of the boundary and in particular to deep mid wicket, the 50 came up in only 6 overs and all of the early bowlers suffered. 2 wickets fell by the time the score was 78 but the VC batsmen continued to attack. Good fielding by Botton resulted in a smart run out with the score on 113 and England hoped to gain some control but Barker and Robertson continued to score runs almost at will as chances continued to be missed. Skipper Swadkin rang the changes but to no avail. Victory went to VC with 2 overs to spare. Bob Plowman was the best of the bowlers with 0-29 from 9 overs.
Martin Ivill and Dave Bartholomew were England's MOM, Peter Robertson was the VC MOM with 50 from 34 balls.
The whole squad were entertained with a BBQ after the match and though the result was disappointing for the England team, everyone enjoyed the hospitality and was made to feel very welcome.
Match 9 – vs Victoria Metro 60+ played at the Merv Hughes Oval, Footscray on Wednesday 7 December
England back on the winning track as Bartholomew stars – England win by 6 wickets
Skipper John Foster was back in the team, but was limited to the role of Captain. Having won the toss Metro elected to bat and from the start were pinned down by a good opening spell from Dave Pegg and Dave Bartholomew who both completed 9 overs taking 1 wicket for 18 and 12 runs respectively. Norman Botton took over from Pegg and bowled a good spell taking 3-28 from 9 overs as runs continued to be scarce. Good spells from Mike Stafford and Bob Plowman backed up by some excellent ground fielding also kept a tight rein on proceedings. Nick Andrews chipped in with 3 late wickets to finish with 3-26 from 5 overs. The innings closed on 134-8, reflecting the control exerted by the England team.
England started disastrously, losing Ian Caunce and Ryland Wallace with only 2 on the board. Bartholomew and Andrews steadied the innings before Andrews gave a return catch to fall for 17 from 34 balls with the score on 41. Murphy Walwyn joined Bartholomew and runs began to come more freely in a stand of 60 before Walwyn was bowled for 28 (having changed his bat the ball before!) Bartholomew completed an excellent 50 and the victory was achieved with 12 overs to spare, with Calvert and Stafford at the crease.
Bartholomew and Andrews were made MOMs whilst Noel Sharpe with 1-18 from 9 overs (having bowled 5 successive maidens) received the award for Metro.
Footscray CC facilities were second to none and thanks were given to the Curator and all the support team.
After the match the whole group thanked Nick Andrews for his contribution to the squad and wished him and Sally a safe journey on their early return to the UK.
Match 10 – vs Victoria’s Best 60+ played at the Elsternwick Oval, Melbourne on Friday 9 December
Convincing England victory by 7 wickets - straight bowling pays dividends
The weather was a shock to the England squad, arriving at the ground at Elsternwick on a day more reminiscent of early April in England. A stiff breeze, damp outfield and a temperature in the low teens meant that England felt at home. Skipper Swadkin won the toss and chose to field, with layers being the order of the day, as play started 30 minutes later than expected.
Staple and Bartholomew started with the new ball and after an early boundary Staple soon had Chris Carr bowled for 4. This was followed soon afterwards by two quick wickets for Staple, both LBW. Runs were hard to come by and boundaries were rare, after 20 overs the score was only 34-3 illustrating the control of the England attack. A rare missed chance off Staple was the only blemish on a day when the fielding was excellent, including the first slip catch of the tour. Wickets fell regularly and only a brief stand of 30 for the 5th wicket held the England bowlers at bay. Tim Mynott and Dave Pegg replaced the England openers and both took wickets as the bowlers continued to dominate, Mynott finished with 1-22 and Pegg 3-12 from his 9 overs, which included 5 maidens. The last wicket fell with the score on 78 in the 41st over leaving England requiring 79 to win. Nigel Belletty had a good game behind the stumps after tasting leather!
Ian Caunce and Martin Ivill opened for England and Ivill fell early (LBW) to allow the hosts a scent of victory. This was enhanced when Calvert fell a few overs later for 16 with the score on 28. Mike Stafford joined Caunce and the pair added 28 before Stafford was unlucky to be stumped off the wicketkeeper’s pads for 5. Caunce continued to mix defence with attack and profited from a dropped catch to finish on 37no as England powered home by 7 wickets with 25 overs to spare leaving Bartholomew on 13no from 9 balls.
Dave Pegg was awarded MOM for his 3-12 and smart slip catch.
This was England's last match in Victoria and all the touring party expressed their appreciation for the hospitality provided by the hosts and the faultless match arrangements. The touring party left in high spirits looking forward to their 12 hour coach journey to Mount Gambier.
Match 11 – vs South Australia Country at East Gambier CC, Mount Gambier on Sunday 11 December
Convincing England victory by 7 wickets - bowlers take the honours on slow pitch
Recent poor spring weather caused the match v SA Country to be switched from Mount Gambier CC to the East Gambier ground – an excellent substitute.
England skipper John Foster elected to field on a day which promised to heat up considerably by mid-afternoon. On a good looking but slow pitch, runs proved difficult to score against the early England attack of Staple, Pegg and Mynott. Two early wickets fell to Staple and Pegg and at 18 for 2 the SA batsmen needed to make a good recovery to give their team any chance of success. Verco and Barker made a valiant attempt to wrest the initiative from the England attack such that the next wicket did not fall until the score was 107. The run rate however was not quick enough to cause the fielding side any problems and the later batsmen all fell trying the force the pace. From 107 for 2 the innings closed with a wicket from the final delivery and SA Country were 118 all out. Staple took three wickets and both Stafford and Shales two each. Bob Plowman bowled a good spell to take one wicket and also produced a smart piece of fielding to gain a run out victim. Skipper Foster took two catches on a day when the ground fielding could have been better.
Both sides adjourned for lunch at Mount Gambier CC where the party were warmly received by the Mayor of Mount Gambier together with other local dignitaries. Each of the England players was presented with some reminders of what Mount Gambier has to offer to its visitors and tour Captain John Foster thanked everyone for their hospitality.
Wallace and Beale opened for England and whilst Geoff Beale fell early the remaining batsmen proceeded to score the runs required for a victory at a leisurely pace, the only hiccups being a mix up in the running between the wickets which led to Tim Mynott being dismissed for 17 and a smart stumping to remove Wallace for 35. A comfortable victory was achieved in the 41st over.
The England MoM was Rupert Staple with 3 for 15 from 9 overs, whilst Foster awarded the SA MoM to Phil Verco.
Match 12 – vs South Australia 60+ played at the Marion Sports Club, Adelaide on Tuesday 13 December
Comfortable victory for England by 5 wickets - low scoring match on sluggish pitch
Chris Swadkin was back in charge for the tourists who fielded a strong side against an invitational side which included two of the Australian ODI team. The weather was hot and sultry with only a gentle breeze for comfort.
After winning the toss and electing to field, England took four early wickets as runs proved very difficult on a slow pitch. At 19 - 4 with two wickets for Staple, one for Ivill and a run out England made the hosts struggle with some accurate bowling backed up by tidy fielding. Ivill finished his opening spell with figures of 1 for 3 from seven overs and was particularly difficult to get way. Staple 3 for 7 from 6 overs, Shales 1 for 23 from 9, Botton 1 for 16 from 9 and Walwyn 1 for 11 from 3 overs were the wicket takers, whilst confusion between the SA batsmen resulted in 3 run outs. The highlight for England was the sight of Australian wicket keeper Greg Quinn losing his off stump (which went cartwheeling toward Nigel Belletty behind the stumps) - a rare sight at this level!
England started badly in reply losing three wickets for 17 runs (Ivill, Swadkin and Calvert) before Caunce joined Geoff Beale to take the score to 43 with only a further 37 required for victory before Caunce was stumped for 17. Beale followed soon after for a well constructed 28 on a pitch offering much assistance to the bowlers. Dave Bartholomew joined Walwyn and the pair saw England to another victory with 15 overs to spare.
The low scores reflected a difficult batting pitch and slow outfield and some very controlled bowling. Rupert Staple was the England MOM.
The tour party were entertained by the South Australia Seniors Cricket Association following the match.
Match 13 - vs Australia 60+ played at Sturt CC, Adelaide on Thursday 15 December
Missed chances cost England - Australia sneak victory by 5 wickets in final tour match
England were left ruing missed opportunities whilst the Australia hitters saw the team home in a close fought match.
The toss was won by Australia and proved crucial on a pitch showing some dampness before the sun had chance to dry the surface.
After being inserted England toiled against some accurate seam/swing bowling and found runs at a premium on another hot sultry day. Caunce, Ivill and Calvert all found contact with the ball difficult as swing and seam were on top in the early part of the innings. Ivill fell early on but then England had reached 100 with only the further loss of Caunce seeming to have created a good base for a later innings flourish. Australia had other ideas and after the loss of Calvert all the later batsmen had the same problem with the exception of Rupert Staple who hit 40 from 27 balls to carry the England score to a respectable 225 for 8 off the 50 overs. The turning point for England was a spectacular diving catch to get rid of Walwyn just when he was threatening to cut loose. Once again - though this was not a big score it allowed England the chance to take the challenge back to Australia and make use of the conditions.
Staple and Ivill began with the new ball and though they were both economical, apart from a missed chance, neither looked too threatening as the pitch had lost some of its early moisture. All the bowlers managed to keep the lid on the run rate and it wasn't until the second wicket fell (which brought Drescher to the crease) that Australia managed to get ahead. He hit 50 from 28 balls to carry the hosts toward the total before he was caught on the boundary by Swadkin. Harrison and Richardson continued to accumulate for Australia but they gradually fell behind the rate and the loss of Richardson and Crowell seemed to give England (in spite of four further missed chances) the edge as the final overs were being bowled. With 18 required from 2 overs England were slight favourites but a huge over from Harrison saw the Aussies to victory with one over remaining.
Once again a tight finish between two evenly matched sides. Rupert Staple was named the England MoM.
An excellent gala dinner was held near England’s hotel with many speeches, after which Chris Swadkin was presented with the Senior Ashes by the Australia captain, Colin Cooke.
Summary:
The 18 strong England Over 60 cricket squad successfully regained the ODI ‘Senior Ashes’ 2-1, and also won 9 out of 10 of their state matches despite John Foster, captain, being unable to play after match 5 due to a serious arm injury. This was a tremendous achievement during a brilliantly organised overseas tour which all the players and supporters will remember for the rest of their lives.
The players were most grateful to all the sponsors whose generous contributions were acknowledged in the 1,500 brochures that were distributed during summer 2016 in England, and during the tour in Australia.
Great praise must go to the tour manager Andrew Clarke (Shropshire), scorer Maggie Boyden (Shropshire), umpire Barry Toombs (Essex), photographers Kate Foster and Andy Parkyn, and all the wives, brother, daughter, son and friends who helped make the 2016 England Over 60 cricket tour to Australia so memorable for the cricketers.
England 60+ squad:
John Foster – captain (Shropshire),
Chris Swadkin – vice captain (Kent),
Nick Andrews (Cambridgeshire),
Dave Bartholomew (Lancashire),
Geoff Beale (Hampshire),
Nigel Belletty (Somerset),
Norman Botton (Somerset),
Neil Calvert (Lincolnshire),
Ian Caunce (Oxfordshire),
Martin Ivill (Yorkshire),
Tim Mynott (Wiltshire),
David Pegg (Northamptonshire),
Bob Plowman (Bedfordshire),
Trevor Shales (Norfolk),
Mike Stafford (Buckinghamshire),
Rupert Staple (Kent),
Ryland Wallace (Wales),
Murphy Walwyn (Yorkshire).
January 2017
England 60's Tour Results in Australia
15/12/2016 3rd Test Match at Sturt Distict CC
England 225-8 (50 Overs) lost to Australia 60+ 230-5 (49 Overs) by 5 wickets
13/12/2016 England 84-5 (30.3 Overs) beat South Australia Invitation XI 80 All Out (42.2 Overs) by 5 wickets
11/12/2016 England 119-3 (40.2 Overs) beat South Australia 60's Country XI 118 All Out (45 Overs) by 7 wickets
9/12/2016 England 79-3 (19.1 Overs) beat Victoria 78 All Out (40.1 Overs) by 7 Wickets
7/12/2016 England 60+ 135-4 (33.4 Overs) beat Victoria Metro 134-8 (45 Overs) by 6 wickets
6/12/2016 England 60+ 250-6 (45 Overs) lost to Victoria Country XI 251-4 (42.3 Overs) by 6 wickets
England retain the ASHES by winning the 2nd Test Match at Bulleen
4/12/2016 England 60+ 226-9 (50 Overs) beat Australia 60+ 217-9 (50 Overs) by 9 Runs
2/12/2016 England 60+ 220-8 (45 Overs) beat Tasmania/Victoria XI 147-9 (44.2 Overs) by 73 Runs
29/11/2016 England 60+ 155-8 (45 Overs) beat Victoria Country XI 145 All Out (43.3 Overs0 by 10 runs
27/11/2016 1st Ashes Test Match at Canberra
England 60+ 193-4 (35.1 Overs) beat Australia 60+ 192-6 (50 Overs) by 6 Wickets
24/11/2016 England 60+ 165-7 (45 Overs) beat Canberra Overs 60's 115 All Out-7 (38.4 Overs) by 50 runs.
22/11/2016 England 60+ 182-5 (44.2 Overs) beat NSW City XI 156-7 (45 Overs) by 5 wickets.
21/11/2016 England 60+ 157-5 (35.1 Overs) beat NSW Country XI 156-7 (45 Overs) by 5 wickets.
Link to the new England Seniors Play Cricket website
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Link to the dedicated England 60s 2016 Ashes Tour website
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England 60+ Tour to Australia Winter 2016
22/04/2016
The Seevent England 60+ squad enjoyed another training session at Edgbaston on Sunday 22 April in preparation for the forthcoming tour later this year.
The squad were supplied with their touring playing kit together with more formal attire in readiness for the trip down under. After many photographs the players took part in a long training and net session so no doubt there were many sore bodies in the following few days.
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The tour itinerary is almost finalised and will be published in the next few weeks.
The next preparation event is a ‘challenge’ match against last year’s Champions Somerset – to take place at Kidderminster on 22 May.
The new 60s Captain is John Foster (Shropshire) and the new Vice Captain is Chris Swadkin (Kent). Both are top performers with stats to match in ECB 50 /Seevent Cricket and Representative Cricket. The Manager is Andrew Clarke (Shropshire) and the two advisors are Martin Pearse (Norfolk) and Richard Owen (Derbyshire), last years 60 Selectors.
Earlier News
England 60+ Tour to Australia November 2016
The Seevent 60+ committee have asked me to manage the Over 60 tour to Australia in 2016. It is expected to last about 4 weeks and take place in November/December 2016.
The selectors have also appointed John Foster (Shropshire) as Captain and Chris Swadkin (Kent) as vice-captain.
Selection for the Seevent England 60+ squad to tour Australia later this year has now reached the stage where 16 players have been invited to join the touring party.
The selection process covered the following stages:
Nomination from all managers of players from outside their own counties
First cut of those nominated by the initial selection committee plus the selection of Captain and Vice-Captain
Confirmation or otherwise of availability to tour some nominated players were not available for selection
Review of those nominations and players individual performances and career statistics
Trial nets sessions and assessment of comparable ability and general fitness levels by the Tour selection committee
The 17 players represent 14 different county sides and (together with reserves) make up a strong, balanced squad. It has also been decided that a further wild card player will be selected by the end of June having been able to take account of performances during the first stage of the 2016 season so it is likely that the touring party will be 18 players in total, managed by Andrew Clarke.
The 16 players selected are:
John Foster, Chris Swadkin, Bob Plowman, Nick Andrews, Dave Bartholemew, Geoff Beale, Nigel Belletty, Neil Calvert, Ian Caunce, Martin Ivill, Tim Mynott, David Pegg, Trevor Shales, Mike Stafford, Rupert Staple, Murphy Walwyn and Ryland Wallace.
A number of reserves have been placed on standby should any of these be unable to take part.
To provide you with some background information about the Tour, the key details are as follows:
Duration: approximately 4 week from Mid November 2016
Location: this is still being discussed but it is likely to be based around Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney
Itinerary: - this is still to be finalised but it is expected to involve 13 matches of which 3 will be Test Matches. It is anticipated at this stage that each player will play a minimum of 6/7 matches.
Kit it is expected that payers will be provided with playing and training kit along with a blazer for wearing at any official functions we may be required to attend.
Cost: we have decided that all players should arrange their own flights to and from Australia to allow additional flexibility for people who wish to arrange stopovers or arrive / leave at different times after the Tour has finished. The tour has to be self-financing so all players will be expected to cover their own costs.
Accurate information is not available at this stage but I would anticipate that it would cost around £3500 per player plus your own travel within the UK, your flight costs to and from Australia and your own spending money. We will be actively trying to attract sponsorship which will reduce the cost.
Andrew Clarke
[email protected]
07974740004
