A MILESTONE DAY FOR ROKEBY TRIO

DAVID Henderson was retired for four years — until he found out on his 60th birthday that he had finished stranded on 499 games.

He was set to make his return in fourth grade for the Rokeby Cricket Club this weekend for one match to reach 500 — until he found out that his great mates, brothers Rodney and Jason Callinan, will both notch up 400 games in their first grade fixture.

So now, more than one-quarter of the Rokeby first grade XI that takes on Montagu Bay in the Southern Cricket Association at Clarendon Vale Oval today will be celebrating a major milestone, as Henderson, and Rodney and Jason Callinan take to the field.

Henderson, an all-rounder, played at Rokeby with the Callinan brothers for more than two decades, and said it would be “extra special” to reach a milestone alongside them.

“I was going to play fourth grade, but then I realised that they were both playing their 400th, so I decided to play with them on Saturday,” Henderson said.

He said it was an easy decision to play one more match when he found out he was so close to 500.

“I’ve been at training the last three weeks, I’m not taking it lightly,” he said. “I don’t want to be going out there and being a liability for them.”

Henderson has re-signed for Rokeby, and said he may even play beyond 500 games. “I’m not getting around the field as quick as I used to be, but if they’re short they’ve got my number and I’ll just turn up and play for them,” he said.