Sporting more creases
More than 500 ‘‘ vintage’’ cricketers descend on Wellington next month for a cricket carnival hosted by the Tawa Turtles.
The Turtles, a group of likeminded cricketers, was established in 1988. They play other sides from the lower North Island semi-regularly and often travel to international tournaments such as the Vintage Cricket Carnival.
The last event was in Stratford-upon-avon in 2008. Other carnivals have been held in Perth, Cape Town and Barbados. The Turtles have been to 15 in all.
‘‘We’ve found with all the trips we’ve attended it’s been about meeting people and enjoying not just the cricket but the social aspect of it all. It’s great fun, a really good occasion,’’ Grant Baker said.
This year’s tournament runs from March 18 to 23 and there are 18 teams from New Zealand (nine from the Wellington region) and 14 teams from as far afield as England, the Netherlands, Singapore, USA and Australia. The Turtles are hosting the event in conjunction with Cricket Wellington and Vintage Sport and Leisure.
Ewen Chatfield will be turning out for a Naenae side and is the carnival patron, while other past internationals involved include Warren Stott, Gavin Larsen and Geoff Howarth.
Matches will be played at Linden Park, Ngatitoa Domain, possibly Endeavour Park, and venues in the Hutt Valley and Wellington.
Mr Baker said organising has been thorough.
‘‘It’s going to be great for the entire region; hotels, bars and restaurants will do well out of it, and there is a golf day and train trip planned to the Wairarapa. Not only will the visitors be playing cricket, they’ll be sampling what we have to offer here.’’
He said his side had a strong core of players who had been around for 25 years but they were looking to blood new members at this event.
Tournament manager Peter Mcdermott said it was about celebrating the game ‘‘with good play on the field and friendship and fraternity off it’’.
‘‘The carnival is based on friendship and fun, and shows that people of all ages can enjoy their cricket,’’ Mr Mcdermott said.
‘‘It enables players in their 40s, 50s or 60s to again demonstrate that they were once competitive.’’
The tournament will be opened by Wellington mayor Celia Wade-brown at Te Papa on March 18.
Matches will be 40 overs and will take place on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The schedule can be found on vintagecricket.com.