Over 60s inter-state cricket got under way following the publication in the SMH of a letter type notice by John Hammer from Victoria inviting NSW to organise a fixture against Victoria for over 60 players.
Col Dennis responded to the invitation, and he then took it on himself to do all the organisational work in putting together a team, from old cricket mates from a number of places and with a variety of cricket backgrounds, as well as arranging practice sessions and negotiating with Concord Council and the Briars club re the use of Rothwell Park for the first match.
The first match was scheduled for 6 April, 2005, at Rothwell Park. This ground was chosen because of Col’s long association with the Briars Club, where he had played both rugby and cricket over many seasons.
All the chosen few were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to regenerate playing careers that had seemed to be long over. It must be remembered that at this time there were limited other opportunities to play once you had reached a playing retirement age. I think Masters Cricket, over 40 was available but little else, especially for old blokes. So few of us had anticipated the establishment of an over 60s format.
The players began practising on a weekly basis in the nets at Frank Downing Sportsground, Putney. I seem to recall well over a dozen hopefuls attending these sessions, and being pleasantly surprised how well these old blokes were still able to play.
I don’t remember who it was who organised caps for the team, but he did a great job and the caps appeared fairly quickly. The baggy cap was navy blue, of course, with a logo which proudly announced the arrival of New South Wales Swinging Sixties Cricket. I still have my cap, picture below. Strangely, a bit of a mystery about the caps as the man who had arranged for their production was not seen soon again after the caps arrived. And I certainly don’t remember paying for a cap!
On the day of the match, it was quite rainy early but covers kept the wicket dry and we managed to start pretty much on time. I have the score card somewhere but am not able to find it at the moment. Victoria won the toss and batted first at a somewhat conservative rate, to achieve a respectable but not too convincing score which we managed to reach with plenty of overs and wickets to spare. With a brace of wickets and some useful runs, Bobby Hooke was named NSW Man of the Match.
After the match, we adjourned to the nearby Greenlees Bowling Club (now part of the Briars Club) for a meal, speeches and presentation of Man of the Match awards. Pictured below is Bobby Hooke and his Victorian counterpart.
I cannot stress enough how important Col Dennis was to the setting up of the first match, and for taking the lead in organising the team for some time afterwards. Certainly, he was a part of the NSW teams that went to Melbourne in 2006 and 2007. I notice that Kevin Finlay was a member of the all-conquering NSW team in Melbourne that year.
For some inexplicable reason, Col dropped out of Over 60s cricket at about this time. I used to see Col for some years after on an irregular basis, and I kept him informed as to the growth of O60s cricket. He never offered a reason for his discontinued level of participation. Perhaps his health may have been a factor in his dropping out of the burgeoning growth of vintage cricket.
I strongly suggest that Col deserves special mention in any recognition of those players as pioneers of what is now VCNSW. The huge growth of O60s cricket since its inception in 2005, means that many players, whose cricketing careers were over, were able to continue playing well into their vintage years, a result that may not have been possible without the work done by Col Dennis as the leading pioneer and instigator of the first NSW and Victoria O60s cricket match. In recognition of Col’s contribution, a trophy named after Col?
NSW Over 60s v Victoria 6 April, 2005
NSW Over 60s team - Col Dennis is front row far right
Victoria Over 60s team - John Hammer is first left in the front row
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