NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2010

The 5th World Vintage Cricket Carnival at Cape Town was a fantastic success. The cricketers, supporters, umpires, wives, partners and friends who attended all seemed to have a great time and many of the participants reckoned it was the best yet.

Great weather, wonderful cricket clubs, fantastic facilities, excellent turf pitches and hospitality that exceeded all expectations made Cape Town a great place to be for the Vintage Cricket fraternity. Features of a wonderful week's "Celebration of the Great Game of Cricket" included:

• 26 teams taking part on individual ovals of particularly high quality.
• Players from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA and Barbados took part representing well in excess of 50 clubs world-wide.
• A fantastic Opening Party at the historic Western Province Cricket Club Pavilion at the Newlands Cricket International Oval.
• A memorable Welcome Address from the Carnival Patron, Clive van Ryneveld who has the unique record of having represented England at Rugby and captained South Africa at cricket.
• A fun Finale Dinner at the Western Province Cricket Club Indoor School skillfully converted into a welcoming tent like function room-the friendships renewed and created during the week were celebrated in appropriate manner.
• The interesting and enjoyable address delivered by renowned South African radio and television commentator, Trevor Quirk.

And now from one great cricket destination to another -the 6th World Vintage Cricket Carnival is to be staged in Wellington, New Zealand in March 2012. Teams and players over the age of 35, irrespective of agility, ability and experience are invited to come to the exciting capital city of New Zealand and enjoy a week of great cricket, fun and friendship.

In this newsletter read the welcome messages from the organisers of the Wellington Carnival, learn a bit about New Zealand's popular capital city and enjoy some historical anecdotes about cricket in Wellington.

Yours in cricket

Welcome from Carnival Patron - Ewen Chatfield

"I am honoured to be selected by my Tawa Turtles colleagues to be the Patron of the 6th International Vintage Cricket Carnival which takes place in Wellington in 2012. Wellington in March can be a spectacular place to play cricket with numerous club grounds in ideal settings around the city. I trust that some of you will get the opportunity to play at my own club at Naenae Park, where I will be ready to great you with an over or two.

As a player who is still playing this great game of cricket each season, the concept of the Vintage Cricket Carnivals is a significant attraction. I've just been to the Vintage Cricket Carnival in Cape Town and had a ball. I am excited about participating in Wellington in 2012 and meeting all of you as you enjoy the cricket against players from all around the world with friendship and fun in mind. I can assure you of a memorable time."

Ewen Chatfield played Test and One Day International cricket for New Zealand between 1975 and 1989. He played 43 Tests and took 123 wickets and scored 180 runs. He played in 114 One Day Internationals and took 140 wickets and scored 118 runs. He formed an effective and respected opening bowling partnership with the incomparable Sir Richard Hadlee.

A popular, approachable cricketer who was among the most accurate opening bowlers of his time, Ewen still plays for Naenae and looks fit and young enough to still play representative cricket. Instead we have the enjoyment of looking forward to seeing Ewen take a full part in the 6th World Vintage Cricket Carnival in Wellington, March 18 to 24, 2012.

On behalf of Cricket Wellington and your hosts the Tawa Turtles, I warmly invite you to attend the 2012 edition of Vintage Cricket here in Wellington.

Home to Blackcap legends such as Ewen Chatfield and Stephen Fleming, Wellington has a proud and rich cricket heritage. This heritage is most importantly signified by the Basin Reserve. Nestled in the heart of the city, the Basin is New Zealand's premier Test venue and one of only 11 worldwide to have hosted more than 50 tests. Situated with the Basin is the New Zealand Cricket Museum, the spiritual heart of Cricket in this country and home to its most important treasures.

The carnival games will be played on some of Wellington's premier club grounds, each with its own traditions and unique atmosphere. Timed for mid-March, the Carnival is well placed to take advantage of Wellington's settled late summer weather.

Known as the 'Events Capital of New Zealand', the city provides a wide range of entertainment after the days play. So regardless of how the cricket goes, visitors to Wellington will leave with fond memories of their time here. We welcome your involvement in the Wellington tournament and hope to see you in 2012.

Yours Sincerely

North City Cricket Club Golden Oldies: The Tawa Turtles

The Tawa Turtles has been engaged in golden oldies and vintage cricket since 1987 when a group of players within the Tawa Cricket Club (renamed in 2007 to North City Cricket Club) of sufficient age and experience agreed to enter a team in the Golden Oldies festival held in Brisbane in late September 1988. Since that first festival the Tawa Turtles have played over a hundred matches in fifteen festivals around the world and with the regular local games and against visiting teams at home. This includes tournaments in Brisbane, Vancouver, Christchurch, Birmingham, Sydney, Capetown, Rotorua, Albury, Vancouver, Buenos Aires, Perth, Colombo, Barbados, Queenstown and Stratford upon Avon.

It may appear that the Turtles only exist to have a good time, well that is absolutely true. A large part of the philosophy of the Tawa Turtles is active involvement of wives and partners in all of the activities. The Turtles group now numbers over fifty members and we are constantly seeking to grow their numbers.

Tawa, a suburb of Wellington is nestled in a valley north of the city. The North City Cricket club has been in existence since 1947 and has been a major contributor to junior and senior cricket for Wellington and the province. Our home ground, Linden Park has some of the best facilities for a small club in Wellington and all visitors will enjoy the tree lined ground and the convivial facilities in the club rooms. The Tawa Turtles ladies are renowned for the great lunches, afternoon teas and evening meals provided in the clubrooms as well as the strong support for their partners on and off the field.

Any team that comes to Wellington will thoroughly enjoy the friendship, fraternity and fun that is always a key part of the Vintage philosophy.

Organising Team (from left): Murray Kerr, Robert Armstrong, Grant Baker (Chairman), Murray Riley

Welcome from Grant Baker, Chair of the Tawa Turtles Host Committee

I am very pleased to invite and welcome our visitors and local cricketers to the 6th International Vintage Cricket tournament in Wellington in March 2012. You are in for a memorable time.

I have been a member of the Tawa Turtles since 1989 and have thoroughly enjoyed cricket tournaments all around the world along with other Tawa Turtles players and our wives, and we know what you as cricketers, supporters and partners want to get out of the week.

The tournament in Wellington will bring you to one of the most amazing small cities in the world, with a fantastic backdrop of native bush, hills and the ocean. As the political centre of New Zealand you will delight in visiting our national museum, Te Papa, and our fantastic waterfront and then wine and dine in the wide range of bars and restaurants that abound the city.

We will ensure that you leave Wellington at the end of the week having once again thoroughly enjoyed a Vintage cricket tournament and in this case in the fantastic surroundings of Wellington.

Yours in cricket

Grant Baker
Tawa Turtles and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Vintage Cricket Carnival, Wellington 2012

Wellington Vintage Cricket Carnival Cricketing Ambassadors:

We are fortunate to have great cricketing Ambassadors for the Vintage Cricket Carnival in Wellington.

Gavin Larsen, an outstanding New Zealand representative who played 8 Tests and 121 One Day Internationals between 1990 and 1999. Gavin took 24 Test wickets and 113 One Day International wickets at the incredible season economy rate of only 3.76 runs per over. Gavin is now Chief Executive of Wellington Cricket Association and obviously very involved with the sport he loves ... and we reckon we will get him back on the pitch during the Carnival in Wellington.

From left: Gavin Larsen, Grant Baker, Bryan Waddle and Ewen Chatfield.

Bryan Waddle, a very useful senior club cricketer in his time, is known as the voice of New Zealand Cricket having been a leading radio commentator for over 25 years. Bryan has appeared on radio broadcasts world-wide and during a stint with Test Match Special in England, BBC Sport wrote the following tribute....

"Bryan Waddle has been a great favourite in the Test Match Special box since he took over as New Zealand radio's leading cricket commentator. His style is matter-of-fact, unafraid to call a spade a spade.

He is also versatile, having done considerable service as a disc jockey, specialising in the music of the '60s, which can make him a great asset at a party. The post-World Cup press karaoke party was enlivened by his multiple renditions.

For years he has been covering New Zealand tours overseas as a one-man band. In many parts of the Indian sub-continent he has made a habit of converting his hotel bathroom into a radio studio - slightly unnerving for members of the New Zealand team invited to be interviewed.

Bryan is a sparky individual, fiercely proud of his country."

Bryan will be another who provided his commentary commitments do not interfere, will be strutting his stuff on the fields of his beloved Wellington at the Carnival.

Our local Ambassadors got together to prepare a Welcome Video which clearly demonstrates their full support for the Carnival. Take a look at the Vintage Cricket Wellington Video on our website at www.vintagecricket.com or by clicking here.

Cricket in Wellington-a brilliant place to play, watch and enjoy our great game.

• The first cricket match recorded in Wellington was in 1840-the year that New Zealand was accepted as part of the British Empire and the historic Treaty of Waitangi was signed by representatives of the British Government and a strong representation of Maori Chiefs.
• One of the world's great Test Grounds, Wellington's Basin Reserve was originally a shallow lagoon that the original settlers intended to be an inland anchorage with direct access to Wellington Harbour. An earthquake in 1855 fixed that plan as the lagoon was raised by 6 feet and became a swamp. In 1857 a group of citizens petitioned the Council to set aside the area as a public reserve and cricket ground. Prison labour was used to complete the drainage and the Basin Reserve became Wellington's home of cricket in 1866.
• The Basin Reserve is the only cricket ground in New Zealand to have Historic Place status. The ground has been used for events other than cricket, such as concerts, sports events and other social gatherings, but it is now almost solely used for cricket, particularly Test matches.
• The outstanding New Zealand Cricket Museum is based in the Old Grandstand at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, and houses a wealth of cricket treasures and memorabilia. Housing a great collection that ranges from one of the oldest cricket bats in existence ('Addington Bat', 1743), to a cricket ball constructed of string by a prisoner of war. Fronting on to the Test Ground the New Zealand Cricket Museum is well worth a visit during your week at the Vintage Cricket Carnival.

A great moment at the Basin Reserve - 1986: There was much interest surrounding the first Test in 1986 between New Zealand and Australia with Richard Hadlee one wicket away from becoming the sixth bowler in Test cricket to capture 300 wickets in Tests.

Hadlee was in the form of his life and it was fitting that he would hopefully reach that mark at the Basin Reserve, the ground that helped propel him to stardom a decade before with match winning bowling in Tests against India in 1976 and England in 1978. In the three-match series in Australia, won by New Zealand 2-1, he had ravaged the Australian batting and picked up 33 wickets, including 9 for 52 in the first innings of the Brisbane Test.

When it was learned that New Zealand was bowling first the crowd swelled as spectators flocked to see Hadlee capture his 300th wicket. They were patient, having to wait until later in the day after some solid batting by the Australian top order carried them to 166 for 2 late in the middle session. But debutant Stu Gillespie picked up the wicket of Wayne Philips and three balls later came the moment everyone had been waiting for with Hadlee having skipper Allan Border trapped LBW - and history was once more made on the Basin.

Photo from Richard Hadlee's book "Rhythm and Swing".

Not such a good moment at the Basin Reserve-1946: The first Australia and New Zealand Test was played in 1946 in the immediate aftermath of World War Two. Although the Australian squad was missing a few big names - Don Bradman the most glaring absentee, sidelined by fibrositis, it was nevertheless immensely powerful. Among the senior players was the captain, Bill Brown and Sid Barnes, the leading run scorer in 1945-46 who had made his debut in the Oval Test of 1938. The bowling was led by the 40 year-old Tiger O'Reilly, who had taken 33 wickets at 14.36 in the season just finished but whose ageing knees were causing him trouble. Two of the three bowlers who had taken more than that - Ernie Toshack and Colin McCool - were also included and the fast bowling was spearheaded by the young Ray Lindwall.

Even if the match been played on a true pitch, New Zealand would have struggled. "It had been so wet in Wellington for a week before the scheduled start on March 29 that it was not feasible to mow the outfield" New Zealand captain, Walter Hadlee explained. "The pitch was saturated and a new one was cut alongside the prepared one."

The captains discussed delaying the start, but the stands were packed so they decided to get on with it. Hadlee won the toss - "possibly the only correct thing I did" - and was then faced with a problem. What to do? "I had hoped to lose the toss so the Australian captain would have had to decide whether to bat or fi ld. I reckoned that with so much moisture in the pitch, Lindwall and Miller would not be able to generate any pace."

Hadlee was right - Miller didn't even bowl - but Toshack, bowling inswing over the wicket to the right-hander with a cordon of close legside fieldsmen, ripped through the top order. Verdun Scott dropped anchor - O'Reilly fumed that he was impossible to bowl at as he never played a shot.

In the over before lunch, O'Reilly got his man and the resistance was over. New Zealand went into the break on 37 for 4, but after the interval it was slaughter as the sun came out. In Men in White, a history of New Zealand cricket, the rest of the innings was summed up in one paragraph. "In O'Reilly's second over after lunch Rowe was bowled with the first ball, Butterfield was leg-before-wicket to the fourth, and McRae lofted the last ball into the hands of Lindsay Hassett at deep square leg. Ces Burke was trapped in front by Toshack in the next over then Eric Tindill, who had seen little of the bowling, attempted to turn the off spinner to the on side but was beaten and the ball took his leg stump. Jack Cowie was stumped by Don Tallon off O'Reilly and the debacle was over. Toshack took 4 for 12, O'Reilly 5 for 14.

The Australians started batting in mid-afternoon, and Cowie briefly cheered the 20,000 crowd when he demolished Ken Meuleman's stumps in the fi rst over, but Brown and Barnes got them to 118 for 1 as the clouds reappeared and the life went out of the pitch. Burke removed them both in the last session, but Australia closed on 149 for 3 and in a strong position. But the next morning the pitch was again damp, although 28 runs came off the first five overs. Then Cowie ripped through the middle-order with four wickets in eleven overs, fi nishing with 6 for 40. With only thetail remaining, Brown declared to give his bowlers use of the helpful conditions.

The New Zealand second innings is again neatly summed up in Men in White. "Every vantage point around the Basin was occupied when Hadlee and Mac Anderson opened the New Zealand second innings. Less than two hours later the last wicket had fallen and the home team had suffered its second humiliation in as many days. Only Merv Wallace and Tindill reached double figures, and extras provided the fourth-highest contribution to the total of 54.

However, such was the public's interest in cricket after the lean war years that the Cricket Council collected record gate takings of £3,000." The game was over by tea on the second day. As for the match itself, Hadlee was philosophical. "The result would have been the same had we fielded first, but the margin may have been smaller."

For O'Reilly it was the end. He had been troubled by problems with his right knee and he knew it would not stand up to another season. He sat in the dressing-room, took off his boots and lobbed them out of the window.

From "Beating up your Neighbour" by Martin Williamson, Cricinfo, 16.06.2007

Interested in Coming to the Vintage Cricket Carnival, Wellington, March 2012:

The 6th World Vintage Cricket Carnival in March 2012 is restricted to 40 visiting teams and already we have interest from teams from USA, Canada, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

The 1st entries have been received from local teams including Tawa Turtles, from Hollywood Golden Oldies, Fingletoads Internationals and Auckland University Fingletoads.

The Carnival Packages will be available within a fortnight or so but in the meantime why not consider formally registering your interest...just follow this link and fill out the form.

And a Little Bit About Wellington:

Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, has so much to offer. Set on the edge of a stunning harbour and surrounded by rolling hills, it's a city waiting to be explored.

Wellington is known as New Zealand's arts and culture capital. A special blend of heritage buildings, museums and galleries, fine food and live entertainment opportunities make this city a great place to visit in any season.

Part of Wellington's charm is its close proximity to nature. The central city is nestled between a beautiful harbour and forested hills. Wildlife sanctuaries, islands, seaside villages, ocean beaches and regional parks provide huge scope for outdoor fun.

Carnival Hotels are in the vibrant inner city, where it's easy to walk to boutique shops, art galleries, trendy cafés and restaurants. Dominating the spectacular waterfront is Te Papa Tongrewa - the interactive, innovative museum that's one of New Zealand's key cultural attractions. At night, the city stays up late to enjoy live theatre, music and dance performances. Wellingtonians love their city, and we're sure you will too.

Supplied by Tourism Wellington.

The Last Word:

... comes from Andre Odeendal, Chief Executive of Western Province Cricket Association ...

"At a time when cricket is taking of in unprecedented ways at the top commercial levels your presence ... reminds us that the soul of cricket still resides in the hundreds of thousands of players from many different backgrounds in many different places who play the game socially for the love of it promoting respect and understanding amongst people in the process".