Vintage Cricket Cape Town, July 2009 - Newsletter No 4
What a great time to be a cricket fan-a remarkable T20 World Cup saw the welcome return to centre stage of Pakistan and a comprehensive display of dominant cricket from the England Womens team.
Test cricket is still in vogue, despite what Chris Gayle says, with a series in Sri Lanka and the long awaited Ashes Series starts in England this month with two very well matched teams sure to give great entertainment and enjoyment for weeks to come. This month also see Bangladesh in the West Indoes for a 2 Test Series followed by a couple of One-Dayers.
How good to see the continued development of Ireland Cricket on the international stage. The developing of a satisfactory transition for the so-called minnows to full Test Status is something that must be of importance to the ICC as the love of the great game spreads. We have received a great letter about another level of cricket in Ireland ... see the details below.
Vintage Cricket continues to develop and expand with some great progress towards the 5th World Vintage Cricket Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa. The British Lions Rugby team has just completed a tour of South Africa followed by what was reputed to be 30,000 supporters who enjoyed the delights of the Rainbow Nation. A very successful FIFA Confederation Cup has been staged as a forerunner to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next year.
But before the FIFA World Cup, Cape Town will host a world gathering of Vintage Cricketers in an atmosphere of fun, friendship and competition. Entries are continuing to come in but there is still plenty of time to get your entry in to us. It is a going to be a great Carnival with plenty to do and to discuss.
In this newsletter read about:
Read on and learn more about Vintage Cricket-the version of the game for all players, teams and clubs over the age of 35 and about the fabulous Cape Town Vintage Cricket Carnival, 21 to 27 March, 2010.
Yours in cricket
Peter McDermott
Vintage Cricket Office
Level 1, 250 Mahurangi East Rd
PO Box 78, Snells Beach 0942, New Zealand
Telephone: (+64) 9 425 5295; Facsimile: (+64) 9 425 6956
Email: peter@vintagecricket.com
Website: www.vintagecricket.com
"Cricket At Its Best - Designed For Mature Cricketers By Mature Cricketers"
Good things about Cape Town and the Western Province from one of our supporters. We received this ringing endorsement of Cape Town as a destination. The following are some extracts from a message from Jeremy Kannemeyer in New Zealand. All good reasons to think hard about making the trip to be part of another wonderful "Celebration of Cricket":
CAN I COME?
This looks like a really well thought out and planned trip.
George and environs:
Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of South Africa – some good fun. The Cango Caves are well worth a trip.
Things to do could include a visit to Plettenberg Bay (beach escape for the locals) or the Wilderness coastal reserve. The road trip from George to Cape Town is called the Garden Route and it goes through a spectacular range of country side, including desert (Karoo), mountains and fantastic coastal scenery.
Cape Town:
A spectacular city! The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, close to where the Carnival hotels are, is a hive of activity, situated on the docks with Table Mountain as a backdrop.
Musts while you are in Cape Town include:
- A visit to the botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch. The gardens are nestled on the side of Table Mountain and you could spend at least half a day there. Lots of walks, tearoom/restaurant.
- Cable car to the top of Table Mountain. You could also choose to walk up (and down). If you’re adventurous you can get the cable car up, walk across table Mountain and end up a Kirstenbosch – count on a day.
- A trip out to Cape Point (which is nature reserve).
- A boat trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
- The Winelands including Stellenbosch and Paarl.
Food to try:
- From the braai – boerewoers, a very flavoursome coiled sausage. Also sosarties (meat on skewers) and samosas.
- Biltong – dried meat
- Desserts – melktert (milk tart) and ko (e) ksisters – croissant like pastry in syrup.
South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with amazing contrasts and fantastic cultural diversity."
Jeremy Kannemeyer (extracts from his advice to the Fingletoads).
Vintage Cricket has been served by a distinguished list of cricket gentlemen who have been Patrons of our Carnivals. Greg Chappell was the 1st Patron at Adelaide in 2003, followed by Barry Richards in Perth in 2005, the late Sir Clyde Walcott in Barbados in 2006, Dennis Amiss in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2008 and now Clive van Ryneveld in Cape Town 2010.
Widely considered one of the greatest all-round sportsmen produced by South Africa, by the time Clive van Ryneveld left Oxford University, where he was a double Blue, he had already been capped at cricket and rugby (the latter as a three-quarter for England). He was a talented batsman, useful legspinner and outstanding fielder.
He toured England in 1951 making 983 runs at 29.78, which included a career-best 150 against Yorkshire, and also enjoyed a good series against New Zealand in 1953-54.
But as the demands of his career as a barrister began to take more of his time, his cricketing outings grew less frequent, but he was still able to captain South Africa against England in 1956-57 and Australia the following summer. He retired from cricket and subsequently became a member of the House of Assembly.
Clive played 19 tests (724 runs at 26.81 and 17 wickets at 39.47) and 101 1st class matches (4,803 runs at 30.20 including 4 centuries and 206 wickets at 30.24-best figures 8 for 48).
Clive is believed to be the oldest living South African captain. He is currently Vice-President of Western Province Cricket Club and still very active within the club. He makes a very welcome addition to our list of esteemed Patrons.
Great to receive news that some old friends are making the trip to Cape Town:
- Western Australia Masters led by the redoubtable Vintage Cricket regular, Larry Davies.
- Shropshire Over 50’s who will be taking part in their 3rd World Vintage Carnival.
- Sussex Goldies who are Vintage regulars and a popular team at all the Carnivals.
New to a World Vintage Cricket Carnival:
- Australia Cricket Society, Melbourne who have enjoyed two Trans Tasman Vintage Carnivals.
Local teams who have made the commitment include:
- Host Club, Western Province Cricket Club who intend to have 2 teams taking part.
- Edgemead Cricket Club, a well-established local club promising some great facilities and hospitality.
- Scorpions Cricket Club, another experienced host club committed to making the Carnival enjoyable for all visiting teams.
Keep an eye out for the entries expected from various parts of the world. If you want to join the teams already committed and those on the point of entering why not take the opportunity to enter online by following this link..........entry details here
And don’t forget that you will still qualify for the Early Bird Specials if your entry is received before 31st August, 2009.
Early Bird Entries:
All entries from teams taking a full package received before the 31st August 2009 will go into a draw for one of the following three prizes for their team:
- A team dinner at one of Cape Town’s leading restaurants on the V&A Waterfront.
- A set of attractive Carnival polo shirts commemorating their visit to the Cape Town Carnival.
- A team dinner at Cape Town Africa-Mama Africa on Long Street.
All teams taking a full package and enter prior to 31st August 2009 as well as being in the draw will receive an entertainment pack of local beer, wine and juice so that the 1st drink will be on us.
So why not enter now...check out www.vintagecricket.com
Our recent news about Ireland led to the following interesting communication from Ian Maxwell of Dublin, Ireland. Great to hear that variations of Vintage Cricket exist in one of cricket’s lovely regions.
Hello from Dublin, Ireland
I'm not sure whether you have heard from any Irish connections before, regarding Vintage Cricket or Taverners, as we call it here? You did give Ireland a very nice mention in your latest email, and very well deserved too.
Regarding 'Pensioners' Cricket in Dublin.
Dublin has a population of app 1.25 million and over the past 10 years or so quite a few overseas nationals have come to live. In greater Dublin there are approx 30 Taverner Teams - I have tried to put together an unofficial membership listing, giving all the details of the teams concerned, but when I circulated it, replies came back giving me more team names than before.
Originally, teams came together from Rugby clubs, just wanting some loose keep fit during the summer, but it expanded as the years went on. My team, Howth Taverners, commenced app 30 years ago, and I joined up with them 28 years ago. However since then teams have started in Banks, Insurance Company, Pubs, etc. Some teams are off-shoots of Senior Irish Clubs.
The biggest problem is getting usage of grounds............for a variety of reasons. My own team have played on Clontarf International ground for the past 5 years but we have had to move on as the club now have so many kids that they required our Wednesday slot for an internal league programme.
As regards age - yes it used be old age pensioners. I am 67 which makes me almost 3 times older than 2 or 3 in the team! Some have come from cricketing schools but don’t want the hassle or have the time for nets practice, etc....................others have just stopped by to watch the game and have joined up. By and large all teams would have a broad sweep of ages.
Last season we had in our team 4 South African, 1 Australian, 1 Indian, 1 English leaving a few slots for the locals! Last night we had 1 New Zealander .....from 80 k south of Auckland, a school teacher who came here for experience, met an Irish lass and won’t be going home.
As regards rules. Match consists of 20 overs per side. Batsman cannot be out 1st ball, no leg before, and must retire at 20, if a boundary takes him over that he gets the credit. All 10 fielders bowl 2 overs. Only 2 wides allowed per over, if they persist then the umpire can call 'over-up'. And a game last app 2.5+ hours. And naturally adjourns to the bar afterwards.
And yes we do have the occasional 'big name ' in a game. A number of years ago a retired South African Test Team member played against us, and last summer the SA reserve keeper played for the opposition.
Peter, I hope this information is of interest to you? Best wishes for the future and keep up the good work.
Cheers
Ian Maxwell
Though the rules are altered a little to what we play in Vintage Cricket Carnivals, the philosophy is the same.....fun and friendship on and off the field.
An international in progress at Clontarf CC
Our newsletters have provoked some interesting cricket news about teams from some real cricket outposts. We received a recent letter from Fred Taylor of the Belhus Cricket Club out of Essex:
My club Belhus CC enjoyed a great day yesterday hosting Prague Cricket Club (yes the Czech Republic) at our North Stifford ground. The founders of the club have built up a playing base of around 60 players, but need help with coaching and getting cricket firmly into the minds of the sporty Czech's. With limited faculties, mainly flick cricket surfaces to play on, they have some excellent players, many ex pats, but some home grown Czech's and a Pole yesterday.
The Prague boys have visited our shores as a touring team in the past, throughout their stay we learned so much about the players and the club. They have a large player base and some are local, I understand the Czech Republic is a member of the ICC. For me all the hard work Prague Cricket Club are putting into getting cricket established, the club was formed in 1997, is getting little reward. Some pressure on Czech authoriites may help their cause to get a proper cricket square constructed. They have a ground and use a matting wicket.
The link below shows video evidence of the day. Belhus CC v Prague (11th May 2009)
http://www.yourthurrock.com/category/sport/page/2/ The day will be recorded in my clubs (Belhus Cricket Club) history, we would like our association to grow and if we can in anyway help get cricket firmly established, we would get great satisfaction from it. I am already making plans for future visits from the Prague boys as well as sending a team over to reciprocate their visits.
Best Regards
Fred Taylor
Fixture Secretary
Belhus Cricket Club
Essex, England
Take the time to check out the clip on You Tube and to admire the pioneering spirit of cricketers in some of the more obscure cricketing centres. The Prague Cricket Club would welcome any assistance or advice that Vintage Cricketers could offer. Contact: Honza@cricket.cz
Always Great to Hear from Cricket Lovers wherever they are in the World:
Hello Peter,
We are very pleased to read your newsletter every time.
We are based in Paris and our ground is located in Chantilly (very British town).
In future, if your team visits France, do not hesitate to contact me to play a game with us.
Keep in touch and good luck for this cricket season.
Best regard,
Chetan PATEL
Président CCSB95
Cricket Club de Saint Brice 95
www.ccsb95.com
Isn’t it great to see cricket being played in all parts of the world and through the enthusiasm that keeps the game alive and growing. Long may it last.
Our host club have won a prestigious award at the conclusion of their season just completed. It is considered extremely rare for a "previously advantaged" club to win too many awards so this is especially valued.
"I am delighted to let you know that, at the Western Province Cricket Amateur Awards Dinner on 9 May, Western Province Cricket Club was honoured with the President's "Club of the Year" Award. The criteria that are taken into account include efficient administration; performance in all the leagues; spirit, attitude and behaviour of players, officials and supporters; provincial representation; the standard of facilities and their improvement; and the club's general contribution to the WPCA."
It is obvious we are in very good hands and our congratulations go to Neil Watson (Chairman) and all members of the Western Province Cricket Club, the host club of the 5th World Vintage Cricket Carnival.
The organisers of the 5th World Vintage Cricket Carnival are ready and very willing to welcome teams to Cape Town. Already there are teams returning because of their enjoyable visits previously and teams visiting for the 1st time.
Cape Town is Africa’s most popular visitor destination with a great climate, wonderful natural settings and a well-developed infrastructure. The city has several well-known natural features most notably Table Mountain which forms a large part of a National Park. There are a range of beaches and a fabulous waterfront precinct featuring restaurants and bars.
The sporting facilities are of the highest quality and the city and surrounds have fine traditions of outstanding cricket. The world famous Newlands Cricket Ground will host the Opening Function and participants in the Carnival will be able to tread the field that has in the past been home to fabulous players including our Patron, Clive van Ryneveld, Gary Kirsten, Brian MacMillan, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mike Procter.
Teams and players attending the Carnival will enjoy a unique opportunity to enjoy one of the great cricketing centres of the world-and recent hosts of the IPL Twenty/Twenty competition of 2009.
Maybe it is time to take the decision to enter your team and enjoy a detailed week long program of cricket, tourist and social activities. Check out the program by following this link to www.vintagecricket.com Carnival Packages.
Enter your team on line here or you can download the entry form and send it to us at the addresses on the Entry Form.
If you can’t get a full team or want to come as an individual or part of a small group of players, just let us know and we can arrange to top up your team, merge your part team with a team in a similar situation or place you in one of the teams looking for players. Just let us know by sending an email giving us details of the type of team that would suit you.
Vintage Cricket Carnival, Cape Town, 21st to 27th March, 2010-Good Cricket, Good Fun, Good Company, Good People, Good Grounds, Good Clubs and extra Good Value.