ON THE FIELD - More photos of the fun in Armidale can be seen here

Armidale, the highest city in Australia, hosted the 2nd Trans Tasman Regional Carnival in late March, early April of the past season. A delightful, genteel and gracious city, Armidale set on the edge of the New England Ranges was a fantastic host city for the 14 teams taking part in a friendly relaxed informal Cricket Carnival. The late summer weather held together (just) so that all teams were able to complete their program of 3 games during a week of celebration of cricket-of friendly competition on the fields and enjoyable company off them.
Armidale has some of the most delightful cricket grounds in New South Wales set in great country city settings. The turf pitches were excellent, the outfields safe and comfortable for Vintage style fielding and the cricket hospitality provided by the Armidale and District Cricket Association was outstanding. Games were played in great spirit and many cricketing friendships were renewed and established.
Teams and players came from New Zealand - Parkvale Puffers from Carterton in the Wairarapa; Cambridge Antiques from the Waikato and the Fingletoads from Auckland (and various other parts of the world). The Fingletoads included players from Canada, USA, Auckland, Armidale, Sydney, Quirindi and even from Bundaberg. Ralph Catts came from Scotland to join the host team the Wheatons and Australian teams came from Broken Hill, Gold Coast, Tenterfield, Tamworth, Newcastle, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Local teams made up the field and ensured that over 250 visitors celebrated the great game of cricket and all that goes with it.
The quality of cricket was varied with players ranging from ex Australian International, Bob Holland playing with the Newcastle Lords Taverners to semi-rookie, Cam Thomas of Portland, Oregon who is a late starter to the game and is now an enthusiastic and increasingly skilled wicket-keeper with the Fingletoads. Not many Americans take up the game in their 40’s and travel the world in pursuit of a game.
Teams were assisted by local school players who provided capable 12th and 13th men who allowed one or two of the less fit to space their fielding time and to enjoy occasional respite on the side-line. The standard of fielding was at times excellent but often a bit indifferent. Throwing arms aren’t quite what they used to be, catching seems a more awkward activity than it was in the past and the tendency to use feet to stop the ball in order to avoid sudden bending were not necessarily an indication of age and lack of agility but a significant result of good socialising (at least for the Fingletoads who took 2 catches during the week and at last count had dropped 12-and they were only the ones that actually went to hand). Not all teams were quite as clumsy and the Parkvale Puffers set unrealistic standards with some of their players actually diving to try and stop the ball-a pastime banned by the medical staff of most teams.
Batting proved to be a skill not easily forgotten and many were the extravagant shots and solid defences displayed by players in all teams. The popular Vintage Cricket rule to retire at 30 and recycle at the end of the innings worked well to ensure all players were able to take a full part and to enjoy the opportunity to bat. Interesting techniques, styles and imaginative shots saw plenty of runs scored.
A wide range of bowling styles were on display and great bowling figures proved more difficult as unfortunately the fielding did not always support the bowling to the fullest. A slight relaxation of the wide rule ensured that there were not too many long overs.
Wicket-keepers as usual dominated proceedings with instructions to fielders and bowlers at will and often in contradiction of the skilful and well thought out plans of their captains.
Vintage Cricket is not about trophies and champions but all teams want to win so in the interests of bragging rights and to prevent exaggeration beyond what is acceptable we have summarised scoresheets that indicate there was some good cricket played from time to time.

In no particular order:
Wheatons 186 for 9 (Piper 57no, Wood 44no, Jex 33, Presow 3for 17, McKay 2 for 31, Williamson 2 for 41, Goodall 1 for 13, Keating 1 for 14). Parkvale Puffers 138 (Brady 33, Williamson 31, Piper 3 for 17, Glover 3 for 12, Coppick 1 for 21, Geddes 1 for 21, Gaywood 1 for 23, Dawson 1 for 26)

South Tamworth Emus 162 for 6 (Whatham 32 ret, Redhead 30 ret, Gehrig 30 ret, Quirk 2 for 23, Black 2 for 13, Fryer 1 for 18, Harrison 1 for 6) Newcastle Lords Taverners 133 for 6 (Brearley 1 for 9, Fleming 1 for 12, Patterson 1 for 19, Redhead 1 for 22)

UNEX 211 for 7 (Griffith 32 ret, Stuckey 32 ret, Herrington 30 no, Higginson 4 for 33, Anderson 1 for 45, Cronin 1 for 51) Gold Coast Dolphins 181 for 6 (Ziph 31 ret, Wendt 30 ret, Rothwell 1 for 22, Griffith 1 for 29, Harris 1 for 7, Stuckey 1 for 25)

Australian Cricket Society 145 for 8 (Toet 33 ret, Clinnick 30 ret, Taylor 3 for 15, Jackson 2 for 21, Wright 2 for 22) Henrys Has Beens of Tenterfield 144 (Cave 31, Lloyd 2 for 17, Smith 2 for 22, Pimm 1 for 5, McNamara 1 for 9, Elvins 1 for 17, Clinnick 1 for 17, Parker 1 for 18)

Wheatons 49ers 134 for 5 (Mark McDermott 32 no, Dalby 2 for 7, Clissy 1 for 8) Outback Emus 137 for 3 (Hanlan 34 ret, Kirk 1 for 18, Gaden 1 for 21, Corcoran 1 for 24)

Fingletoads 114 for 8 (Steer 30 ret, Curtis 2 for 4, G Doust 3 for 17, T Doust 1 for 18, Payne 1 for 10, Alexandrow 1 for 9) CBC Golden Oldies 116 for 5 (Brett 31 ret, Rickard 2 for 15, Campling 2 for 11, Bubdy Bob Burrows 1 for 30)

Cambridge Antiques 166 for 8 ( Warden 35 ret, Webb 30 ret, Spooner 2 for 12, McMillan 1 for 16, Hunt 1 for 8, Gream 1 for 21, Farrar 1 for 28) Wheatons Vintage Crop 142 for 9 (Farrar 33 no, Allpress 4 for 36, Webb 2 for 13, Reeves 1 for 0, Calder 1 for 38)

Wheatons 49ers 149 for 3 (Andrews 32 ret, McDermott 30 ret, Cooper 1 for 6, Radanovic 1 for 19, Zipf 1 for 27) Gold Coast Cricket Society 148 for 9 (Anderson 31 ret, Gaden 5 for 11, Pike 1 for 15, Kirk 1 for 15, Allen 1 for 33)

Australian Cricket Society 135 for 5 (Webb 1 for 9, Calder 1 for 16, Allpress 1 for 5, Steveson 1 for 16) Cambridge Antiques 76 (Pimm 3 for 11, McNamara 2 for 13, Clinnick 2 for 16, Lloyd 2 for 6, Parker 1 for 18)

CBC Golden Oldies 123 for 6 (G Doust 31no, Mackay 2 for 31, Keating 1 for 8, James 1 for12, Goodall 1 for 16, Wilkinson 1 for 17) Parkvale Puffers 118 (Moffat 38, G Doust 3 for 21, Alexander 2 for 2, Adnum 2 for 11, Curtis 1 for 9, Brett 1 for 13, Payne 1 for 13, T Doust 1 for 17)

UNEX 122 for 5 (Stuckey 2 for 14, Harris 2 for 15, Herrington 1 for 20) Outback Emus 113 for 9 (Schofield 2 for 15, Highwood 1 for 10, Watts 2 for 17, Cetinich 1 for 9, Cullen 1 for 13)

Wheatons Vintage Crop 174 for 8 (Warden 33 ret, Cannon 30 ret, Gream 31 ret, Kirk 2 for 18, Davies 1 for 14, Fryer 1 for 15, Levi 1 for 7, Cook 1 for 20) Newcastle Lords Taverners 177 for 7 (Cook 30 ret, Amodio 32 ret, Black 32 ret, Warden 3 for 50, Cannon 1 for 29)
 
Gold Coast Dolphins 146 for 9 (Johnson 30 ret, Murphy 2 for 22, Brennan 3 for 18, Foggo 3 for 17, Cullen 1 for 13) Outback Emus 144 (Brennan 31 ret, Murphy 30 ret, Hanlon 31 ret, Cooper 3 for 19, Higginson 2 for 37, Zipf 1 for 20, Radonovic 1 for 26)

Wheatons 49ers 106 for 8 (McDermott 30 ret, Herrington 3 for 16, Griffith 2 for 18,Stuckey 1 for 15, Buchan 1 for 13) UNEX 104 (Jackson 3 for 19, Corcoran 2 for 17, Caden 2 for 17, Pike 2 for 5, Allen 1 for 13, McDermott 1 for 14)

Cambridge Antiques 189 for 7 (Calder 33no, Webb 32 ret, Kirk 4 for 24, Cook 1 for15, Fryer 1 for 18) Newcastle Lord Taverners 101 for 8 (Black 30 ret, S Allpress 2 for 7, Palmer 3 for 11, MacMillan 1 for 10, J Allpress 1 for 10, Armitage 1 for 3)

Wheatons 177 for 5 (Jex 30 ret, Keen 30 ret, Adnun 2 for 16, Brett 2 for 24, Hedges 1 for 22) CBC Golden Oldies 117 for 9 (T Doust 30 ret, Dawson 3 for 20, Gaywood 1 for 12, Wright 1 for 8, Glover 1 for 29)

Wheatons 174 for 6 (Jex 33 ret, Barnderl 30 ret, Campling 2 for 15, Broderick 2 for 34, Bundy Bob Burrows 1 for 34) Fingletoads 133 (Steer 32 ret, Piper 4 for 24, Glover 2 for 8, Geddes 1 for 10, Dawson 1 for 30, Jex 1 for 14)

Fingletoads 110 for 6 (England 30 ret, Goodall 2 for 10, Wilkinson 1 for 8, Moffatt 1 for 11, Burgess 1 for 7, Spring 1 for 11) Parkvale Puffers 111 for 2 (England 1 for 9)
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