Cricket: CD over 60s crowned national champs

Ian Snook

Back L to R: Dave Jellyman (HB), Jeff Dawe (HB), Craig Morris ( TAR), Greg Shearer (TAR), Allan Pond ( RANGITIKEI), Greg Alexander ( TAR), Murray Mayston (HB).
Front L to R: Alistair Boyne (WAIRARAPA), Peter Nixon (HB), Roger Stachurski (TAR), Steve Cunningham (TAR).

The CD Over 60 team, captained by Taranaki’s Roger Stachurski, became the national champions for the first time, at the tournament in Hawkes Bay last week.

The previous five occasions had seen the Canterbury side take out the title with the only other province to have a title at this age group being Auckland.

Stacked with Taranaki players Stachurski, Steve Cunningham, Craig Morris, Greg Shearer and Greg Alexander, the team performed under pressure in every game, beating Wellington by five runs, winning comfortably against Northern Districts, losing by five runs to Auckland, beating Canterbury in the very last over scoring the necessary three runs, and having to beat Otago in the last game to take out the title they did so by a healthy twenty runs.

Greg Shearer proved to be a key bowler by performing in every game and at the top of the batting list was Steve Cunningham who had three scores of 40 retired, one score of 39 and a lowest score of 20 in his five innings.

Morris, Alexander and Stachurski all performed at important times which was a trait of the team which took them to the title. In the final and crucial game they were still fired up managing four run outs.

All these Taranaki players have just returned from representing New Zealand in the Over 60’s World Cup in Chennai where the team were placed third.

There is still plenty of life in these boys yet.