The aborted Veterans Cricket World Cup, which started in Cape Town in March, may have been a disappointment but it has further ignited the passion of over 40-year-old legends of the game around the country.
Here in Cape Town, it has spawned a bourgeoning Veterans League, which every week sees some of the legends of the game, national, provincial and club, take to pitches around the peninsula.
The Veterans League is alive and thriving, bringing over 40-year-olds together in a celebration of the game and a demonstration of their perennial ability to compete, entertain and prepare for the next Veterans Tournament, a bi-annual tournament taking place in cities across the world.
Matches to date have been filled with sparkling cricket; beautiful and innovative strokeplay; agility in the field; and pinpoint bowling delivered from the hands of wisened artists of their craft.
Two powerhouses of the Western Province game, Primrose and Montrose are anchor participants in the Cape Veterans League, which has seen stand-out players, dust off their whites, get down to the nets and practising their sledging in front of the bathroom mirror.
Two clubs dominated the Cape cricket scene in the 80s, a divided competition, but their success captured attention across the peninsula.
It may be decades ago, but that rivalry, now more friendly than those testosterone-filled days, is still alive, albeit in a more sedate, measured nature.
Over a 10-year period, the names of Primrose CC and Montrose CC were engraved on the Hassan
Howa Cup on nine occasions, the latter with six of those inscriptions. To this day the two clubs are still prominent on the WP Club cricket scene.
It is next Wednesday which holds our interest though. “Form is temporary, class or talent is permanent” takes on a new form.
It’s a contest that, despite the banter, is every bit as serious as the day these gentlemen donned the whites for their Club’s First Xl.
It promises to be 40 overs of high quality cricket, there to enthrall participant and incidental viewer. Umpires drop their arms at 4pm on Wednesday December 9 sat Malta Park.
