I write sitting in accommodation in Paris on my birthday.  The Over 60 cricketers completed their tour on Thursday with a delightful team dinner at Shepparton Film Studios.  The following morning the group broke up with half returning home via Dubai and the remainder setting out on extended  holidays.

Here are the match reports for the final three matches.

Match 7 v Wales Over 60s at Gnoll Park, Neath in Wales on Monday 22 August – 50 Over match

Australia first played international cricket at Gnoll Park in 1948 when Bradman’s Invincibles played Glamorgan and the visit by the Australian Over 0s was the fourth visit by a team from the Antipodes.

Invited to bat on a rather lifeless wicket with a heavy outfield, the consequence of a heavy dew the visitors struggled to push the score in the face of some tight medium pace bowling from left-arm seamer Peter Betterley who bowled ten overs on the trot for a miserly seven runs.  13 from 10 overs and 22 from 20 was hardly a dream start and while the run rate did improve with 67 coming from the final twenty overs, the odds of an Australian revival with the ball was wistful thinking.

John Bell was again the sheet-anchor with 28 from 96 balls faced, while Victorians Rob Agg (10) and Arthur Pritchard (17) battled hard against the spinning trio of Colin Davis, Peter Hall and Mike Cockell – the latter the most successful with 3/22.  The lower order bats – Ken Last and Alan Reid – gave the Australian total some respectability but 114 from 50 overs was hardly a target to defend.

But the Australian bowlers did just that and it wasn’t until the closing overs that Wales achieved a well earned victory with eight balls and five wickets in hand.  Their left-hand opener Ryland Wallace single handedly carried the locals with 49 from 112 balls faced.

For the Australians, the spin twins Mike Gandy and Denis Axelby almost turned the game around and with only 58 on the board from the first thirty overs, the visitors were in with a real chance until John James and Mike Cockell in the middle order found the gaps and lifted the run rate to achieve victory in the second last over.

Australia Innings

D Axelby	b Hill	6
R Chapman	b Betterley	0
J Bell	lbw b Cockell	28
R Agg	st Jones b Cockell	10
A  Pritchard	lbw b Voke	17
K Last	not out	21
I Fraser	c David b Cockell	2
A Reid	st Jones b James	12
A Stephens	run out	0
D Truman	not out	8
Did Not Bat R Axelby and M Gandy
Sundries		10
TOTAL		114/8

G Voke	5	1	10	1
P Betterley	10	8	7	1
C Davis	10	3	20	0
P Hall	10	2	23	1
M Cockell	10	2	22	3
J James	5	0	22	1

Wales Innings
R Wallace c D Axelby b R Axelby 49 M Staddon c Last b Agg 10 M Lewis b Gandy 3 P Hall c Bell b Gandy 3 J Morris b Reid 14 J James not out 11 M Cockell not out 16 Did Not Bat G Voke, P Betterley, G Jones and C Davis Sundries 9 TOTAL 115/5 R Axelby 10 4 17 1 R Agg 8 0 23 1 M Gandy 10 1 25 2 D Axelby 10 5 13 0 A Reid 4 0 17 1 A Pritchard 6.2 3 11 0 Fall of Wicket: Australia 0, 14, 34, 54, 92, 95, 96, 96 Wales 22, 36, 44, 74, 89 Wales won by five wickets Men of the Match - Mike Gandy (Aus) and Peter Betterley (Wales). After the match members of the Neath CC and local friends entertained with a marvelous concert of Welsh music.  It was an evening to long remember.  A CD of the choir to be produced shortly will be keenly sought by many of the touring Aussies. Match 8 v Surrey Spitfire Over 60s at Horsely and Send CC on Tuesday 24 August – 45 Over match Runs win matches and again the Australians were some twenty runs short of setting a really competitive score.  Winning the toss for the first time skipper Ron Axelby elected to bat on a friendly pitch which had been under covers for 36 hours due to a heavy drenching on Monday.  Had the game been played in Australia with so much rain in advance there would have been little chance of any play at all.  Here the clay base absorbs the moisture and the well grassed wicket square is so different to the black clay quagmire our centre wickets become after a downpour. The Australians progressed in a bright manner for the first fifteen over and with 56/1 on the board there was hope of a score near 200.  Alas this was not to be.  The loss of Robert Agg and introduction of spinners Hugh Symes and Neil Sutherland saw a stalemate with John Bell and third drop Ross Chapman finding it difficult to force the run rate. By thirty overs the score inched to 88/2 and the loss of Chapman’s wicket.  The middle order endeavoured to force the pace – Alan Reid in particular was severe on anything short and with Arthur Pritchard in support pushed the Australian total to a respectable 157/6 from 45 overs when the innings was compulsorily closed.  Slows Malcolm Kirkland and Chandra Mutuchmarama collected late wickets. Surrey paced their innings well.  Despite being behind the run rate early the commanding presence of hard hitting Michael Byford ensured the locals would reel in the difference and they did so with just five b alls to spare.  Medium pacers Rob Agg and Colin Cooke were Australia’s most succsseful bowlers. Scores:  Australia Over 60s 157/6 (R Chapman 34, J Bell 32, A Reid 30, A Pritchard 19*, I Fraser 11, D Axelby 2, K Last 0*, Sundries 8; M Kirkland 2/25, C Mutucumarama 2/40, B Early 1/23, N Sunderland 1/22) lost to Surrey Over 60s 159/5 (M Byford 73*, D Debidin 30, E Munday 25; R Agg 2/13 (9),  C Cooke 2/31 (9), R Axelby 1/29 (9), M Gandy 0/16 (7), D Axelby 0/25 (4), A Reid 0/18 (3.1) and A Pritchard 0/12 (3)) by five wickets with five balls to spare. Men of the Match - Rob Agg (Aus) and Michael Byford (Surrey) Match 9 v England Over 60s at Sunbury in London on 25 August – 50 over match The Australians were the walking wounded for the final match on tour.  Ross Chapman, Ian Fraser, Alan Reid and Mike Gandy joined the growing list of incapacitated tourists and with Brian Breakspeare and Chris Tobin also carrying serious leg sprains it was to be all hands to the wheel in an attempt to recover some prestige on tour following a series of losses to the strength of the English Over 60s cricket structure. Alas the English weather intervened and no play was possible at Sunbury – the math called off at 11am with the  wicket square  under water despite clearing skies. There was a burning of a bail ceremony with the ashes placed in a pewter urn.  The trophy will be retained by the English at Sunbury until it is flown to Armidale in November when the next Anglo-Australian Over 60s Test will be played during the National Carnival. Australia Over 60s Test Team