FOUR Adelaide Silverbacks Premier League teams will be playing the first two rounds of their season in Mildura this weekend as they prepare for the national championships.
The league, which started last year due to border restrictions, runs as a “prelim” for the start of the South Australia veterans’ cricket season.
Players from South Australia and Mildura were drafted by four franchises and placed into teams.
Continuing the league this year, it was decided the first two rounds would be played in Mildura as the weather here allowed for better-quality turf wickets.
Over-50s delegate for the SA Veterans Cricket Association and veterans cricket player Anthony Telfer said it was great to bring the games to Mildura.
“A lot of those guys in Mildura travel over to Adelaide every second weekend to play club competition,” he said.
“Coming to Mildura is a way of saying thanks to you guys, we will come to you and have a great weekend over there playing cricket.”
Described as a “men’s shed on the cricket field”, veterans cricket has been growing in popularity since it launched in Australia around five years ago.
“It is the fastest growing discipline in world cricket,” Telfer said.
“It is good for physical wellbeing, good for our mental health, and a good opportunity to make new mates doing some you love.”
Hilltop Hustler player Tony Hickey, from Mildura, said he thought locals would be surprised by the standard of the game this weekend.
There are eight locals in the league, including Stewart Hallam, Justin Macfarlane, Leigh Penna, Brad Purdue, Mark White, Tom Vadjla and Hickey.
Telfer said the game had boundaries of 55 metres, while the best over-50 cricketers in South Australia would be attending, including Tim Sargent, who had represented Australia in every national competition since 2017.
The two rounds will be played on Saturday from noon and Sunday from 11.45am at the Mildura West Cricket Club.
