SUNRAYSIA cricketers Shaun Mathews, Mark Cleary and Richie Wyld have all earned selection for Australia at next year’s Over 40 World Series Cup.
The trio were all members of the South Australian team that won the Over 40 division 1 National Championships this month, alongside fellow local gun Brad Thomas.
Mathews earned his maiden national cap in the one-day squad, while Cleary will ply his trade in the Australian Twenty20 side.
Wyld, who was a member of Australia’s squad that competed in the Over 40 World Cup in South Africa this year, will feature in both formats in the Australia A side.
All squads will compete in the World Series Cup, beginning in late March in Brisbane against teams from England, New Zealand and the USA.
Mathews, the 2021/22 SCA Innes Medal winner, said selection was a “pinch myself” moment.
“I’m absolutely stoked,” he said.
“I’m just an average country cricketer that’s got a chance to line up alongside some of Australia’s best premier players over the last 20 years.
“I have to say a big thank you to Richie for getting me involved, sometimes you get a bit flat playing local cricket year after year but playing in the Over-40s nationals is a lot of fun, breathed a bit of life into me.
“Also a big thank you to our SA squad from last year, it’s hard to get selected in these squads if your side isn’t performing. We had a super squad winning seven of the eight games between the two sides, just an amazing effort.”
Cleary, a four-time Innes medallist, represented Australia A during his professional career as a bowling all-rounder, also finding plenty of success at state level.
“Once you’re a competitive cricketer it always stays that way, and that’s why these over-40 tournaments have been fantastic,” he said.
“To have four different teams playing at the carnival is going to be good fun and to have three of us from Sunraysia be part of it is great.
“The South Australian team has really embraced the Mildura boys, it’s a really well-run competition despite only being a few years old.
“I think the T20 game will help the body a bit more, four overs and then done!”
Wyld, a three-time Innes Medal winner, first represented Australia in veterans cricket in 2023 when he toured New Zealand for a three-match series.
He has qualified for Australia despite being born and growing up in England.
Mathews, Wyld, Cleary and Thomas played important roles for South Australia as they won the Veterans Cricket Australia Over 40 division 1 grand final in Perth.
The SA side ran out three-wicket winners over Queensland in the deciding match, chasing down their 138-run target with eight overs spare.
In that game Mathews took a wicket and made a crucial 28 in the run chase to get his side across the line, Wyld took 2/8 to help clean up the tail and Cleary nabbed 2/19, including Queensland captain Justin Pool.
Mathews was the state’s leading scorer for the tournament with 153 runs, including a knock of 65 against WA Karrak, and leading wicket-taker with eight scalps.
Wyld took seven and Cleary three, the former duo both inside the top 10 for the tournament.
