Suffolk County Cricket Board

So what is it that makes players who should have long since retired decide to play Seniors cricket?  The answer is simple.  It is cricket played in the same way we remember from our youth – before it was considered necessary to have a Code of Conduct (with laid down disciplinary procedures) because the spirit of cricket was all embracing and there was no need for legislation.  If you think that makes it “soft” and that no-one cares about the result, walk into the changing room when we’ve lost and you will find out.  It is extremely competitive.  It also enables players to play against other county’s  players on different grounds than those on which we normally play, as well as spending an hour or so in the bar afterwards discussing the day’s play!

The Over 50’s League was formed in 1986 with Suffolk playing Essex, Leicester, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Hunts/Cambridgeshire.  The Competition was originally sponsored by Dunlop so matches had to be played on artificial pitches!  There has been a gradual increase in participating Counties year on year so that in 2010 there were 5 groups of 8 (played under the ECB banner) with Playoffs after the Group stages and a Final played on a neutral ground in September. This year the Final was won by M iddlesex.  Suffolk have reached the Playoff stages on three occasions, the last being in 2009 when we lost to Yorkshire.

Suffolk Over 50s have also organised various internal tours as well as three tours overseas to play in Barbados and one overseas tour to South Africa.  They ended up winning the Competition in Barbados in 2001 with the Trophy presented by Sir Everton Weekes.

Following the success of the Over 50s, a group of counties got together in 2004 to organise an Over 60 competition which Suffolk joined in 2005.  The success of this has now spawned an Over 60s 2nd XI competition which started in 2010 in which Suffolk reached the Final but unfortunately lost to Surrey.

As we speak there are moves afoot to amalgamate with Norfolk next year to enter an combined team in an Over 70s competition!  Where will it end?  I guess when knee braces and back supports and copious applications of Ralgex no longer have the desired effect.  But long may it continue as far as I am concerned.

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