HONOURING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE OF WACM

With the launch of this new website it was important that we recognise where Western Australian Cricket Masters "WACM" (formerly Western Australian Veteran's Cricket Inc) has come from in terms of its humble beginnings where a few members got together with an inspiring idea to get an Over 60s side together to play in the Australian Championships.

Arguably our inaugural member and founder, and first Team Manager David Horsley has been kind enough to provide a summary of the early history of the organisation.

It was 2010 and I was having a conversation with a hockey friend of mine from the ACT Mr. Norm Stanton (deceased) who mentioned he had been selected to play for NSW in the Australian over 60’s Cricket Championships.  Norm advised me the organizers of the Championships were concerned that they had been unable to attract any team or interest from WA in the previous six years of the national 60’s championships and it was felt it was not really an Australian Championships without the participation of WA.

Following our conversation, Norm suggested to the organizers of the championships that as I had been involved from the beginning (1980), of Australian Veterans Hockey, including 4 years as National Coordinator, that maybe I could get things going with over 60’s cricket here in WA. The then Secretary of NSW Veterans Cricket Kevin Pike contacted me and sent me details of the NSW organization.

I set about contacting old cricket mates and hockey players that I knew had played cricket in their younger days to find out if there was any interest. My initial approaches found only seven players willing to commit, so I was unable to raise a team for the 2011 national championships.

I approached the WACA for help in promoting interest in over 60’s Cricket and had a meeting with WACA manager of cricket David Clear and the Country Cricket Chairman Peter Silinger who both expressed in principle support. Meanwhile I wrote to all pennant clubs and every country association seeking veteran cricketers, but my efforts were received with very little interest.

The acting Secretary at the WACA was Geoff Havercroft, whom my wife Jan and I had travel led with on a WACA cricket tour to the West Indies in 1991. I decided to copy Geoff into my communications with the WACA and as a result Geoff suggested the WACA should give me more support.

Gradually, mainly with personal contacts we rounded up 13 players (six country and seven city players, although two city players were ex country from Kalgoorlie) to take part in our first participation in the national Over 60’s Cricket Championships in Adelaide in 2012. 

Before the Championships I invited all the interested players and their wives to a BBQ at my farming property in Clackline near Northam, to which most attended. Neil Hopkins was appointed captain with David Dunstan VC. The Adelaide championship was a great experience, and we now had 13 guys who were ready to spread the word.

By 2013 our numbers had increased but not enough for two teams, so I contacted some of my cricketing mates from the East and NZ to make sure we had enough numbers for the second team. (The East of Kalgoorlie guys were all cricketing mates from the Rotary Fellowship of Cricketing Rotarians who I had been playing cricket with all around the world for the previous 15 years. They responded magnificently and we managed to get a second side up for the 2013 60’s championships on the Sunshine Coast. The East of Kalgoorlie players only ever made up the numbers in our 60’s # 2 sides and our 70’s teams to ensure all WA cricketers wishing to participate in the national championships could do so).

With Greg (Tubby) Elliot and Darrell (Ramps) Ramponi also now on board we had some cricket enthusiasts who helped get the word out in their cricket communities and with umpires Mick Press and Shane Boyle involved in the umpiring we were also getting plenty of interest and spreading the word to potential players.

At the Melbourne Championships in 2014 we had two over 60’s teams and one over 70’s team.  Melbourne was the first time over 70’s teams were included in the now named Australian Veterans Cricket Championships. The Championships were held in Hobart in 2015 with us again fielding the two 60’s and one 70’s team.

Due to Darrell Ramponi’s involvement, we started having a great weekend of cricket each January in Donnybrook and Greg Elliot was organizing practice sessions and matches at Willetton Cricket Club in the lead up to the Championships. We also commenced conducting our AGM in Donnybrook during the January cricket weekend, with me being elected President, my wife Jan as Secretary and Neville Eastman as Treasurer.  Ramps and Tubby were elected as Vice Presidents and Committee.

The Australian over 60’s and 70’s Championships were awarded to WA for 2016 and this was where we became much better known in WA cricket circles. It was the last Championships to host both over 60’s and over 70’s together and there were 42 teams from all Australian states including three WA over 60’s teams and one WA over 70’s team. It was the highest number of teams to ever participate in an Australian Veterans Cricket Championships.

The WACA was involved in helping with the provision of grounds for the Championships and we were especially supported by WACA CEO Christina Matthews, Jennifer Riatti, Richard Marshall, Luke Douglas and Matthew Hall, to name just a few. David Natt (deceased) who was a member of the Country Cricket Board was also a great source of information about who best to contact at the WACA for support. Special mention must also be made of Darrell and Lyn Ramponi, Greg and Noreen (dec) Elliot, Sue Byfield and Neville Eastman for all their support to Jan and myself resulting in the Perth Championships being a great success.

The original plan was to hold the 2016 Perth Championships in mid November utilizing the WACA facilities for the Meet and Greet and co-ordination of championship activities. But when the WACA was unable to provide a definite date for the England Test Match to be held in Perth in 2016 it was suggested the first week of November would be best as a Perth Test match had never been held that early before. Lo and behold when Cricket Australia announced the Perth Test date it was the same week as the Vets Championships. As a result, the plan to hold the Championship Meet and Greet at the WACA was not possible and the event had to be shifted across the road to Gloucester Park. WACA CEO Christina Matthews kindly accepted the invitation to attend and welcome all our visitors.

The Championship dinner held at the Perth Convention Centre catered for 750 guests and was an outstanding event attended by the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Mia Davies who supported the Championships with a $20,000 grant to WAVC from the Department of Sport and Recreation. Ms. Davies could see the benefits that would result from having so many interstate visitors to WA, and she also appreciated the opportunity to grow Veterans Cricket In WA. The previous WA Minister for Sport the Hon Tuck Waldron was also a guest in his capacity as Championship Referee.

In early 2017 when the new WACA Manager of Cricket Jo Davies had taken over, my wife Jan and I met with her to explain details of how the 2016 Championships were managed and what was happening with Veterans Cricket in WA. Since that meeting Jo has become a great supporter of WAVC.

In 2017 Greg Stephens took over as President of WAVC with Jan and I managing the over 70’s while Darrell and Lyn Ramponi managed the over 60’s. Kathy O’Shaughnessy put her hand up to be Secretary and in 2018 Darrell Ramponi became President. 2019 saw Rob Sims take over the leadership and the 50’s became part of WAVC.

Some other points of interest – at the Adelaide Championships in 2012 despite there being no over 70’s competition at that time because of the number of players who were now over 70, an Australian over 70’s team was selected.  Ian Hill was the sole WA representative, but this team didn’t play a game or tour.

Our first WA player to make an official Australian over 70’s team was John Terrell who toured on two occasions to New Zealand and once to England.

To the best of my knowledge, we have had just one over 60’s player selected to the national team. Rob Henry, who played Tests in Australia against the touring 60’s England team, and he also toured England with the Australian over 60’s team.

The only overseas visiting team we have had come to WA was the England over70’s who toured Australia in 2018. Two games were played by a WA team against the ‘POMS’ and we won one game each.  A feature was a visit to the WACA to see the last session of a Sheffield Shield game with hospitality sponsored by the WACA and WAVC at ‘Langers Loft’. This gesture was very much appreciated by our English visitors.

I could provide a lot more information, but this should give you some appreciation of the early days. I have photos of all our over 60’s and 70’s teams in the period I was president and all the over 70’s photos since.

It has been a good 12 years since I started out to try and get an over 60’s team together and the developments that have occurred since have been amazing and a great credit to all involved. We all have something to be very proud of with WAVC.