When Cambridge Antiques’ all-rounder Alan Hayward opened the bowling for his side in club cricket on Sunday he was, at 70, possibly the oldest player in the country to do so.
Cambridge Antiques batsmen Harmen Hishon not out 43, left, and captain Mike Fleming, out for 73, walk off with the team having scored 205 all out. Alan Hayward, centre carrying hat and wearing sunglasses, helped out with the umpiring after getting run out. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Hayward’s off spinners look easy enough particularly with man of the match fast bowler Harmen Hishon – who earlier scored an unbeaten 43 – firing thunderbolts down the other end.
But tell that to the guy bowled by one of Hayward’s yorkers in his third over as the Antiques, out for 205, beat Fran’s Ferrals on Cambridge Square in a hastily arranged 40 overs’ game.
Hayward finished with figures of 2-28 from his four overs, not helped by the consecutive boundaries off his last two deliveries. He feels he needs a few more sessions in the nets to improve his bowling for the team’s next match.
Seventy is the new 50, says Hayward, who started playing cricket when he was 10 and was recently selected for the Northern Districts team to play at the New Zealand over 70s tournament at Molyneux Park in Alexandra in early February.
Alan Hayward, extreme right, watches as the ball comes towards him in the covers. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Selection for the New Zealand age-group team is a carrot for Hayward who describes himself as a solid club cricketer for most of his career in the Hutt Valley and Canterbury before his move north to Cambridge 15 years ago.
The senior Black Caps team left yesterday to compete in the Australian over 70s championship in Dubbo led by two former first class cricketers in John Cushen and Paul Facoory.
The Antiques were to have played West Bay of Plenty on Sunday, but the team defaulted. So, Francisco Gallardo pulled together an opposing team – calling it Fran’s Ferrals – and because he was short of 11, Hayward and other Antiques players plugged the gap in the field and umpiring.
“I spent just about the whole day in the field,” said Hayward who barely troubled the scorer when batting staying for only three balls before he was run out for nought.
Hayward usually fields at cover or mid-wicket – for those unfamiliar with the positions, they are either side of the wicket looking towards the batter.
It was from there he took what he describes as one of the best catches of his career on Sunday.
“It was a pure instinctive catch, I put my hands up and grabbed it. Pure reflex. Everyone was saying it was brilliant. I don’t remember much about it.”
Hayward said Cambridge Square was one of the loveliest grounds in the country to play on and the pavilion was the equal of many around.
And the one lesson Hayward has learned playing on the Square?
“I park my car across the road,” he said in reference to the big hits over the boundary he has seen.
Alan Hayward prepares to send down one of his tempting little off spinners. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
