Disappointing Homecoming for Illawarra Cricket Veterans
The highly anticipated homecoming turned sour for three Illawarra cricketers who represented the star-studded NSW team at the Cricket Australia Masters Over-60s National Championships in Wollongong. Despite high expectations, the two-time defending champions had to settle for a disappointing fifth-place finish while New Zealand created history by upstaging Australia's best to claim the championship title.
Tournament Struggles for Local Stars
The championships, held from November 9 to 13, featured 24 teams from across Australia plus three visiting sides from New Zealand competing across three divisions. For Illawarra and Australian representative cricketers Doug Murphy, Tony Panecasio and Alan Muggleton, the tournament proved particularly challenging.
NSW entered as favourites to secure their third consecutive title but struggled from the outset. Their campaign suffered a significant blow when star spinner Tony Panecasio injured his hamstring during the first game and was ruled out for the remainder of the competition.
The Kiama cricketer, recently honoured as International Masters Cricket's 2024 Over-60s Player of the Year, refused to use his injury as an excuse for the team's performance. "It just wasn't our year. Congratulations to New Zealand. They played some good cricket and deserved to win," Panecasio stated.
Injury Blow and Recovery Timeline
Panecasio described the moment his tournament ended prematurely. "I was going for a second run and not even stressing it too much and just popped the top of the hammy," he explained. Medical scans revealed the damage wasn't as severe as initially feared, with the spinner expecting to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Reflecting on NSW's unexpected exit, Panecasio added: "As NSW won it for two years running, it's obviously a bit disappointing missing out this year. It's one of those years where everything that could go wrong went wrong. But that's how it goes sometimes, sport's not always gonna go right for you."
New Zealand Dominates Finals Series
The tournament concluded with New Zealand claiming victory in an thrilling division one final against Victoria at North Dalton Park on November 13. Victoria posted a competitive 8/238 from their 45 overs, but New Zealand chased down the target with seven balls to spare, finishing at 7/242 to take home the John Hammer Cup.
Victoria managed to secure some consolation in the division two final at Keira Village Park, staging a remarkable last-over comeback against the Kiwis. Needing 17 runs from the final over, Victoria looked destined for defeat until Darren Bersey hit a six, four and four from the last three deliveries to snatch victory off the final ball.
New Zealand completed their successful campaign with a third finals appearance, defeating NSW by 50 runs in the Division 3 decider at King George V Oval in Port Kembla. Despite Tim Jenkins making 50 for NSW and Paul Le Mottee taking 2/29 with the ball, the Kookaburras could only manage 8/201 in reply to New Zealand's imposing 3/251.
The results marked a significant achievement for New Zealand cricket in the masters arena, while leaving the Illawarra contingent and their NSW teammates to reflect on what might have been in their home conditions.
