The JCT 600 Bradford League team

The JCT 600 Bradford League team was unbeaten in the 14th Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Cricket Festival which was held in Nidderdale this week.

Their first 40 overs contests against Gold Coast Cricket Society of Australia at Pannal on Monday (noon) was abandoned due to rain, but they followed up with wins over Goulbourn Trinity Tigers at Pannal on Wednesday and Glen Inis Geldings of Australia at Bilton on Friday.

Teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Canada, Japan and USA were taking part in the event.

Team manager Bob Shackleton selected a 17-man squad which included a mix of current players and some who are now retired or are playing elsewhere.

Saltaire captain Ijaz Khan, Bowling Old Lane opening bowler Zubair Najeeb and Idle captain Graham Dobson represent the current players.

The ‘old guard’ include former East Bierley and Windhill player Mark Paynter, former East Bierley Manningham Mills and Pudsey Congs all-rounder Phil taylor, ex Pudsey St Lawrence wicketkeeper Martyn Redhead and Yeadon stalwart Les Wood.

The tournament started in Masham on Sunday with an opening ceremony and parade of nations.

A host of former first class and Test plays werel be playing in the festival including Australian leg spinner Bob Holland (playing for Newcastle NSW Lord’s Taverners),

Former West Indies all rounder Collis King wasin action for Walton while Yorkshire’s current director of cricket Martyn Moxon was playing for Spofforth along with his former Yorkshire colleague Jim Love.

There were a number of former state and provincial players taking part including Rodney Gray, turning out for the South African Willows, Queensland’s Mark Gaskell, former Yorkshire wicketkeeper Richard Blakey, ex Leeward Islands player Harwood Williams, Derbyshire’s Paul Aldred, Queensland’s Sandy Morgan as well as South Africans Mike Huddy and Dave Edwards.

In all, over 800 cricketers played some of the most wonderful grounds in villages around Yorkshire, all of them with the support of the clubs from the Nidderdale Cricket League.

Matches were played on the following grounds: Alne, Arthington, Beckwithshaw, Bilton, Bishop Monkton, Bolton Abbey, Burton Leonard, DacreBanks, Glasshouses, Goldsbrough, Helperby, Killinghall, Knaresborough, Lofthouse, Masham, Newby Hall, North Stainley, Olicanians, Ouseburn, Pannal, Pateley Bridge, Raskelf, Ripley, Sessay, Spofforth, Studley Royal, Thornton Watlass, Walton and West Tanfield.

Sir Thomas Ingleby, Festival Chairman, said: “To be a golden oldie you only have to be over 40 but the oldest two players were both 78 and the oldest 11 players have an aggregate age of 813! ”

Ray Illingworth, the Festival’s Ambassador, added: “I am very impressed by the enormous amount of planning that has been put into the festival. We think that we have a tough job organising the first class game but the logistics of looking after 800 overseas visitors for a week and arranging 87 cricket matches on 29 different grounds in three days makes my eyes water!”

Bradford squad: Babar Butt, Dave Pearce, Phil Taylor, Javed Iqbal, Ijaz Khan, Zubair Najeeb, Martyn Redhead, Tony Brassington, Les Wood, Chris Hester, Mohammad Maroof, Mark Paynter, Murphy Walwyn, Graham Dobson, Greg Colehan, Howard Reeve, Gary Orrell.