A WARRINGTON cricketer will soon turn touring England international as he heads to Australia to play in the over 60s Ashes.
This month, 61-year-old Paul Radage will wave goodbye to hometown club Grappenhall before jetting off to represent the Three Lions on the sunny shores of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
The ‘Grey Ashes’ will see Radage and 17 other over 60s play 14 one-day matches Down Under as England’s men look to retain the urn they won on home soil in 2023.
Radage said: “Here I am, 61, never even considered it. It was a complete shock, and has taken quite a while to sort of sink in.
“Putting on the England shirt is an incredible feeling, absolutely incredible, you just have to look at the shirt every time you put it on.
“It just makes you stop and think how fortunate I and the rest of the team are to be able to represent the country and keep ourselves fit enough to play.”Radage is a self proclaimed ‘classy stroke player’ and told the Warrington Guardian his playing style shows shades of former England captain David Gower.
The Cheshire country cricketer described over 60s matches as a far more friendly affair than the usual village cricket match.
He said: "I think one of the things we're all used to is a bit of sledging. But I think that's one of the things that's been quite pleasant, in a way, as you get up through the ages, there's a bit less of that.
“From a social aspect, it's fabulous to swap stories and see players who you may have played against years ago.
“Unfortunately, I'm quite fast, so you'll often find me these days on the boundaries, that's where you turn in the 60s. If you can run, you sort of get sent out to the extremes.”
Over 60s cricket is one of the fastest growing areas in the sport, with more than 3,000 players competing across the country every summer.
With the trip primarily self-funded, Radage was lucky enough to receive support from Grappenhall CC, who he has represented for more than 40 years.
He said: “It's been a great place to play cricket, a great set-up.
“They've been really supportive with kind words and comments and helped from a financial point of view too.”
The first of the five 'Grey Ashes' clashes with Australia will be on November 24 at Bradman Oval in Bowral near Sydney, with the last in Perth on December 15.
Full schedule:
17th November – New Zealand at Wynnum Manly CC, Brisbane
18th November – Queensland City at Caboolture CC, Sunshine Coast
20th November – Queensland Country at Limestone Park, Ipswich, Brisbane
22nd November – VCA President’s XI at Chisholm Oval, Canberra
24th November – 1st Grey Ashes ODI at Bradman Oval, Bowral
26th November – Victoria A at Schramms Oval, Doncaster, Melbourne
28th November – 2nd Grey Ashes ODI at Caulfield Park, Caulfield, Melbourne
1st December – Victoria Country at Benalla
4th December – Invitational XI at Chateau Tanunda, Adelaide
6th December – 3rd Grey Ashes ODI at Tanunda Oval, Adelaide
10th December – WAVCA President’s Invitational at Forrest Park, Bunbury
11th December – WA Southwest Country at Kalkallo Reserve, Donnybrook
13th December – 4th Grey Ashes ODI at College Park, Nedlands, Perth
15th December – 5th Grey Ashes ODI at Fletcher Park, Carlisle, Perth
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