Suffolk stalwarts off to Over-60s World Cup

February 9, 2024

THREE stalwarts of Suffolk cricket will be involved in the IMC Over-60s World Cup in India.

Former Suffolk Over-60s captain Colin Walters, former Suffolk opening bat John Stuck and scorer Alan Rogers (pictured above) will all be travelling out as part of the Rest of the World party for the tournament.

The ROTW squad will join 13 other countries in the competition taking place in Chennai from February 18th until March 4th.

They will be in Pool A alongside Canada, England, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Zimbabwe, with Pool B comprising Australia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Wales and West Indies.

Walters, who plays his club cricket for Sudbury, is not able to participate after undergoing knee surgery, but will manage the ROTW squad which includes nine players from Scotland plus others from Ireland, Kenya, Malta, Spain and the UAE.

The 66-year-old, who is Commercial Manager of Suffolk Cricket, previously managed the ROTW side at the inaugural Over-60s World Cup in Australia in 2022.

Although Stuck will be accompanying the ROTW team he will not umpire their matches apart from a pre-tournament warm-up versus the West Indies.

The 80-year-old, who has scored more than 100,000 runs including 200 centuries during an incredible club cricket career.

He opened the batting for Clacton for many years, played for Suffolk between 1969 and 1979 and represented Suffolk Over-50s and Essex Over-60s & 70s.

Stuck, who scored a century for England in the Over-70s Ashes versus Australia in Brisbane in 2005, umpired in the East Anglian Premier League for several years.

Rogers, who has scored for Suffolk across all age groups at both Youth and adult level, said that scoring at the World Cup would be the pinnacle of his career in the game.

The 66-year-old, who scores for East Bergholt, was invited to score for the ROTW side by Walters.

Rogers, who is universally known as Tex, said: “Obviously, without the Suffolk connection with Colin, I very much doubt that I would have received the invitation to score from the ROTW team.

“Apart from brief stopovers at Bangkok and Singapore airports, I have never set foot in the Far East before. India as a holiday destination has never really featured in my wish list of countries to visit.

“International Masters Cricket (40s, 50s, and 60s) is a relatively new phenomena, so has never really appeared on my radar although I have enjoyed a couple of unofficial overseas tours. I believe that there have only been a couple of official World Cups for the 60s before.

“The chance of scoring at a Test match for England is long gone, but performing at a World Cup will be the pinnacle of my scoring career.”

 

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