Both sides were undefeated heading into the final although the Sydney side had been the most consistent across the five-day four-game carnival.

The Sharks won the toss and chose to bat first and try to set a big total on the flat wicket that had had four games played on it over the week.

Sydney and Australian skipper Stirling Hamman said the side was confident at lunch.

“They were 0-52 when we got the first wicket but that wicket got us into the game,” Stirling said.

Tight fielding and good length bowling restricted the Sharks to  178 with five wickets down after 40 overs.

The team that plays a lot of cricket together in Sydney and boasts four Australian Over 60 representatives went straight to work.

Both openers reached the maximum 35 runs quickly and retired to set the platform for the others.

Four of the top five bats, including Hamman, hit the 35 mark, although the other batsman, Warwick Diblin, managed  a second-ball duck for the only wicket listed in the innings.

Sydney cruised to victory with three overs to spare.

“The organisers did a magnificent job for a fantastic week of cricket,” Hamman said.

The two Tamworth sides also finished with good performances, the Golds just missing out on holding up the first ever Doug Crowell Plate with a very close loss to the Armidale  UNEX side.

The Tamworth first division side also boasted four retirees in the top five bats as it  beat Newcastle to claim fifth on the final day.

Doug Crowell captained the side and tossed the coin with former Australian Test spinner Bob Holland, who was playing for the Novocastrians. 

Terry Murphy was man of the match after hitting 35 runs at the top of the order and then taking three wickets.

Bob Haling was Tamworth’s player of the tournament, not losing his wicket once in four innings.

Tamworth publicity officer David Head was all praise for the week.

“It has been a great week here in Armidale,” Head said.

“Although it will be good to have the carnival back in Tamworth next year at the home of NSW vets’ cricket.”