Skipper Steve Wilson and his Tamworth over 50s side will be out to improve on their previous two starts at the NSW Over 50s State Championships when it kicks off next week.
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They finished third and sixth at the last two editions of the championships where every match is like a final.
Teams must win on the opening two days to make the final while the losing teams will face each other in playoff matches for third, fifth and seventh on the final day.
Wilson is used to high-pressure matches having played in many during his career.
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The Inverell-raised middle order batsman, who said he's nearly" a Tamworth local after spending the past 20 years here, has represented both towns over the years.
Wilson has also won first grade premierships with West Leagues, now West Tamworth, in his grade cricket days.
He will even be joined by a couple old teammates next week at the championships.
"I won a couple grand finals with Wests, which was good, and some of those guys are now playing 50s," Wilson said.
"Peter Mead was at Wests back then and we're playing in the 50s together. Same as Andrew O'Halloran. Us three won a grand final in the early 2000s."
Like many veteran cricketers, Wilson was "roped back into playing" and hasn't looked back.
The 54-year-old restarted his cricket career when Barry Everingham and Richard Rowlings "found out" Wilson was turning 50.
He hadn't played since the early 2000s with "kids, work and a bit of touch footy" keeping him busy.
But with more time on his hands now, he returned and has enjoyed it thoroughly.
"It's competitive but it's a very enjoyable and social game of cricket," he said.
"As much as you enjoy the competitiveness - you're out there to win - but the social side of it and catching up with all the old blokes is great."
Tamworth will play three 45-over games over three days at the championships.
It can be a tough three days, Wilson said, but one of the strengths of the Tamworth side was how well equipped they are to spread the load.
"As you get older, the bowling isn't as easy as it used to be but we've nine or 10 bowlers in our squad when we go away," he said.
"We're not relying on the same five or six guys.
"It's the same as the batting. We've got guys that bat in the lower order that are quite comfortable batting up in the higher order. It's a good all round team."
Tamworth have drawn to play Central Coast at Rogers Park in Woy Woy on day one of the championships which start on Monday.
Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
