Exciting times are ahead for the New Zealand Over-50s cricket team - the GREYCAPS - who head off to Brisbane next week to compete in a July 3-9 tri-series with Australia and Sri Lanka.

Among players with solid CD connections is paceman DEAN ASKEW.

Askew turned 60 this month, not that you would know it from a glance at this fit (some would say ageless) former Central Stags paceman in action. Deano still looks a likely prospect to be bowling all day.

Evergreen Dean Askew | MButcher

Askew took 53 wickets in 19 Plunket Shield matches for the Stags between 1991/92 and 1994/95, as well as nine wickets (including a best of 4-27) in seven one-day matches and is one of a roll call of former first-class representatives from across New Zealand in the team.

Among Askew's teammates is a former BLACKCAPS contemporary in ex-Canterbury rep Richard Petrie, and former Glamorgan rep Adrian Dale, a longtime servant of Auckland and New Zealand Community Cricket, is the team's captain.

Petrie, Dale and Mason Robinson (a stalwart of the Wakatu Cricket Club in Nelson, and former Nelson and New Zealand Defence Force team rep). have all been aamong the top run-scorers internationally in organised over-50s cricket, and they're joined by former Otago Volts first-class opener Andrew Hore.

Uncapped players in the squad included ex-Northern Districts leg-spinner Adil Somani; former Otago and Wellington batsman Scott McHardy; Wellington club cricket legend and New Zealand Indoor cricket rep Colin Owens; Wellington left-arm spinner Darren Sears; hard-hitting Canterbury all-rounder Kelvin Scott and Cambridge allrounder Simon Dodds. 

Auckland's Neil Ronaldson (one of the leading wicket-takers at the 2020 World Cup), Askew, and Dodds will be the main seam bowlers, with support from allrounders Petrie, Scott and McHardy. Robinson will share the keeping duties with Northland rep Bert Horner.

This will be the GREYCAPS' first international cricket since the 2020 Over-50s World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa which was sadly abandoned halfway through due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hosts Australia have picked a very strong and experienced side as well, including ex-ACT batsman Peter Solway who is one of the top players at international over-50s level. Also watch out for first-grade legend Tony Clark, swing bowler Phillip Melville, and off-spinner Steve Gollan.

Sri Lanka will be something of an unknown quantity. Their line-up includes ex-internationals Marlon von Hagt and Sanjeewa Weerasinghe plus a number of exciting newcomers.

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The first match is on Sunday, July 3 when New Zealand plays Australia in a classic trans-Tasman showdown. There are matches every day starting at 10AM local time in Queensland, which is 8AM NZT, until the final on Saturday 9 July 2022.

All matches will be livestreamed and are also live-scored on CricHQ.

Check out the New Zealand Over-50s Facebook page for the latest!

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Also on the horizon this year is a tour by the New Zealand Over-60s team who will compete in the Over-60s World Cup in Australia in September.

Article added: Wednesday 29 June 2022