New Zealand has defeated Australia by 2-0 in the historic Over-40s International series held in Christchurch. The tournament that began on 19 February lasted for a week, with two warm-up games followed by three O40I matches.
This victory marks an incredible achievement for the New Zealand over-40s cricket team, who put up a fantastic performance against their Australian counterparts. It was a thrilling series of cricket, with both teams showing remarkable skills, dedication, and commitment.
The three Kiwi-Indian players participating in the tournament- Vishal Dubey, Hardeep Singh and Deepak June all contributed with their skills to help New Zealand post the win.
The historic tournament which was the first O40I played anywhere in the world had the International Masters Cricket Committee Chairman, Stirling Hamman, present at the occasion.
Jim Morrison, Director of NZ Over-40s Cricket said, “It has not only been an incredible experience for the players, but it has also been a fantastic moment for the fans and the sport in general. Congratulations to the NZ team which played great cricket.”
New Zealand won the first O40I match by six wickets. The second match was washed out without a ball bowled due to damp pitch.
The second and final O40I match saw New Zealand win by 43 runs. James Marshall’s 70 runs and Adam Hastilow’s 3/13 helped New Zealand finish at 232/9. Australia’s Over 40s Cricket scored 198, and the New Zealand team won the series 2-0.
Commenting on the win, Vishal Dubey told Indian Weekender, “Winning the tournament was the best feeling; for most of us, it was realising our dream to play and represent the country we call our home,”
“Our team physio Graham made certain the boys were ready for their next game despite the most challenging aspect of the tournament for us - keeping them fit.”
“I want to thank Jim for organising the event and making it a memorable experience and Rhys Henderson, the team manager, for taking excellent care of the team, allowing them to focus solely on cricket. We are now looking forward to the first-ever over40’s world cup.”