Ken Last skips in from the top of his bowling mark and lands another outswinger right where he wants to, completing a maiden over.
It's clear the 75-year-old is taking things pretty seriously, even though today's match in Evandale, south of Launceston, is just a practice match.
The talented all-rounder is one of the Tasmanian team's most important players, and despite his advanced years, he's happy to go at full throttle at this last-minute hit out on the eve of the upcoming national over-70s tournament.
"Playing cricket doesn't worry me too much from a point of stiffness or soreness," Last says.
"I guess I'm lucky to have that kind of health, that kind of body.
"I will say that once you get to 70, though, every year you do know about it."
'Like a men's shed in whites'
Last is one of about 320 players involved in the event, co-organised by Ian Fraser from Veterans Cricket Tasmania.
The tournament had to be rescheduled multiple times due to COVID.
"This was the tournament that's never started," Fraser says.
"I would have called it off in February this year … but the committee, [which] consisted mainly of very hard-working women, they wanted to keep on going.
"They thought we owed it to the community who have supported us."
This year's over-70s national cricket championships are made up of three divisions, with eight teams in each of the top two tiers, and 10 playing in the third league.
All states and territories are represented, aside from the Northern Territory, and even New Zealand is involved.
While the team that wins each division is very important to the players, the social aspect of the event is the key in Fraser's eyes.
"For the players involved, it's a bit like a men's shed in whites," he says.
"It's a holiday for people. A chance for the players to catch up with old friends."
"The cricket is really an excuse to have a good time and create good memories."
Unwilling to miss out
Fred Maxwell is unsure if he'll be playing in Tasmania's first- or second-division team this tournament.
The 80-year-old from Ulverstone is currently undergoing treatment for cancer but is committed to playing all four games, despite the considerable travel required to get to matches.
"The treatment doesn't affect me that much," he says.
"I feel well, everything feels good."
Maxwell has been preparing for the tournament with a group of friends on the north-west coast, doing indoor training every Friday.
"We're up against it playing against the other states," he says.
"They've got better facilities, better grounds to play on than us and, of course, better weather than we do here in Tassie."
Old rivalries die hard
Tasmania's division one team is set to start its campaign against one of two Victorian teams on Thursday in Ross.
If the tournament hosts are to have any chance of claiming the title this year, a win in that opening game will be crucial.
For Ken Last, it's set to be a bit of a grudge match, too.
"The first thing we want to do is beat Victoria and the second thing we're aiming to do is win the tournament," he says.
"It's a bit like Australia beating England — if Tasmania beat Victoria there's no better feeling than that."
The Veterans Cricket Australia Over 70s National Championships run from November 10, 2022, to November 15, 2022.
