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Newcastle Herald

Sport

The Newcastle cricket veteran who is still playing first grade at 57, 40 years after his debut

Cricket Newcastle Belmont Attack England ALeague Blasters Central Coast (Organization) Charlestown Jets

Tony Bristow is still playing first-grade cricket, 40 years after he debuted for Charlestown. Picture by Simone De Peak

WHEN Tony Bristow made his first-grade debut for Charlestown district cricket club, Malcolm Fraser was Prime Minister, Greg Chappell was the Australian-team captain and a schooner of beer, had Bristow been old enough to buy one, cost less than a dollar.

Not surprisingly, times have changed over the past 40 years, the majority of which Bristow spent on the other side of the world playing for various teams in and around Birmingham, England.

But one thing that has remained constant is the former Newcastle representative's passion for the game.

"Obviously I love it enough to still keep playing," he said.

"I think what's kept me going is that when I was in England, I had my own business as a groundsman and I was around that environment, day in, day out. Cricket, cricket, cricket. That's why I've always kept playing."

Bristow first ventured to the Old Dart on tours, with NSW Schoolboys and then with the Newcastle Cavaliers, before heading back in his mid-20s for a stint as an overseas player.

He ended up staying so long he qualified to represent England over-50s in 2017, scoring a half-century to help them beat Australia.

It was only after a personal tragedy, when his wife Wilma died in 2020 because of COVID, that he decided to make his way back Down Under.

Initially he returned to Charlestown, the club with whom he won an array of titles in the 1980s and '90s, to captain their second-grade team last season.

But after taking on the curating duties at Cahill and Miller ovals, and living at nearby Marks Point, he switched this season to Belmont.

"I was thinking I'd be wicket-keeping in second grade, but then [first-grade skipper] Luke Muddle rang me up and said: 'We need you in first grade, for your experience'," Bristow explained.

"They're such a young side, so I thought maybe I could help them out.

"But I didn't join Belmont to play first grade. That was never the plan."

On Saturday, the 57-year-old left-hander played a key role in Belmont's season-opening victory against Cardiff-Boolaroo, scoring 25 at No.5 and sharing a 55-run stand with 18-year-old opener Joseph Gillard, who proceeded to post his maiden top-grade century.

And while he admits to pulling up a bit stiffer and sorer after games than he once did, Bristow is certainly in no hurry to pull up stumps after a marathon innings.

Indeed, he already has plans to return to England at the end of this summer to represent Warwickshire on the over-50s circuit.

"I ummed and ahhed about playing this year, but then they asked me to go back and play in England, so I thought I better keep my hand in," he said.

"I don't think it [retirement] will be too far away. But put it this way - I'm not a great watcher. I'd rather be playing."

** THE new PlayHQ website, which has replaced MyCricket, has been widely panned as a "lemon" after the first full round of the Newcastle District Cricket Association season last weekend.

About half of the first-grade games were unable to provide live updates as scorers struggled to deal with technological teething problems.

There have apparently also been myriad issues with the online registration of players.

The Leading Edge was told on Wednesday that Cricket NSW was preparing to release a media statement after widespread dissatisfaction, not just in Newcastle, but around the state.

Adding to a frustrating weekend for local players, a host of City and Suburban and junior matches were called off because fields - some of which had large amounts of sand dumped on them last week - were declared unfit for play.

** AAUSTRALIAN fast bowler Stella Campbell will be joined by Sydney Sixers teammates Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle and Emma Hughes for a junior coaching clinic at No.1 Sportsground on Tuesday, from 4pm to 5:30pm. Spaces are limited and can be booked on the Sixers' Facebook page.

** NEWCASTLE cricket is mourning the death of former umpire George Wivell, at the age of 82. George was the father of former Wallsend all-rounder Craig Wivell, and the grandfather of Wests batsman Aaron Wivell. His funeral will be held at The Chapel, Wallsend, on Friday from 10am.

** NEWCASTLE'S Jason Sangha took his first wicket of the Sheffield Shield season on Wednesday, dismissing Queensland's Jack Clayton for 13.

THE new floodlights at No.1 Sportsground will illuminate their first competitive match next week when Lake Mac Attack clash with Central Coast in the T20 Regional Bash on Tuesday.

** The NDCA will field two teams, the Attack and Newcastle Blasters, in the 16-team competition. Both will clash with Hunter Valley in a double-header at Thornton on Sunday week.

The Blasters host Central Coast at No.1 on Tuesday, November 8, and then the Attack two nights later.

The top qualifiers in each of the four-team pools progress to the semi-finals, to be played in Sydney on a date to be confirmed.

The two squads named by the NDCA's head of selectors Greg Arms are:

BLASTERS: Nick Foster (c), Ben Balcomb, Nathan Hudson, Mitchell Lole, Josh Claridge, Angus McTaggart, Josh McTaggart, Aaron Wivell, Ben Egan, Josh Bennett, Ben Patterson, Dylan Robertson.

ATTACK: Adrian Chad (c), Dan Arms, Joey Gillard, Dan Bailey, Dylan Hunter, Toby Gray, Jack Hartigan, Jeremy Nunan, Matt Bench, Jeff Goninan, Dan Chillingworth, Pat McGann, Jed Dickson.

Josh McTaggart (Waratah) and Egan (Merewether) will be making their debuts in rep cricket for the Blasters, while Charlestown veteran Dickson, who opened the season with an impressive 75 in last week's win against Waratah, has been recalled after having a year off.

Bench (Charlestown) will debut as the Attack's keeper, while Gillard sealed a spot with a maiden century for Belmont last weekend.

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