Sport
19 January, 2023
Colts Phelans set to host special Australia vs England match on January 26
Australia Day will be a special one for Colts Phelans Cricket Club, with cricketers from around the Goldfields region set to represent their country in a one-off Australia versus England Twenty20 match at Hedges Oval. The brainchild of Colts’...
Australia Day will be a special one for Colts Phelans Cricket Club, with cricketers from around the Goldfields region set to represent their country in a one-off Australia versus England Twenty20 match at Hedges Oval.
The brainchild of Colts’ coach Wayne Stubbings, the match is designed to have a similar feel to an Ashes contest between the two countries, but all in the name of getting the community to the club to enjoy a high-quality game of cricket.
Stubbings said he wanted to give back to the community after a tough period without sport through COVID, as well as the opportunity to bring people together through a game of cricket.
“There’s been seven lads come out this year from the UK around the area, and four of them are now in the Maryborough area. With it being the first year back from COVID, there’s been plenty of people that have wanted a game of cricket. It’s given us an opportunity to get together as a group and continue to promote the game. Let’s face it — the community has been starved of sport and something entertaining,” he said.
“We’re trying to get that concept of England versus Australia on the back of the recent World Cup, the rivalry and to give people the opportunity to not only watch a game of cricket, but a good game of cricket. It’s not just a Twenty20 game that is set up as a hit and giggle sort of thing, there’s some class players.”
Stubbings’ connections with cricketers from both Australia and England as a well-travelled coach in the game has allowed him to lure high-quality players to Hedges, and said the game would in part pay tribute to the sacrifices English players have made by travelling from their home country.
“I’ve been coaching cricket for a long, long time and I’ve gotten to know so many people. What I’ve tried to do is make up the Australian side from guys that I have coached previously. I think they will be equally as talented as the UK side, so it should be a high-class game,” he said.
“I guess Australia Day symbolises the two countries, so it seems fitting that we have an England versus Australia match. It looks friendly on the surface, but it won’t seem so friendly when both teams are on the field.
“At the end of the day, it’s nice to give these guys an opportunity, after making the 36,000-kilometre trip, away from home, leaving their families back in the UK, just to experience what the Australian culture is like and enjoying what is a special day. It helps them embrace and appreciate what it is like to live in Australia.”
Stubbings has had the idea in the works since he arrived at the club, and can only thank the committee of Colts Phelans for backing his idea of a match.
“When I flagged the idea of bringing the overseas players to Colts Phelans at the start of the season, I spoke to them about the concept of this Twenty20 match, and they were all over it. Gary Wagstaff is going to do all the work on the ground to get it up and running,” he said.
“The whole club have been supportive of it, it’s been great. It’s my second year at the club, and they’ve been supportive of the ideas and concepts I’ve had. It will be nice to repay the club in some way to give them the opportunity to showcase a high-quality match, and especially for the community that would love some entertainment and enjoyment.
“The standard of the cricket is high-class, but in terms of the community we feel we’ll make an impact on whoever is here — we’d love to get people from outside the club to come and enjoy the day. Cricket symbolises Australia Day — backyard cricket, enjoying the day, a barbecue, a few beers, that’s what it’s about — enjoying our culture and our company, and that’s what we’re trying to put together on the back of what’s been a hard two or three years.”
Stubbings said the day will be much more than just a game of cricket, working on getting some family-friendly activities for the afternoon’s proceedings.
“There will be food, drinks, and we’ll try get some things for the kids as well. There will be marquees, and we’ll make it so that it’s family-friendly. It’s all about making sure the families embrace the family culture, getting everyone behind the day and the club and ensuring the enjoy it,” he said.
“We’ll also treat it as a genuine family day — it’s not just about the cricket or the players, it’s about getting the entire family down to have something fun to do on what is a unique day in Australia.”
The game will begin at 11 am on Thursday.
