Hallam Kalora Park batter Leigh Booth recently returned from Adelaide where he represented Victoria at the Over-40 National Masters Cricket Championships.
It was a successful campaign for Booth, who scored the third-most runs for his team during the four-game campaign, with 114 runs at 28.5.
This included back-to-back half centuries at the top of the order, with 51 against Tasmania Green and 50 against Queensland.
Booth has been a member of the Victorian side since the competition started up a few years ago and said it was great to be part of the champs for another year.
“It was a good experience, I have played against a fair few of the guys who represent Vic both in local cricket and in the Over 40s competition that I play on Sundays,” he said.
“Over the last few years, they’ve had some tryouts for Vic selection and I knew a few guys who were trying out, they said come along and have a go.
“I had never represented Victoria before, so to pull that gear on is a bit of a weird feeling to be honest.”
It is fair to say cricket is a big part of Booth’s life, plying his trade for Hallam Kalora Park on Saturdays and representing Dingley in an Eastern Cricket Association Over-40s competition on Sundays.
On top of this, he has been a regular player at state level in the Cricket Victoria Veterans pathways, scoring runs in whatever team he plays in.
Booth is a premiership player with the Hawks in the DDCA and is well and truly familiar with the pressure that Turf 1 cricket brings, and said the O40s cricket was always a great balance of competition and social banter.
“It is a great experience and you get to meet a heap of new guys who you know have been very good cricketers,” he said.
“You become mates with them and get to share some stories along the way.
“For me, the Over-40s is more about the social side of it, and getting around guys who may be struggling too, I think it is a good concept for the older guys to get into.”
Booth added that he had even reunited with some old cricketing mates at the state level, which had been special.
“There are guys in the Vic side that I have played cricket with since the rep stuff back in juniors, we might’ve gone our separate ways to play cricket over the years, but then we are back actually playing on the same team,” he said.
Victoria went 2-1 in the round-robin matches, before winning its final against Queensland to finish as the third ranked team at the competition.
After a couple of slim outings to start the tournament, Booth began to connect with the willow in hand, scoring back-to-back half centuries to finish the tournament in style.
“I didn’t do too much on the first couple of days, you aren’t used to playing these sorts of tournaments and if you aren’t doing great at the start, it can be a bit daunting,” he said.
“But it was good to get a few runs in the end and help the team out.”
On top of his recent campaign with the Victoria, Booth’s Dingley O40s team has also booked a spot in the grand final against Hawthorn Boroondara on February 22.
The Dingoes are 6-0 throughout the season so far, and will be looking to make that one more win later this month.
