mmg.com.au

Arms locked and with the nostalgic evergreen tune of Auld Lang Syne chiming across the Kyabram Recreation Reserve, former KDCA cricketers provided a moving final farewell as they strolled from the field on Friday night after representing the association for the last time.

The walk-off signalled a fitting official end to the KDCA’s proud 107-year innings.

Despite the stifling heat, a good crowd was on hand for the match to officially farewell the KDCA, which this season merged with the Campaspe Cricket Association to form the Goulburn Murray Cricket competition.

KDCA historian Trevor Stone, one of the organisers of the evening, said the occasion, compered by Ian Purdey, had given closure to the association and had ‘‘gone off particularly well.’’

‘‘It was great to see so many people come along and celebrate what was a very historic occasion for cricket in Kyabram district,’’ Stone said.

‘‘Everyone who attended had an enjoyable night.’’

Spectators also got their money’s worth with the game going to the wire and won on the third-last ball of the match by the Country Week side, fittingly captained by Jon Varoe, the asssociation’s most successful representative skipper.

The Country Week side got home on the back of a dashing innings by former KDCA and Fire Brigade player Andrew Jones, who now plays with the Echuca Cricket Club.

Jones slammed five fours and three sixes in his innings of 64 in 49 minutes to tilt the game in his team’s favour.

David Earl wound back the clock a few years to make 23 opening the innings, while the irrepressible Peter Watt’s innings of 22 not out included the winning runs.

KDCA star Paul Newman, playing for the invitational eleven, picked up 4-36 off seven overs.

Newman earlier had cracked 28 with five boundaries and along with Paul Parsons (20), Adam Nunn (21) and Alan Favaro (19), helped the invitational side to a competitive score of 8-139. Rohan Larkin with 4-8 off four overs did the damage with the ball for the Country Week side.

At the half-time break, special presentations were made to Kyabram’s John Adams for his services as the KDCA’s tribunal chairman for over 30 years and to yours truly for serving 24 years as KDCA president before stepping down in 2010.