Age no barrier: the evergreen cricketers aged 40-plus still in fine form

Cricket is a game which can be enjoyed at any age.

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The Warrnambool Moyne and District Cricket Association features premier, championship, division two, division three, division four and women's competitions.

Mortlake's Saman Gonawala, Dennington's Terry Beks and Allansford-Panmure's Ben Boyd are still making an impact in the WMDCA. Pictures by Justine McCullagh-Beasy, Eddie Guerrero

It provides ample options, from those wanting to have a hit with mates to others whose competitive nature inspires them to maintain a spot in the higher ranks.

The premier, championship and division two tiers are flush with talented players aged 40 and above.

The Standard takes a look at some of the players in that age bracket who will play in season 2026-27. The premier grade starts on Saturday, October 3, weather permitting.

Mortlake's Clinton Baker won the 2025-26 Brebner Cup. Picture by William Stanley

At 45, this all-rounder is still at the top of his game. Became Mortlake's first Brebner Cup winner - awarded to the WMDCA premier division's best cricketer - last season after a dominant campaign where he took 25 wickets and struck 245 runs at an average of 27.22. Is also a four-time winner of South West Cricket's player of the year.

Mortlake batsman Saman Gonawala is a key player for the Cats. Picture by Justine McCullagh-Beasy

SAMAN GONAWALA (MORTLAKE)

A class run-maker who played 28 first-class matches in Sri Lanka before a decade-long stint with Melbourne-based club Sunshine Heights. Entering his third season with Mortlake and looms as one of the Cats' key batsmen in the premier grade. He scored 630 runs across all formats in 2025-26, including a century against Noorat Terang and a match-winning 83 against Russells Creek in the quarter-final.

Tim Keane has been a regular in Noorat Terang teams for decades. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

TIM KEANE (NOORAT TERANG)

A club icon who has played more than 400 games after notching the special milestone in 2024. He won four player-of-the-year awards in the South West Cricket competition before the club crossed to the WMDCA late in his career. Now in his mid-50s, the evergreen cricketer is coming off a season in the premier grade where he took 10 wickets across all grades. Likely to swing between the Lions' first XI (premier) and second XI (division two) this summer.

Allansford-Panmure great Ben Boyd is still very dangerous with the ball. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

BEN BOYD (ALLANSFORD-PANMURE)

The legendary paceman helped the Gators to a championship title last season, just two years after playing in a drought-breaking top-grade premiership with the club. The 47-year-old snared 34 wickets across the 2024-25 championship campaign. Boyd was recently inducted into the Victorian Country Cricket League's hall of fame, nine months after his selection in the WMDCA's team of the previous 60 years, in late 2025. Was a long-time Vic Country representative and captain who was named bowler of the tournament three times at the national carnival.

Daniel Meade is a prolific run-scorer for Allansford-Panmure. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

DANIEL MEADE (ALLANSFORD-PANMURE)

In his early 40s and still dominant in the competition's top grade. Earned player-of-the-match honours for his match-defining 69 as the Gators defeated Dennington in the 2025-26 two-day grand final. He scored a century and four half-centuries throughout the premiership-winning season. Meade's sporting efforts extend beyond cricket - he equalled the Warrnambool and District league senior football games record in 2026 when he played his 343rd match for Panmure.

Kyall Timms helped Allansford-Panmure win a championship flag in March with a match-winning 52. Picture by Justine McCullagh-Beasy

KYALL TIMMS (ALLANSFORD-PANMURE)

Guided the Gators to a championship premiership last season with a match-winning 52, to go with figures of 3-11 with the ball. The all-rounder amassed a competition-high 581 runs at a mighty average of 116.2 in the second tier, to go with 13 wickets. Timms, in his early 40s, is a Brebner Cup winner and multiple premiership player. He was playing-coach of the Gators' 2023-24 top-grade flag-winning side.

Jackson, Ethan, Ruby and Ella Couch, alongside father Corey, played together for the Northern Raiders. Picture supplied

The veteran cricketer is back at Nirranda as senior coach this season after a fruitful stint with Northern Raiders. The all-rounder, in his 50s, scored 280 runs and took 17 wickets in a division two campaign last summer, which culminated in a game playing alongside four of his five children.

Tim Bryce bowls for Northern Raiders in the 2024-25 premier grand final. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

The experienced all-rounder, in his early 40s, scored valuable runs in the championship division last year and took 12 wickets with the ball. Also plundered a century in division three. Just a year earlier, he took two wickets in the grand final to help Northern Raiders win their first premier division flag.

ANDREW FERRES (PORT FAIRY)

An all-rounder who played a mixture of premier and division two last summer, with a season-best 113 in division two. Played for North Castlemaine two years ago.

Ryan O'Keefe representing Warrnambool in 2007. File picture

RYAN O'KEEFE (DENNINGTON)

The former Warrnambool Country Week batter was a part of the Dennington side which was runner-up in last season's premier division. Made valuable contributions in multiple games.

Warrnambool spinner Tharanga Jayawardhane sends the ball down in October, 2025. Picture by Justine McCullagh-Beasy

THARANGA JAYAWARDHANE (WARRNAMBOOL)

The talented spinner was his club's second-highest wicket-taker in the premier division last year with 14. Just a season earlier, the Sri Lankan took 28 wickets in the top grade, which included a performance of 7-12 against Nestles.

Allansford-Panmure bowler Luke Ryan steams in during a match in 2025. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

LUKE RYAN (ALLANSFORD-PANMURE)

Played in the Gators' 2025-26 championship premiership, taking a wicket in their win against Hawkesdale. Snared 16 wickets for the season. A former top-grade captain who took on the role in 2019-20 alongside Brad Sheen. Ryan joined Allansford-Panmure roughly a decade ago after a dominant career with Grassmere association outfit Purnim.

Lachie Morrison bowling for Wesley Yambuk's top side in November 2023. File picture

LACHIE MORRISON (SPRING CREEK)

The longtime cricketer snared 17 championship wickets in 2025-26 as Spring Creek reached the finals. Has experience at a number of clubs, including Wesley Yambuk - now part of Warrnambool - where he played some top-grade cricket as recently as the 2023-24 season.

Terry Beks has played more than 500 games for Dennington. Picture by Eddie Guerrero

The evergreen paceman isn't slowing down and claimed 17 wickets last season in the championship division. Aged in his early 60s now, Beks has more than 800 division one wickets to his name and played his 500th game for Dennington in early 2025.

Rachel Sabo won her second cricketer-of-the-year-award in 2025-26. Picture by William Stanley

The trailblazing star all-rounder won her second women's cricketer-of-the-year award last season, aged 43, when she topped the count alongside Hawkesdale's Scarlett O'Donnell. Dominated with the bat, scoring 320 runs at a huge average of 160. Co-captained the Western Waves in 2025-26, striking 32 in a Twenty20 against South East Sharks.

Heshan De Silva in his new club colours after joining Noorat Terang. Picture by WMDCA

HESHAN DE SILVA (NOORAT TERANG)

Boom recruit who can turn a match. Spent two seasons at Russells Creek where he dominated with the bat and ball. One highlight was an 11-wicket haul against Northern Raiders. He made 494 runs at 24.7 and took 34 wickets last summer. It came after he snared 34 scalps in just seven matches the season prior.

Warrnambool's Jason Greer sends down a delivery during the 2020 season. File picture

JASON GREER (WARRNAMBOOL)

A club icon now in his 50s and still turning batsmen inside out. The spin bowler took 21 wickets at 11.38 across all formats in 2025-26, playing predominantly in division two with a few appearances in premier. Was in the competition's top-10 wicket-takers across the decade of 2009-19.

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