'We're there to win': Tamworth vets get down to business for Blues

As the Tamworth resident prepares to jet off to Brisbane this week, where he will captain the NSW Over 55s team for a pair of games against Victoria, he is readying for two days of hard, unrelenting play.

"Believe me, we're there to win," Wilson said.

"There's not one bloke in the team that wouldn't be going there to win. It's good, fun cricket, but it's very competitive."

Wilson will be joined on his journey by local left-arm orthodox bowler, Andrew O'Halloran.

O'Halloran's flighted and unerringly accurate bowling makes him nigh impossible to score against, and earned him the Man of the Match award in April's Doug Walters Cup final.

But the wily veteran also has another prestigious role to perform within the NSW team.

"There's some talk on the stretch that the only reason I was selected in this team was that I've got a very good 1980s playlist," O'Halloran said.

"So I'm the sound producer."

Despite his assertion to the contrary, O'Halloran was most assuredly included in the side for his bowling, as was Wilson for his batting and captaincy skills.

The selections for NSW were based on nominations put in throughout the summer season. From this list, the selectors picked the strongest performers to be a part of the squad.

While the NSW team takes on Victoria on Thursday and Friday, there will also be a pair of clashes between Queensland and South Australia.

The concept for this series was developed earlier this year, Wilson said, and will act as a chance for players to prove themselves worthy of selection in state teams ahead of the National Championships in November.

Upon the conclusion of the two games on Friday night, there will be a celebratory dinner at which Jeff Thompson will appear as the guest speaker.

"He was around in our younger days, so I'm sure there'll be some good stories that come out during the night," Wilson said.

At the end of a hard couple of days' cricket, O'Halloran looks forward to mixing with some of his opponents, many of whom have played first grade cricket in Sydney or Melbourne, while some even have Sheffield Shield experience.

"I think that's really a fabric of the game of cricket in many ways," he said.

"The interaction and everyone being cordial with each other after the game is a huge part of why I play."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: