'Uncle' Carl Trask, 47, primed for a special season of senior club cricket

Carl Trask is also the district's groundsman.

The prospect of playing senior cricket for Weraroa in its 100-year centenary season has seen a club stalwart shelve all plans of retirement.

Weraroa allrounder Carl Trask said his decision to play another year of senior cricket was made more enticing by what was a special milestone for his beloved club.

"Centenaries don't come around very often. I might not be here for the next one," he said.

Trask first played club cricket in Levin as a 16-year-old in the late 1980s and had played every season since, although also spent a few seasons playing for Levin Old Boys and also a season playing for Waikanae when he lived in Paraparaumu.

Now aged 47, he was also relishing the prospect of playing for the top Weraroa side that boasts several players that were still in their teens.

Trask

wore a few hats, as a groundsman and a volunteer fireman, and he was also on the Weraroa Cricket Club committee that was busy preparing for what would be a weekend of celebration and remembrance planned for Waitangi weekend 2021.

Levin Fire Officer Carl Trask.

Trask sits in fifth place with 5828 runs on the all-time run scoring list for Weraroa, coming from 302 turns at bat at an average of 20.96.

While he is well behind top scorer Trevor Chambers who amassed 7309 in 280 innings, there was an opportunity to climb the board a few pegs this year should the runs come.

"I was going to look at playing presidents grade but that can wait till next year. I thought I was done with the serious stuff but I'm really keen to give it another crack," he said.

He said the younger players in Weraroa ranks kept him feeling young although he wasn't too sure about some of the nicknames he'd be given.

Weraroa veteran Carl Trask.

"They call me dad, or uncle," he said.

"But it's all part of it. There's a good group of young players coming through that are improving every year."

Trask was one of the best cricketer Horowhenua-Kāpiti had produced during the 1990s, recognised with his inclusion as an allrounder in the Central Districts men's team in 2000/2001.