KEY POINTS:
This is the theatre of broken dreams - plus broken fingers and the odd broken bat.
Some of New Zealand's best-known cricketers of yesteryear were on the Auckland North Shore yesterday attempting to turn back the clock while trying to avoid turning too quickly in the field.
The Mercure Masters for former first-class cricketers joined the cricket calendar for the first time this weekend.
Four teams representing Auckland, Wellington, Northern Districts and Central Districts are at the tournament and contain a host of former internationals, including Ewen Chatfield, Andrew Jones, Tony Blain, Bryan Young, Simon Doull, Erv McSweeney, Murphy Su'a, and Trevor Franklin.
Some chests may have slipped but the minds were more than willing even if the bodies vehemently protested.
Chatfield, though, has not put on one ounce of body fat since retirement. In fact he is looking more the greyhound than ever.
"I've got a lawn-mowing contract so I walk a million miles a day. That's why I look like a pencil," he laughed.
That pencil came in for a bit of stick in the first over of Wellington's match against Northern Districts. Opener Young decided to dispense with the niceties and dispatched Chatfield, who has just two-and-a-half days of cricket with Naenae this summer, over the ropes.
"The boundaries were a bit small on one side," Chats said.
"But I managed to drag it back a bit in my second."
Chatfield said the idea of a tournament for former first-class cricketers was one he hoped would last the distance, much like himself.
"I'll keep playing as long as my body is fit and able," he said.
So old cricketers never retire, they just shorten their run-ups.
