Former college captain Huw Owen to play at over-60s Cricket World Cup

At the championship, which is being held in Chennai, India, the Wales team will go up against 13 other countries including Australia, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa.

Huw first joined the Wales over-60s team a few years ago, and is also responsible for the team’s media activities.

At the inaugural over-60s Cricket World Cup, hosted by Australia in 2022, Wales finished fifth out of twelve teams then competing.

England are among the favourites to win in Chennai, but Wales are sanguine, Huw said. “We beat them in an international match at the end of the last season.”

During his time at Oriel, Huw played for the college, captaining the Cricket XI in 1983, as well as for the University of Oxford’s second team and other local teams.

He recounted there being several skilled cricketers at Oriel — “the likes of Adrian Mee, Craig Holden, Justin Abel, Dave Evans, Martin Bean, Bernie Routledge and Robert Good, among others.”

After graduating, Huw travelled to New Zealand, then London, then back to south Wales, his cricket bag staying with him wherever he went.

Today, he plays cricket, weather permitting, at least four days a week — for Wales on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Tondu Cricket Club on Wednesdays, and his club side, Blackwood, on Saturdays.

The over-60s Cricket World Cup team fly to Chennai on Sunday 10 February 2023 and play their first game, against India, on Monday 19 February 2023.

Huw said: “I’m looking forward to spending the best part of a month among cricketing folk in a cricket-mad country.”

It is possible to follow the Wales team’s matches live on the Wales Senior Cricket website.