Durham’s Tony Birbeck and Graham Shaw named in England over 60s squad for Ashes series

Tony Birbeck and Graham Shaw have been selected in the England over 60s squad for their Ashes series against Australia. 

Birbeck and Shaw who are both members of the Durham over 50s and over 60s teams have been called up to represent England in the Grey Ashes 2023 series which kicks off next Wednesday at Thame Town Cricket Club in Oxfordshire.

A 22-player squad has been called up for the series which runs until 30^th July as the Ashes series concludes at Littlehampton in West Sussex.

Birbeck has enjoyed a positive start to the season having scored 395 runs for the Durham & Northumberland senior side which includes 118 against Yorkshire.

While Graham Shaw has also been in the runs averaging almost 60 with 359 runs to his name top scoring against Yorkshire having scored 105.

The first official England v Australia Over-60s international took place on 16 August 2009 at Sheffield United’s Bawtry Road ground, with England winning by 9 wickets.

The most recent match occurred on 8 December 2019 at the Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane with England winning a tight game by 10 runs to win the Ashes.

27 matches have been played in total, 11 in England and 14 in Australia and 2 in Barbados. England have won 20, Australia 6 and there has been one tie.

Only one century has been scored for England – 109 by Bob Eames at New Rover CC, Leeds, in 2011. Eames was a Yorkshireman who played Seniors cricket for Devon. In the same match Ray Swann (Graeme Swann’s father) scored 99.

The best bowling for England is 5 for 11 by Keith Daniels of Gloucestershire, at Kapadia Park, Geelong, Victoria in November 2011.

England Over-60s have played a further 15 official internationals against other countries: Wales, Scotland, New Zealand and Pakistan and won the Caribbean Cup in February.

Grey Ashes ODIs Schedule

1^st ODI  – Thame Town CC, 12^th July, 1pm

2^nd ODI – Burton CC, 16^th July, 1pm

3^rd ODI – Southport & Birkdale CC, 19^th July, 1pm

4^th ODI – Chipping Campden CC, 24^th July, 1pm

5^th ODI – Littlehampton CC, 30^th July, 1pm

England Squad

Richard Merriman (Captain, Derbyshire), Tony Birbeck (Durham), Kevin Bissett (Warwickshire), Neil Brathwaite (Essex), John Butterworth (Kent), Jason Caunt (Derbyshire), Phil Deakin (Lancashire), Chris Dearden (Lancashire), Montie Douglas (Lincolnshire), Nick Gaywood (Yorkshire), John Goldthorp (Yorkshire), Edward Gordon Lennox (Gloucestershire), Kevin Grant (Essex), Mel Hussain (Essex), Jim Phillips (Kent), Tony Rhodes (Hertfordshire), Graham Shaw (Durham), Russell Spiers (Leicestershire), Rupert Staple (Kent), Martin Watkin (Yorkshire), John Whiting (Hampshire), Marcus Young (Essex)