Two champions of Dubbo cricket have maintained their enthusiasm, skills, and fitness and their efforts have been recognised by national selectors in veterans teams.

Former Newtown first grade firebrand fast bowler, Don Skinner, and South Dubbo, RSL, and Rugby Country NSW representative Wayne Munro have just been named in Australian masters teams for upcoming international events.

Don even now still runs-in off a couple of steps in Newtown’s lower grades, a far cry from the days when he steamed up and exploded on batsmen with fire-laden left-arm seamers.

I was fortunate to be behind the stumps when the big fella, who’d moved to Dubbo to open a dairy with his family, ripped through the cream of Dubbo cricket on debut in the Whitney Cup.

I remember Donny besting the powerful CYMS batting line-up one day when my keeper’s gloves were full of broken bails and splintered stumps as he crashed through the defences of the hapless Cougars.

“Munners” meanwhile, was a local nurtured through the South Dubbo High “academy” with players like Steve Wheeler, Mick Taylor, and Michael Kempston under the tutelage of Kevin Butler, Laurie Ager, and Graham “Dan Frogan” Mackie where he developed a reputation as one of the city’s finest all-rounders.

He was capable of opening the bowling, switching back to medium pace and, in latter years, tweaking his “nude nut” offies as he guided countless teams to night cricket, Whitney Cup, Dawson Cup, and senior representative honours.

Munro’s eagle-eye and accurate arm, keen hands in the field, and uninhibited stroke-play made him a key player in every team he was in. He captained Macquarie Valley and Western Zone and was selected to represent Country against City when those matches were the aim of every bush cricketer.

Both players will now represent their country in the senior’s ranks, Don will play for Australia in the Over 70s side, Munners in the over 65s outfit.

Both are characters who have maintained their love for cricket over the years and have shared the pitch with blokes like Rod Morrison (before his recent hip replacements), Darrell Thompson, Glen Armstrong, Ian Green, and Trangie immortal, Tim “Pop” Jenkins.

In other long-serving titans of the fame, Nyngan-born Barry Everingham and former Newtown captain, Greg Briggs have also extended their careers in the sport they learned and loved as kids.