THEY’RE the two most capped first grade players in ACT grade cricket history but it’s unlikely Queanbeyan cricket legends Michael Frost and Peter Solway were expecting to add to that tally this season.
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But with injuries and representative duties cutting a swathe through Queanbeyan’s playing stocks, the two veterans were on hand to answer their club’s call last weekend.
Frost, 46, and Solway, 48, took to the field for the Bluebags in the side’s Twenty20 loss to Weston Creek at Freebody on Sunday.
And while Queanbeyan was unable to secure the win, the duo did enough to help the club scrape through to next month’s finals by the barest of margins.
After finishing level with Weston Creek on the competition table, Queanbeyan’s superior regular season net run rate of just 0.06 saw them progress as the expense of their victorious opponents.
Opening the batting, Frost outlasted fellow opener Adelaide Strikers bound Jono Dean (3) at the crease before being bowled for eight.
“I got a call from Brunks [chairman of selectors Adrian Brunker] at about 11pm on the Saturday night saying there was no one else and that they needed me to have a run,” Frost said of his last-minute call up.
“Then I got to the ground on Sunday morning and he rang again saying someone else had pulled out, was there anyone else we could get. I was standing next to Solid [Solway] at the time and just said to him, ‘you’re up mate’.
“I think it worked out that there were 13 first and second grade players unavailable on the day but it was a bit of fun.
“There probably weren’t too many first grade sides going around on the weekend with a 46-year-old and a 48-year-old playing for them.”
The appearance was Frost’s 303rd and Solway’s 272nd in the top grade.
Fast bowlers Josh Bennett and Sam Taylor both missed the clash through injury while Mark Solway, Lakshmn Shivakumar, Alex Page, Guy Gillespie and Mark Higgs (coaching) were all unavailable on ACT under-19s duty.
Queanbeyan will now take on Albury in the Twenty20 semi-finals at Manuka Oval on January 19 with the winner of that clash to meet either Wests/UC or Tuggeranong in the grand final.
The Bluebags meanwhile, will be looking for the cavalry to return in time for the club’s SCG Cup clash against Eastlake on Sunday.