Bermuda Cricket Board president Arnold Manders has finally realised his dream of playing in a World Cup.

Manders featured for a Rest of the World team in Brisbane, Australia, that finished sixth among the twelve teams to compete at the inaugural Over-60s World Cup last week.

“It was a great experience and very good cricket has been played,” Manders told The Royal Gazette. “The tournament was played in a good spirit and it was really great.”

The 63-year-old all-rounder made five appearances at the event and his Rest of the World team were denied a top-five finish only after losing to Wales by three wickets in a play-off.

From the middle order, Manders contributed 13 of the Rest of the World’s 154 runs from just 12 balls against Wales after his team batted first and he took the wicket of opposition opening batsman Peter Docherty as Wales were reduced to 62 for six in reply.

The Welsh team, however, showed plenty of spirit and won with three balls to spare.

“There was some good cricket played despite having to play so many games in a short period of time,” Manders added. “You had to mix your team around quite a few injuries.

“But I think everybody has enjoyed it.”

Among the highlights of the trip for the former Bermuda coach and captain was the chance to meet former South Africa Test players Omar Henry and Mike Proctor.

Henry was the first Black player to play for South Africa in the post-apartheid era, while Proctor made seven Test appearances between 1967 and 1970 before South Africa was banned from the international stage in the Seventies and Eighties.

I spent a lot of time with them talking about cricket and how to improve because they don’t have the same plight in South Africa,“ Manders said. I made a lot of new friends.“

The Over-60s World Cup received plenty of local coverage in Australia with Pakistan crowned champions after beating New Zealand.