John Evans is heading Down Under early next year to take on the Australians in their own back yard – and he’ll be going head-to-head with the Baggy Greens at the age of 71.

The chairman of Frocester Cricket Club has been selected by England Over-70s for a month-long tour, which will include three one-day internationals – unofficially known as the Grey Ashes! – as well as a host of warm-up games.

Evans, who won his first cap against Wales in the summer, has been named vice-captain and, as you’d expect when Australia play England, there will be no quarter asked or given.

The internationals will be 50 overs games and Evans said: “It will be really competitive, we want to win. Every player in the squad of 17 or 18 has been guaranteed seven games but no-one has been guaranteed a place in the internationals, it’s treated properly. The standard of players who keep playing remains high.”

The England squad, who will be captained by Chris Swadkin from Kent, will fly to the Gold Coast on 26^th January and will then head south to Sydney and Canberra before moving west to Melbourne. They fly back from the tour, which the players pay for themselves, on 23^rd February.

Evans opens the batting for Gloucestershire Over-70s – he also plays for Gloucestershire Over-60s – but batted four against Wales in Stourport and says he’s “happy to bat anywhere”.

Evans made an unbeaten 66 on his debut in England’s impressive score of 315 for three from 40 overs, a total which was way too many for Wales who were restricted to 154 for four in reply.

Originally from Shropshire, Evans has enjoyed a long and productive cricket career. He moved to this part of the world when he became a student at what was then St Paul’s College in Cheltenham and has stayed in the county ever since.

“I’ve played for the two best cricket clubs in the world – Dumbleton and Frocester,” he said, “I’ve been very lucky.”

He left Dumbleton for Frocester in 1980 when he changed jobs and captained them for 15 years, including leading them out at Lord’s in the final of the National Village Knockout against Kington.

That day in 1993 was very special, even though it was a game Frocester lost in agonising fashion by two runs, and Evans said: “I’d put being picked for this tour up there with captaining Frocester at Lord’s.

“Getting my England cap with the three Lions on it against Wales was a very proud moment, even though I’m over 70.

“My mum and dad aren’t with us any more but they’d have been looking down very proud.”

Evans, who will be accompanied on the tour by his wife of 50 years Judy, has been to Australia a couple of times but this is the first time he is going there to play cricket.

And he knows what to expect when he comes up against the Australians because he’s taken them on before at Cheltenham’s Victoria Ground when he was captain of Gloucestershire’s over-60s.

“We lost but we gave them a good game,” he said.

Evans hasn’t played for Frocester this season – he’s been umpiring in the Gloucestershire County League instead – but he’s played about 20 games for Gloucestershire’s over-60s and over-70s so has had plenty of time out in the middle.

When he spoke to The Local Answer he was preparing to play for Gloucestershire Over-60s against Essex at Halstead Cricket Club before heading north to play for Gloucestershire Over-70s against Norfolk at Fakenham two days later.

He admits he’s missed playing for Frocester this season but typically he explained: “I don’t want to stand in the way of a youngster coming through.”

He’s been chairman of the club for the past 11 or 12 years and back in the day was lucky enough to play in the 1^st XI alongside his two boys, Sam and Richard.

Sam, whose daughter Sophie plays cricket at Frocester, has recently returned to the club as a batsman/wicketkeeper for the 3^rd XI.

John Evans will be at Frocester on Saturday for the club’s top-of-the-table WEPL Premier Two Glos/Wilts game against Goatacre – a day before he celebrates his golden wedding anniversary – and while cricket has been a very big part of his life, he is also very well known in football circles around Gloucestershire and beyond.

His name is synonymous with Shortwood United but he also played, coached and managed at Forest Green Rovers back in the day.

“I’ve really enjoyed my sport,” he said with some understatement.

Happily for Evans, there are still plenty more enjoyable times ahead!