Seventy-four-year-old Horsforth cricketer Dennis Nash will be taking to the world stage next week.

The veteran opening bowler will be in Arthington’s line up for the 14th Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Cricket Festival, which is being held in North Yorkshire from August 8-15.

Nash, who regularly bowls a 12-over stint for his club and plays Twenty20 in the Harrogate League every Wednesday, is the oldest local player in an event which has drawn 35 teams from across the globe.

He said: “I just play within myself. I love playing and this tournament is a great idea and an opportunity to play even more games.”

The JCT600 Bradford League and the Aire-Wharfe club Olicanian are among the teams competing against sides from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean and the USA.

Former Test players Bob Holland (Australia), Martyn Moxon (England) and Collis King (West Indies) will feature in the 40-overs-per-side friendly matches.

Matches are being played at: Alne, Arthington, Beckwithshaw, Bilton, Bishop Monkton, Bolton Abbey, Burton Leonard, Dacre Banks, Glasshouses, Goldsbrough, Helperby, Killinghall, Knaresborough, Lofthouse, Masham, Newby Hall, North Stainley, Olicanians, Ouseburn, Pannal, Pateley Brdige, Raskelf, Ripley, Sessay, Spofforth, Studley Royal, Thornton Watlass, Walton and West Tanfield.

The Bradford League will play against three Australian sides.

They face Gold Coast Cricket Society at Pannal on Monday (noon), Goulbourn Trinity Tigers at Pannal on Wednesday (11am) and Glen Inis Geldings on Friday at Bilton (11am).

The tournament opens in Masham on Sunday with a parade of the competing nations.

Yorkshire president Ray Illingworth, the tournament ambassador, will be taking part.

He said: “I am very impressed by the enormous amount of planning that has been put into the festival.

"We think that we have a tough job organising the first-class game but the logistics of looking after 800 overseas visitors for a week and arranging 87 cricket matches on 29 different grounds in three days makes my eyes water!”

Bradford League squad: B Butt, D Pearce, I Khan, Z Najeeb, J Iqbal, M Paynter, A Brassington, S Foster, T Amin, M Maroof, G Colehan, M Walwyn, T Hamer, M Redhead, G Dobson, C Hester, M Maroof, H Reeve, L Wood.