Aussie cricket greats going in to bat for Bali

A team of former Australian Test and State cricketers will tour Bali in April to demonstrate Australia's support for the Balinese and to promote the fledgling game to locals on the `Island of the Gods'.

Playing under the name `Aussie Legends' the tourists are: Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, David Colley, Wayne Holdsworth, Paul Wilson, David Fitzgerald and Richard Chee Quee.

Between them they have represented Australia in 26 Tests and One Day Internationals, and their States on more than 900 occasions.

For Richard Chee Quee the tour is particularly special. He was the first player of Chinese origin to play First-Class cricket in Australia, and is passionate about helping to spread the game throughout Asia.

Organised and funded by Garuda Indonesia, the team will play a series of six-aside matches with Indonesian players, undertake coaching clinics and workshops, and visit schools to spread the message about cricket.

The matches will not only help foster cricket in Indonesia and strengthen relations between both countries, but raise money for local Balinese charities.

Garuda Indonesia will fly the players to Bali from Sydney and Perth on April 3, and return on April 8. They will stay in the Hotel Sanur Beach resort.

Cricket in Bali is not as unusual as it sounds. They have five clubs which play in three cricket leagues (Under 15, Under 19 and open), a girl's competition and an expanding schools program.

The main oval in Bali is roughly the size of the Adelaide Oval. It has a compact grandstand, nets and a centre square with five turf pitches, tended by a groundsman.

The tour has the support of the International Cricket Council, the Indonesian Cricket Foundation, Cricket Bali, Cricket Australia and various State cricket associations.

"It will be a great experience for some of our younger players who are coming through our leagues to play with and against legendary Australian players," said Ian Jasper, President of Cricket Bali. "The tour will do wonders to help promote cricket in Bali and other parts of Indonesia."

The Australian players (in alphabetical order):

Jo Angel, right arm fast bowler, left hand batsman. Australia & Western Australia. 4 Tests, 3 ODIs, 121 First-Class, 94 List A matches. Took 616 wickets in his representative career

Ryan Campbell, right hand batsman, wicketkeeper. Australia A & Western Australia. Two ODIs, Australia A, 98 First-Class, 105 List A matches. Scored more than 8,400 runs in his representative career, including 12 centuries. Took 411 catches and made 27 stumpings

Richard Chee Quee, right hand batsman. New South Wales 21 First-Class, 24 List A matches. Scored almost 2,000 runs for NSW, including two centuries

David Colley, right arm fast bowler, right hand batsman. Australia & New South Wales. Three Tests, One ODI, 87 First-Class, 14 List A matches. One of only seven NSW all-rounders to take more than 200 wickets and score 2,000 runs.

David Fitzgerald, right hand batsman. South Australia & Western Australia. 67 First Class, 44 List A matches. Scored more than 5,500 runs with 15 centuries.

Wayne Holdsworth, right arm fast bowler, right hand batsman. New South Wales. 68 First-Class, 35 List A matches. Took more than 250 wickets for NSW

Paul Wilson, right arm fast-medium, right hand batsman. Australia, South Australia, Western Australia. 1 Test, 11 ODIs, 51 First-Class, 84 List A matches. Took 570 wickets in his representative career

NB: List A includes one-day ING Cup and 2nd XI matches