Like many Australians, Les King has fond memories of playing cricket as a young man with his mates in the scorching sun.
Little did he know he would be batting away some yorkers and bouncers on a weekly basis at the age of 82.
"I played a lot when I was younger. I probably started competition cricket when I left school," Mr King said.
"Until I got busy with other things, and I had a gap of about 40 years," he said.
Prompted by a sea-change with his wife to the New South Wales Mid North Coast 12 years ago, Mr King revisited the sport he once loved with the aim of making friends in a new town.
"When I moved to Port Macquarie it was a different area, different culture really, to where we lived before in Orange," he said.
"I had to make new friends … and this is one of the results of them here."
Now, Mr King is the oldest player at the Mid North Coast Veterans Cricket Association.
"I am 82 which makes me the oldest by about four years," he said.
Veterans Cricket NSW is a competitive cricket league for players aged over 50, with various state and national competitions held throughout the year.
The MNC Veterans Cricket Association has more than 150 members, according to president Michael Bulmer.
"A lot of our players, especially our recent ones, have come back after 30 to 40 years away from the game," Mr Bulmer said.
He said the veterans league helped members' physical and mental wellbeing.
"The benefit they get in terms of the camaraderie, the friendship, the mateship is just unbelievable," he said.
"We call it our men's shed in the field."
Mr Bulmer said 82-year-old Mr King was "one of the fittest players at the club".
"He's not the fastest bowler or the best batsman, but he just loves playing with a group of his mates," he said.
"That's our goal, we want to keep playing or be part of the club as long as we can."
The NSW over-75s committee secretary, Kevin Pike, was the reason Mr King found his way back to the sport in his later years.
"Les and I have been pals since 2012 when we were doing a French class in Port Macquarie," Mr Pike said.
"I just mentioned vets cricket one day and he's been an avid supporter ever since.
Mr Pike, who is one of Veterans Cricket NSW's foundation members, said players enjoy both the athletic and technical sides of the sport.
"For the older age group, our over-75s, we do modify the rules a little bit … so it just cuts back on the physical effort of running, but otherwise it's normal rules of cricket," he said.
Not just cricket
As well as his weekly cricket commitments, Mr King plays pétanque on Tuesday mornings and does a five-kilometre parkrun most Saturdays.
He recently completed his 154th Port Macquarie parkrun.
"You can do it at your own pace … unfortunately my times aren't getting much better," Mr King said.
"I usually win my age group because I'm the only one in it.
"I can do it in about 42 minutes at the moment, I used to be able to do it in about 36. I would like to get below 40 again."
Co-event director of Port Macquarie parkrun Sue Fitzgerald says she is in awe of Mr King.
"He gets involved with the event, makes sure it happens," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"To think that in your 80s [parkrun] is still something you can come along to [is amazing]."
Mr King said he hopes to continue his weekly sports commitments for as long as possible.
"It's a social interaction, and lots of good-natured sledging goes on, especially at my age," he said.
"It's good to get out and about and get the body moving, that's the main thing."
