Fan unearths Ashes souvenir
Graham Tomasini has unearthed a cricket program from the 1928-29 Ashes Test series between Australia and England in Australia.
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The Girgarre-raised cricket fan who lives in South Australia these days and still plays in a veterans competition in Adelaide at the age of 67 discovered the souvenir program among belongings of his parents, Newt and his late wife June Tomasini.
‘‘Dad and Mum wouldn’t have been old enough then to have them then so somebody has probably given it to them,’’ Graham said.
Cricket buffs with a passion for cricket history would drool at some of the legendary names from both camps in the production, which cost a hefty six pence in those long-ago days.
Australian names such as Bradman, Woodfall, Ponsford, Grimmett, Ryder, Kippax and Oldfield feature alongside English superstars Hammond, Hobbs and Larwood.
In fact it was the series in which the legendary Bradman made his Test debut for Australia.
The program, printed before the fifth and final Test in Melbourne, which started on March 8, 1929, detailed results of the four Tests up to then and left scores for the results of the Melbourne Test to be added.
In the first Test of that series in Brisbane, Don Bradman, making his Test debut, managed scores of only 18 and 1 and was dropped for the second Test in Sydney.
But back in the team for the third Test in Melbourne the most celebrated player in cricket history gave a sample of what was to come by making 79 in the first innings and 112 in the second innings in a beaten Aussie side.
He followed those scores up with 40 and 58 in the fourth Test in Adelaide, which England won by three wickets.
And in the fifth and final Test in Melbourne he posted scores of 123 and 57 to help Australia claim its only win of the series.
While Bradman was starting his celebrated career the star of the series was undoubtedly legendary English batsman Walter (Wally) Hammond.
After scores of 44 and 28 in the first Test in Brisbane Hammond made 251 in the first innings of the second Test in Sydney and didn’t have to bat a second time as England wrapped up an eight-wicket win.
Hammond was at it again in the fourth Test in Adelaide, compiling an unbeaten 119 in the first innings and 177 in the second innings.
But he was dismissed for 38 and 16 in the final Test in Melbourne.
Girgarre locks in centenary celebrations
Girgarre Football Netball Club is hoping third time will be lucky, locking in the weekend of April 2 and 3 for its centenary celebrations.
Two attempts to celebrate the club’s 100 years of existence in 2020 and 2021 were aborted due to COVID-19 and club president Matt Graetz and his organising committee have their fingers crossed the third attempt will be successful.
‘‘There is a big weekend planned and it should be a great occasion for our club,’’ Matt said.
The celebrations will kick off on the Saturday night with a dinner when Teams of the Century and The Ages will be announced, with recipients recognised.
A book written by club stalwart Athol ‘Doc’ McDonald, They’re Champions You’ll Agree, will also be launched at this function.
A Front Bar segment and former coaches reflecting on their time at Girgarre will be other highlights of this function.
On Sunday Girgarre’s modern-day footy and netball stars will be in action in an opening round clash of the Kyabram and District Football League when the Roos take on last year’s unbeaten boom side, Lancaster.
There will also be a celebration of the club’s 1991 premiership side, the last team to win a senior footy club premiership, at this much-anticipated showdown.
Young Flame impresses at Country Week
Promising young Kyabram Fire Brigade cricketer Bohden Learmonth was one of the better performers for the Goulburn Murray Cricket representative sides that contested Country Week last week.
Playing in the top tier (Under 17s) of the competition, Learmonth’s 60 off 57 balls with eight fours was the highest score posted in this grade for the week for GMC sides. Bohden also second top scored with 17 in a heavy loss to Cricket Shepparton.
Learmonth’s Fire Brigade teammate Steve George was among GMC’s best and most economical performers with the ball with 2/12 over six overs in one game and 1/11 off nine overs in the team’s only win for the series, against Seymour.
In the Under 15s Tongala’s Hudson Kellett was the most productive batsmen for GMC with scores of 32 and 35 not out in two games while his Tongala clubmate Jesse Johnstone took 3/7 off five overs in its only win from the three games, against Seymour.
No GMC sides made the deciders in the series, which wasn’t without its dramas with many late reshuffles of teams when players were ruled out due to COVID-19 issues.
Slight mix-up
The heading and intro in this column last week last week was a bit deceiving.
The headline announced Kyabram Fire Brigade Cricket Club, known as The Flames, would host the third round clash of Cricket Shepparton’s Bush Bash series which is the case.
In the intro of the story it stated the Kyabram Cricket Club would be hosting the third round.
The Flames — Kyabram Fire Brigade Cricket Club — compete in the Goulburn Murray Cricket competition and the Kyabram Cricket Club in the Cricket Shepparton competition but both clubs have players in the Hurley’s Hotel team, which competes in the Bush Bash competition.
Kyabram Cricket Club hosted a round last season and this time it’s Fire Brigade’s turn to run the day.
Ashley, or Ashleigh?
There are two men in Finley with the same sounding name.
The difference is in the spelling of their names.
There is a town go-getter named Ashley Haynes, the local butcher and president of the Finley Football Netball Club.
Then there’s Ashleigh Haines, the local bowls star who recently claimed his ninth Finley Bowls Club championship.
Same name different spelling but both great advertisements and people for the town.
Kyabram Free Press