Medal Worth 20,000 Marking 1st Test Cricket Match

Gold Medal Worth 20,000 Marking The First Ever Test Cricket Match To Be Auctioned In London

A gold medal presented for the first ever official cricket test match, held in Melbourne 133 years ago, will come up at auction in London next week.

The medal with crossed cricket bats, stumps and a ball engraved could fetch up to 20,000 when it comes under the hammer at Graham Budd Auctions sports sale at Sotheby's New Bond Street sale room in London on November 9.

Cricket’s first test match started on March 15 1877 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The medal was presented to one of the England players, Harry Charlwood, by George Browne, the architect of the first grandstand at the MCG.

Australia beat James Lillywhite's England by 45 runs in the first ever text match, a result that, extraordinarily, was duplicated precisely when Australia and England played the Centenary Test at the MCG on March 12-17 in 1977.

Graham Budd said today the item was the only known medal from Browne's commemoration, but it was presumed he presented a gold medal to all the England players.

“Perhaps he gave similar medals to the home team too, as a suitable souvenir of his achievements in developing a ground more than worthy of hosting test match cricket.

Browne is known to have socialised heavily with the England cricketers during the tour. Browne’s MCG grandstand cost 4500 but did not last long as it was destroyed by fire in 1884.’’

Other notable projects by George Browne included Rupertswood Mansion in Sunbury, built as a residence for Sir William John Clarke (first Australian born baronet) between 1874 and 1876. Rupertswood also holds a place in the great sporting rivalry between Australia and England, as it was on a field at Rupertswood that the "Ashes" were created.

On Christmas Eve of 1882, after a congenial lunch, Sir William Clarke suggested a social game between the English Cricket team and a local side, made up largely of Rupertswood staff. By all accounts, it was an enjoyable match with no one really keeping score.

However, it was generally agreed that the English won. Pat Lyons, a worker at Rupertswood, clearly remembered the afternoon many years later. It was his understanding that Lady Clarke, at dinner that evening, together with other female guests who enjoyed a joke, presented Ivo Bligh with a pottery urn. It was purported to contain the ashes of a burnt bail.

This was a light hearted gesture intended to be a memento of the England team's visit to Rupertswood, with reference to the 'obituary' to English cricket that had appeared in The Sporting Times after their defeat to Australia on home soil at The Oval August 29, 1882.

Also up for auction next week are two Australian baggie green test caps. One belonged to Colin McCool's from the Australian invincibles tour of England in 1948. McCool gifted the cap, which could reach stg8000 at auction, to the Somerset country secretary Richard Robinson. McCool played for Somerset between 1956 and 1960.

The other baggie is Colin McDonald's cap from the difficult 1956 tour of England. McDonald coped admirably facing Trueman and Statham the Victorian performed with distinction scoring 89, 45, 32 and 89. The cap is estimated to fetch up to 3500.

ENDS

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