As the summer of cricket is in full swing, we are featuring a photograph of the English cricket team outside of the iconic Craigs Royal Hotel in 1929.
The English cricket team had travelled to Australia to play the Ashes series in 1928, ultimately retaining the honour across tests played in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
In February 1929, between the fourth and fifth tests, the team spent a few days in Ballarat, playing a two-day match against a Ballarat District Cricket Association team. The temperature on the Saturday reached a sweltering 36 degrees, perhaps contributing to the game concluding in a draw.
While recovering on the Monday, the team spent the morning fishing in the creek near Newlyn Reservoir, where “they all broke duck with rod and line.” The team were angling for a trout, but caught mainly perch. To remedy the disappointment, a 5lb trout caught in Lake Wendouree was subsequently delivered to the chef at Craig’s Hotel for the team’s supper.
This great image is included in our 2024 fundraising wall calendar!
