Growers part of cricket history
Australia’s wool industry is putting its shoulder behind Australian cricket as part of a Flock to Baggy Green project.
The Woolmark Company, manufacturer Kookaburra and Cricket Australia have joined forces for the project, which involves inviting wool growers from across Australia to donate some of their wool for Australia’s iconic Baggy Green caps.
Woolmark will collect donated wool from participating wool growers and take it to Kookaburra to create the caps worn by Australian men’s and women’s representative cricket teams during Test matches.
The idea has already captured the attention of Wimmera wool growers who have had a strong link to cricket.
Laharum wool grower Maurice Dumesny, who spent a lifetime either playing for or helping run Laharum Cricket Club, said the Flock to Baggy Green project was a tremendous idea.
“It’s a great way of getting more people to know about wool and as growers it will be great for us to know we’ve helped cap Australian cricketers,” he said.
Wool growers can donate as little or as much raw wool as they wish, with everyone who donates wool to receive a sample of the finished fabric as a memento of their contribution.
Woolgrowers will also be given the opportunity to share their own cricketing stories over the course of the project.
The project highlights the process by which Kookaburra transforms raw Australian wool into the ‘Baggy Green’.
It also showcases the strong link between cricket and the wool industry, a connection that stretches back to before the Federation of Australia and continues to this day.
Cricket has long been at the heart of rural and remote communities throughout Australia, with many past and present Australian cricketers having connections to the wool industry and hailing from regional areas.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has welcomed the Flock to Baggy Green project as an opportunity to celebrate the national cricket cap and the connection between Australian cricket and Australian wool growers.
“The Baggy Green is a proud symbol of Australian cricket, and it is wonderful to have a project that gives wool growers the opportunity to donate some of their wool and be able to trace it to the caps that will be worn by Australian cricketers for years to come,” he said.
“The initiative is also a reminder of the strong link between Australian cricket and rural communities.”
Australian Wool Innovation is the parent company of Woolmark and chief executive Stuart Mccullough is confident wool growers will support the Flock to Baggy Green project
“What a perfect opportunity for wool growers across Australia to support our national cricket,” he said.
“Cricket and wool have been closely linked for a long time, you can actually see a sheep on the Baggy Green if you look closely.”
Honoured
Kookaburra communications head Shannon Gill said Kookaburra was honoured to be the maker of the Baggy Green for Australian teams, as well as caps for community clubs around Australia that help give every cricket team its identity.
“As a proudly Australian company we welcome the opportunity to help further tell the story of what cricket means to the country, from backyard to Baggy Green,” he said.
Wool growers have until March 30 to send a sample of their wool, complete with their name, property, fibre diameter, telephone number and email address to: Flock to Baggy Green c/- AWI GPO Box 4177, Sydney NSW 2001. They can also visit website www.wool.com/ baggygreen for more information about how to get involved.
For the record, Maurice Dumesny, 62, played his first season of cricket in the 1968-69 season and last played in 2004-05 when he was 50.
In his 431 innings he made 7259 runs to be Laharum’s third-highest run scorer behind Damien Bunworth and Robert Queale. He had a highest score of 102 not out and a career average of 19.41.
He took a club-record 220 catches and captured 509 wickets at an average of 16.30 with best figures of 8-32.
He is now relaxing on the tennis court on Saturday afternoons and this year is reflecting on outstanding wool prices.