Western Morning News (Saturday)
Collectors will love this cricket memorabilia
THREE cricket bats and a stand are expected to sell for well over £1,000 when they go under the Charterhouse hammer in its April twoday online auction in Sherborne.
“Having carried out a probate valuation for executors we were them asked to clear the property, a charming thatched Dorset cottage near Shaftesbury,” commented Richard Bromell. “The cricket bat stand, sitting at the top of the stairs, caught my eye pretty quickly. Having had an interest in cricket for several decades I was amazed to see one of the bats was signed by both the England and Australian 1938 teams including cricketing legends Len Hutton, Denis Compton with Don Bradman.”
The Sykes willow cricket bat with the team signatures was originally presented to Caius House School, probably by an old pupil or maybe even a parent, in July 1938. The family who lived in the cottage cleared by Charterhouse privately owned Caius House School near Shoreham-by-Sea for many years and retained the bats and stand after the school was closed.
Signatures by the Australian team include Don Bradman (Capt.), Stan McCabe, Sidney Barnes, Arthur Chipperfield and William O’Reilly. For England, the signatures include Wally Hammond (Capt.), Denis Compton, Len Hutton, Charlie Barnett, and Bill Edrich.
The names from both teams represent some of the most famous pre-war cricketers. The 1938 Ashes between Australia and England was drawn. England and Australia won a Test each, with two of the other Tests drawn and the third game of the series, scheduled for Manchester abandoned without a ball being bowled, only the second instance of this in more than 60 years of Test cricket. The Australians retained The Ashes. Also in the cricket bat stand are two other bats. One is a well played Gunn & Moore Cannon cricket bat and the other a Victorian bat.
This has a brass plaque on the back inscribed ‘Presented to Charles Lancaster Esqr by Members of the Calcutta Exhibition Cricket Team for Excellent Batting 1883-84’.
The England v Australia signed bat is estimated at £800-1,200, the Victorian bat with the presentation plaque £150250 and the remaining bat and stand £100-200 when they are sold in the sporting sale on Thursday, April 8 by Charterhouse Auctioneers in Sherborne.
Charterhouse is now accepting entries for its busy programme of auctions including sporting items with pictures and books on Thursday, April 8, Asian art, antiques & interiors on Friday, April 8 and its next specialist sales of classic & vintage cars and classic & vintage motorcycles.
Items for these auctions can be posted directly to Charterhouse at The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne 01935 812277 or click and deliver by calling on 01935 812277. Alternatively email photographs of your lots for valuation on info@charterhouse-auction.com.