AUSTRALIA has still not convinced England to hand over the Ashes urn, but fret not: another piece of cricketing history on loan from the UK is now safe and sound in the Redlands.
The cap of Australian cricketing legend Peter Burge, widely regarded as Queensland’s finest home-grown batsman, has arrived at the Redlands Tigers Cricket Club.
Redlands Tigers’ connection to Burge is more than the average cricket aficionado; its No. 1 cricket oval is named after the Brisbane-born star.
Burge played 42 Tests for Australia, which included four centuries, he captained Queensland 29 times, and had a highly successful 15-year run in the Sheffield Shield competition.
His cap comes by way of the Royal Household Cricket Club in England, within the prestigious walls of Windsor Castle. It was extracted by Trent Conwell, a Redlands Tigers member of 27 years.
The staff of Her Majesty Elizabeth II traditionally played on the grounds, but as ageing made it more difficult, they started “ringing-in” Commonwealth cricketers on their behalf, which soon became tradition.
The Queen would regularly come and watch the games, and Prince William and Harry have had a bat themselves, Mr Conwell said.
Recently, the keen cricketer scored his own “ring-in” invitation.
Among the clubhouse’s extensive memorabilia, which includes a Bradman collection, “in the corner was a baggy green, and I guess the Poms didn’t really think much of it, but of course the Aussies would notice it,” Mr Conwell said.
On closer inspection, he saw the cap belonged to Peter Burge, the namesake of the Tigers’ oval.
After the Royal Household Club’s captain offered to loan the memento to the Tigers, Mr Conwell returned to the Redlands with the baggy green cap of Peter Burge.
“We got it done up nicely, and it now sits proudly on the wall of the clubhouse in the Redlands,” he said.
