Through 100 years of cricket under the guises of firstly Foggitt Jones, then South Bendigo and Golden Square as it has been known since 1932, 523 players have taken to the field in first XI for the club.

Those 523 include Simon Pearce, Dene Moore, Ken Knight, Les Harris, Jeff Harris, John Hammill, Bill Bonney and current coach Rob Bakes, who have been chosen as the club’s first Hall of Fame inductees.

The induction will be held at the All Seasons on Saturday night as a part of a gala function to be attended by almost 250 people.

The history of the Golden Square Cricket Club can be traced back to February 9, 1918.

It was this day that 13 employees from Golden Square-based small goods business Foggitt Jones, captained by Perce Massey, took to the Kennington Oval for a cricket match against Public Service.

The match not only marked the formation of the Foggitt Jones Cricket Club, but also led to the re-start of the Bendigo District Cricket Association following a hiatus during World War 1.

A report in the Bendigo Advertiser of “the first senior cricket match in Bendigo for a considerable time” announced a close win for Public Service.

“The resurrection of cricket came as a pleasant surprise to lovers of the game and was associated with surroundings which make for success,” the report stated.

“The Factory team compiled 176 runs and Public Service 177 runs, the latter thus winning by one run.”

The following week a hastily-arranged nine-round BDCA season featuring Foggitt Jones, Public Service, Comrades and Quarry Hill was convened.

In its first official game in the BDCA, Foggitt Jones (105) defeated Comrades (89), which later changed its name to the Bendigo Cricket Club.

That game was on February 16, 1918, and exactly 100 years to the day the two clubs will meet again – albeit both with different names to their first encounter – in Golden Square’s centenary match at Wade Street.

Foggitt Jones went on to win the 1918 premiership in the first of what has grown to 20 first XI premierships for Golden Square.

That opening win over Comrades in its BDCA debut was the first of what has become 632 victories in 1191 games for Square.

Only Bendigo United (675) and Eaglehawk (672) have more BDCA first XI victories than Square.

Foggitt Jones changed its name in 1920 to South Bendigo, before the club then became Golden Square in 1932 following the development of the Wade Street Oval as a cricket ground.

Throughout the club’s 100 years its most successful decades have been the 1940s and 1990s, winning four first XI premierships in each.

The four flags won in the 1990s were all consecutive – 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 – under the leadership of captain Wayne Walsh in a feat that hasn’t been replicated since in the BDCA.

Walsh is a four-time premiership captain, but it’s star all-rounder John Hammill who had the honour in November 1999 as being named skipper of the club’s Team of the Century to mark the end of the 1900s.

In 231 games from 1941 to 1967 Hammill took 488 wickets and made 5329 runs, including five centuries.

Hammill holds the club record for the most wickets in a season with 63 in 1950-51 at an average of 8.1

As well as Hammill and Walsh, Square’s 1999 Team of the Century also featured Arthur Lowe, Les Harris, Ken Knight, David Bakes, Robert Bakes, Paul Lund, Bill Bonney, Frank Lowe, Jeff Harris and Peter Bennetts.

An updated Golden Square Team of the Century would now be likely to include games record-holder Scott Johnson – the only Square player to get to 300 games – who has also set the benchmark for club runs (9201) and fielding dismissals (281).

READ MORE – GOLDEN SQUARE’S SCOTT JOHNSON SET FOR GAME 300

Along with Phil Hetherington and Dene Moore, Johnson also holds the record for the most Golden Square centuries with eight.

Among Square’s 20 premierships is 1953 when the team defeated South Bendigo, which had taken on the name from the Commonwealth Athletic Club.

Bill Redmond took 4-27 in the first innings for Golden Square and on Saturday will toss the coin – a 1918 penny – before the first XI game.

Now aged 91, Redmond is the club’s oldest living captain, having led the side in 1955-56.

First XI – 20

1918, 1919 (as Foggitt Jones), 1922, 1924, 1925 (as South Bendigo), 1939, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1951, 1953, 1961, 1968, 1974, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2009.

Second XI – 18

1931, 1932 (as South Bendigo), 1937, 1938, 1947, 1955, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1982 (B2 comp), 1983, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2015, 2016.

Third XI – 7

1966, 1969, 1981, 1985, 1991, 1996, 1999.

Under-17/18 – 3

2005, 2006, 2013.

Information from Darren Rodda and John Harris’ recently-released Bendigo District Cricket Association 1894-2017 book.

READ MORE – BENDIGO CRICKET’S GOLDEN HISTORY

Games played – Scott Johnson (305)

Most runs – Scott Johnson (9201)

Most runs in a season – Phil Hetherington (758 in 2006-07)

Most centuries – Scott Johnson, Phil Hetherington, Dene Moore (8)

Highest score – Travis Hall (192 v Strathfieldsaye, 1991-92)

Most wickets – Les Harris (501)

Most wickets in a season – John Hammill (63 in 1950-51)

Most five wicket hauls – Les Harris (40)

Best bowling – Ernie Lethlean (9-13 v YMCA, 1923-24)

Played – 1191

Won – 632 Lost – 454

Drawn – 100 Tied – 5