MORE CRICKET – BDCA, EVCA weekend cricket teams
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A CRICKET ball more than 90 years old commemorating one of the Bendigo Cricket Club’s great bowling feats has been returned to the Goers.
John Free discovered the cricket ball that Bendigo’s Charles Jennings used to take 7-3 against South Bendigo in a BDCA game in 1925 while excavating in Melbourne about 30 years ago.
The ball features a silver plaque celebrating the brilliant bowling performance of Jennings and will now be part of the memorabilia display at Bendigo’s 125th celebrations later this month.
“I did a lot excavating work around Melbourne and dug up all sorts of things. I was doing a job somewhere around Box Hill I think it was and came across this cricket ball in the dirt,” Free said.
“I didn’t want to throw it away, so I took it home and tried to get in touch with some people about it, but didn’t get anywhere with it.
“We’ve moved a few times over the years and the other day my wife was clearing out some boxes and came across the ball 30 years later.
“So it’s fantastic I’ve been able to come up from Melbourne today to present it back to the club because it obviously holds a lot of significance for Bendigo.”
The captain of the side, Jennings’ feat of 7-3 in South Bendigo’s second innings, which at one stage included four wickets in four balls, was taken on December 19, 1925.
His performance was acknowledged in the Monday edition of the Bendigo Advertiser under the headline “Jennings Good Double” given as well as taking 7-3, he also made 50 with the bat.
Bendigo’s 125th anniversary celebrations will be held at the Bendigo Stadium on Saturday, February 23.
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