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Australian Cricket Society

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Australian Cricket Society is a fraternity of cricket lovers with branches in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. It was established in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1967.[1] As of 2016 Ricky Ponting serves as patron.[1]

Activities

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Guest speakers at its Annual Dinners come from the 'Who's Who' of the cricketing world. Down through the years, they've included Sir Donald Bradman, Lindsay Hassett, Bill Lawry and more recently, Ian Healy, Dean Jones, Damien Fleming, Justin Langer and Barry Richards.[2] The Society supports youth and grassroots cricket through its Young Cricketer (male and female) and sponsorship of emerging talent through the Elite Cricket Academy.[2]

Publications

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Each summer the Society publishes its flagship magazine, Pavilion, edited by Ken Piesse - a 48-page production with articles by renowned cricket writers and a forum for members and friends. The Cricket Society Scoresheet quarterly news bulletin keeps members informed of upcoming events.

Jack Pollard Trophy

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In order to encourage cricket writing in Australia, in 1984 Jack Pollard donated a trophy to be awarded by the Australian Cricket Society to the author of the best Australian cricket book published over the previous 12 months.[3][2] It is sometimes called the Jack Pollard Literary Award.[4]

Year Winning author Title
1984 Michael Page Bradman: The Illustrated Biography
1985 Richard Cashman 'Ave a Go, Yer Mug!: Australian Cricket Crowds from Larrikin to Ocker
1986 Phil Derriman True to the Blue: A History of the New South Wales Cricket Association
1987 Chris Harte The History of the Sheffield Shield
1988 Jack McHarg Stan McCabe: The Man and His Cricket
1989 Chris Harte Two Tours and Pollock: The Australians in South Africa 1985–87
1990 Richard Cashman The "Demon" Spofforth
1991 Mike Coward Cricket Beyond the Bazaar
1994 Gideon Haigh The Cricket War: The Inside Story of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket
1995 Mike Coward Australia vs the New South Africa: Cricket Contact Renewed
1998 Gideon Haigh The Summer Game: Australian Test Cricket 1949–71
2000 Gideon Haigh Mystery Spinner: The Story of Jack Iverson
2002 Gideon Haigh The Big Ship: Warwick Armstrong and the Making of Modern Cricket
2003 Mike Colman and Ken Edwards Eddie Gilbert: The True Story of an Aboriginal Cricketing Legend
2004 Max Bonnell How Many More Are Coming?: The Short Life of Jack Marsh
2006 Alf Batchelder Pavilions in the Park: A History of the Melbourne Cricket Club and its Ground
2008 Gideon Haigh and David Frith Inside Story: Unlocking Australian Cricket's Archives
2009 Greg de Moore Tom Wills
2010 Alf Batchelder Hugh Trumble: A Cricketer's Life
2011 Rick Smith Blighted Lives: The Story of Harry and Albert Trott
2012 Max Bonnell and Andrew Sproul Tibby Cotter: Fast Bowler, Larrikin, Anzac
2013 Gideon Haigh On Warne
2015 Daniel Brettig Whitewash to Whitewash: Australian Cricket's Years of Struggle and Summer of Riches
2016 Elliot Cartledge and Tim Lane Chasing Shadows: The Life and Death of Peter Roebuck
2017 Gideon Haigh Stroke of Genius: Victor Trumper and the Shot That Changed Cricket[4]
2018 Denis Brien All the Kings' Men: A History of the Hindmarsh Cricket Club[5]
2020 Greg Growden Cricketers at War: Cricket Heroes Who Fought for Australia in Battle
2022 Peter Lloyd Warren Bardsley: The First Mr Cricket
2023 Max Bonnell and Andrew Sproul Black Swan Summer[6]

NB: The trophy is not awarded every year.

Veterans cricket

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The ACS Melbourne Wandering XI plays up to 20 friendlies each season against like-minded players from the MCC XXIX Club, Lords Taverners and the Supreme Court of Victoria. The Society is a founding member of Veterans Cricket Victoria.[7] fielding Over 60 and 70 year old teams in the Victoria state wide competition and end of season carnival at Echuca. Seventeen ACS players have been chosen to represent Victoria at upcoming Over 60s Australian Over 60s and Over 70s Championships to be held in November 2022.

The Society has been a regular participant in Golden Oldies, Vintage Cricket carnivals and Exotic Cricket Tours around the world and has hosted like-minded overseas touring teams visiting Australia since 1996.

References

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  1. ^ a b "About ACS". Australian Cricket Society. 2016. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Awards & Speakers". Australian Cricket Society. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. ^ The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996, p. 423.
  4. ^ a b "Haigh wins sixth Jack Pollard Literary Award". Books + Publishing. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  5. ^ "SA Cricketing Book Wins Jack Pollard Trophy". Glam Adelaide. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Black Swan Summer Wins Literary Award". Pitch Publishing. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. ^ "VCV: Home". Veterans Cricket Victoria. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
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