Lot 1996

Description

Sheffield Shield, Holders Badge in gold (15ct; 11.95g; 31x34mm), by P.Blashki & Son, ring top suspension but missing ring and with a pin-back fitted, reverse inscribed, 'The Sheffield Shield/Victoria/Holders 1892/Badge/Presented To/J.Worrall'. Nearly extremely fine.

Worrall was a member of the Victorian Eleven cricket team that played a series of games against Lord Sheffield's English team. He was also a member of the 1888 and 1899 Australian cricket team that toured England. On the second tour he finished fourth in the batting averages and was also noted as a brilliant fieldsman at mid-off. In November 1937 Jack Worrall died in a private hospital at Fairfield Park, Victoria after a short illness. At the time he was recognised as the greatest cricketer-footballer Australia had produced. During his career he played cricket for Carlton, Victoria and Australia and was outstanding as captain of the Fitzroy football team. He never played football for Carlton but as the club secretary and coach of three consecutive premiership teams he was responsible for putting them on the football map. In later years he became well known as a writer of football and cricket notes for a Melbourne weekly newspaper.