If you like sport and history you might like this news article from The West Australian highlighting an early sketch of a cricket game, dated 1834. Interestingly, the sketch is from a surveyor’s field book – held in the West Australian State Records Office – and includes other drawings of early colonial life.
It was discovered during a digitisation project and is possibly the earliest Australian sketch of the game. It just goes to show there are many hidden treasures in the archives.
One of the figures appears to be dressed in a sailor’s clothing and has just bowled a cricket ball….
At the other end of the pitch, a batsman awaits, bat raised, in what could be the earliest known depiction of a game of cricket in Australia…
The drawing, in a WA surveyor’s field book dated 1834, has come to light during work by the State Records Office to digitise colonial surveyors’ field books held in the State archives.
Check it out, underarm bowling!
Thanks to Archives Live for the original post.