Bassett Family Cricket Eleven

Chapter 37

Published Jul, 2010

Arthurs Creek Cricket Club at Mernda Railway Station. Rear: (on left) Everard Bassett of 'Tregowan', (4th from left) L.W. Clarke of 'Linton Grange', (on right) Ned Lobb. Front: (on left) Fred Bassett, (3rd from left) Will Laidlay. Photo credit Bruce G. Draper

…the Bassett’s have made a name for themselves in the cricket field as well as in the ploughing matches, &c…

Throughout the years leading up to the First World War, the Bassett family was well represented as members of the Arthurs Creek Cricket Club. The Evelyn Observer of January 15, 1909 reported the following results of a family cricket match:-

“A very interesting game of cricket was played at Arthurs Creek on Saturday January 2, 1909, when Councillor (Richard) Bassett (of ‘Tregowan’, Doreen) successfully played a team representing the surrounding districts with a team solely composed of Bassetts. Mr. Bassett’s team consisted of himself, eight sons and two grandsons. The scores were as follows:-

BASSETTS

R. (Richard) Bassett, senior, b Gibson – 0

Jno. (John) Bassett, c Herbert, b Laidlay – 13

Arthur Bassett, c Stebbings, b Laidlay – 13

Everard Bassett, run out – 1

M. (Maurice) Bassett, c Herbert, b Limmer – 3

F. (Fred) Bassett, not out – 30

Alf. Bassett, senior, b Phillips – 16

Ersk. (Erskine) Bassett, sen., c Edge, b Phillips – 1

Alf. Bassett, junior, b Haigh – 9

Harold Bassett, c Verso, b Haigh – 0

Ersk. (Erskine) Bassett, junior, b J. Laidlay – 1

Sundries – 6

TOTAL – 93

Bowling: Gibson, 1 for 21; Phillips, 2 for 25; J. Laidlay, 3 for 12; W. Limmer, 1 for 11; Lobb, 0 for 3; Haigh, 2 for 15.

DISTRICT

E. Phillips, b M. Bassett – 0

W. Haigh, c Art. Bassett, b J. Bassett – 23

J. Laidlay, b M. Bassett – 2

W. Laidlay b H. Bassett – 33

Ed. Lobb, run out – 0

J. Gibson, c M. Bassett, b J. Bassett – 2

W. Limmer, c H. Bassett, b Er. Bassett – 9

H. Limmer, b Alf. Bassett, jun. – 7

J. Herbert, not out – 0

B. Stebbings, b Ersk. Bassett, jun. – 0

Edge, c Ev. Bassett, b Er. Bassett, jr. – 0

Byes – 7

TOTAL – 83

Bowling. – M. (Maurice) Bassett, 2 for 23; Art (Arthur) Bassett, 0 for 15; Evd. (Everard) Bassett, 0 for 18; Jno. (John) Bassett, 2 for 15; Ersk. (Erskine) Bassett, 1 for 4; H. (Harold) Bassett, 1 for 0; Ersk. (Erskine) Bassett, jun., 2 for 1.

It was a most enjoyable and interesting game. I would like to see Mr. Bassett’s family play the premier team this season; if not, the Arthurs Creek team. An exciting game would be the result. The Bassett’s have made a name for themselves in the cricket field as well as in the ploughing matches, &c.”

At the Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute History Day and Plaque Unveiling held on Sunday 11 September, 2005, Mrs. Kathleen Bassett of ‘Tregowan’, presented the Hall Committee with two very fine items of district cricket memorabilia held by the Bassett family over many years. The items were the silver ‘Chandler’s Trophy’ of the Evelyn District Cricket Competition for the season 1893-94, won by Arthurs Creek Cricket Club and a framed photograph of the Doreen Cricket Club, Premiers for the Whittlesea Shire Cricket Association Season 1924-25, presented to Mr. Leslie W. Clarke of ‘Linton Grange’ (President and Captain) as a token of appreciation. The team photograph includes three members of the Bassett family and three members of the Clarke family.

Arthurs Creek Cricket Club. Club meetings were held at the Arthurs Creek Hall before the opening of the Hazelglen (Hazel Glen) Hall in April 1896. Meetings were then held at the Hazelglen Hall until August 1914. The club was later replaced by the Doreen Cricket Club
Arthurs Creek Cricket Club Picnic. Rear: (2nd from left) Will Laidlay, (4th from left) Everard Bassett, (5th from left) Walter Thomas 'Laird of Mernda', (8th from left) Jack Jeffrey, (on right) Herman Graff. Front: (3rd from left) Thomas Popple, (5th from left) Fred Bassett, (2nd from right) Ned Lobb
Strathewen Cricket Team c 1948. Left to right, rear: George Brain, Cliff Brain, Neville McKimmie, Bob Garsed, Hillary Hewitt, Stan Brain, Fred Garsed, Stephen Brain, Norman Brain, Warwick McKimmie. Front: Herman Scholz, Clive McKimmie, Clive Scholz
County Cricket Match c 1890s
Arthurs Creek Cricket Club Premiers 1920-21. John Addison (Jack) Laidlay - in front row with bat and wearing tie. William Neil Laidlay - behind Jack and also wearing tie. Photo credit Laidlay family
Players in County Cricket Match, Evelyn vs. East Bourke. Season 1899-1900
The author was invited to join the Hall Committee as local historian on 16th May, 2005, and assisted with the development of an historic photo collection and display for the History Day and the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony on the 11th September, 2005. Mrs Kathleen Bassett of 'Tregowan', presented the Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute with the donation of two very fine items of district cricket memorabilia held by the Bassett family over many years; and the Brock family of ‘Kirkliston’ donated the significant Arthurs Creek Tennis Shield, presented on behalf of the family by Mrs Isabel 'Bel' Cracknell (nee Laidlay), the only living member pictured in the 1931/32 Hazel Glen Premiership team photograph. Photo credit Bruce G. Draper
One of the photos in the significant photo collection and display for History Day and the Plaque Unveiling Ceremony on the 11th September, 2005 at the Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute. This image (and many others for this and subsequent projects) was restored by Wade Ashley, and shows the Arthurs Creek Hall decorations by Carmella Ryder and her brother Leo, for the wedding of Allan Verso and Lena Murphy, 5th December, 1925. Although there are no known interior photos of the demolished Hazelglen Hall on Bannon’s Lane North, this photo gives a good idea of how an event looked in one of these historic rural community halls. Photo credit Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute Collection

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