Difference between revisions of "Barabba Cricket Club"

Revision as of 16:41, 3 November 2009

The first records of a cricket club being formed in the district was at Barabba in October 1873 when a meeting to form a club was called, possibly by Mr James Dow. The first matches were played on a piece of land, the last of the present oval reserve on section 311 Hundred of Grace and later moved to a piece of land on Mr James Dow's property on land just south of his house. In 1888 the club was given permission to clear land for an oval on the reserve just south of the surveyed town of Aliceberg (Barabba) and this area was used for all sporting activities until recent times. The first match was played against Grace Plains. There is no record of the scores.

In 1874 the club had 38 members. Some members must have travelled long distances for a game of cricket. In 1877 it was decided to have special caps of blue and white but were only able to purchase two of that colouring so the captain and secretary had the two special caps and the remainder of the team had plain blue caps. There were several brothers named Dyer playing in the early days of the cricket club. They were considered good cricketers and also excelled at other sports. One brother, Mr Robert Dyer, afterwards played for the South Adelaide cricket team and played in several interstate matches as well as one game against a visiting English team during the period from 1894 and 1895. Also, another man, Mr Richard Butler, played for Barabba in 1907 and 1908 as a fast bowler. Later he entered politics and became Premier of South Australia. Barabba had a cricket team from 1874 until the 1970s except for a short break during the two world wars when the club went into recess. During the years before World War I it played cricket in the Federal Cricket Association, made up of the following clubs: Alma Plains, Barabba, Boundary, Grace Plains, Owen. Later they played in the Lower Gilbert Cricket Association made up of teams from Hamley Bridge, Stockport, Tarlee, Alma, Barabba, Giles Corner. Later, Giles Corner withdrew and Wasleys was admitted and several years before World War II Owen was included in the association. Barabba Cricket Club has played for many years in the Lower Gilbert Cricket Association. Barabba maintained a cricket team until the early 1970s. Barabba amalgamated with Owen in 1974 and played for several years as the Owen-Barabba cricket team, which was runner up in the Lower Gilbert Cricket Association in season 1974-75 and won the final in 1975-76. After that year the name of Barabba cricket ceased to exist after a period spanning for over 100 years.

Related Articles

• Grace_Plains_Cricket_Club
• Mallala_Cricket_Club
• Barabba_Recreation_Park_Committee

External Links

Sources

• Mallala Museum research note
• Life around the Light: A history of the Mallala District Council area, compiled by Two Wells, Mallala and District History Book Committee, Community Development Board of the Council District of Mallala, [Mallala, S. Aust.], 1985.