Rare cricket poster bowls auctioneers over

A rare poster promoting a touring Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868 is to go under the hammer at auction later this month.

The poster promotes the first Australian sporting team to tour internationally, its members, auctioneers says in their guide, who learnt cricket while working as stockmen on cattle stations.

The rare 159-year-old photographic print goes up for auction with Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Litchfield, Staffordshire on April 20.

It is estimated at £600 to £700  ($1200- $1400) – but specialists say it could fetch more at auction.

“Aboriginal cricketers have a pioneering history in Australia,” valuer David Fergus told Litchfield Live.

“Not only did the 1868 team become the first-ever Australian side to tour England, they did it a full ten years before the Australian XI team made the journey for the first official test match on British soil.

“The cultural crossover of heritage with sport, with the Aboriginal team showcasing traditional skills alongside their cricketing prowess, emphasises the tour’s importance.

“So it was a special moment to discover this rare piece of Australian cultural history following a house clearance – I was certainly knocked for six.”

First published in 1867

The print came to light during a house clearance in a nearby town. Another copy exists at the Australian National Portrait Gallery.

The oval photographic print was published in 1867 in anticipation of the tour. The tour began at The Oval in London in 1867 in front of a crowd of 20,000.

The six-month tour saw the team play two or three matches a week and they won 14 and drew 19 of the 47 games they played in England.