100 Years of Cricket In South Africa

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Cachet: The cachet shows a close up photograph of a well used cricket ball resting on a plain surface, its red leather scuffed and the seam stitching clearly visible. The years "1876-1976" sit underneath the ball in simple black text. As with the golf ball design in the same series, the cachet lets the equipment itself carry the visual weight rather than a portrait or scene, keeping the focus firmly on the sport being celebrated.

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HISTORY OF CRICKET IN SOUTH AFRICA Tradition has it that cricket first came to South Africa in about 1795 during the first British occupation of the Cape. Most certainly there is on record some details of a match played in Cape Town in 1808 between the officers of the Artillery Mess and the officers of the Colony. This match was played for a stake of 1 000 rix-dollars. We know that the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club was founded in 1843 and shortly afterwards the military were playing cricket at Pietermaritzburg. Communication was difficult and slow and cricket is restricted to matches between local teams. In 1875 the first official competition was established for inter-town cricket. The municipality of Port Elizabeth offered for competition not a cup, but a cricket bat, and taken termed the Champion Bat. Participating in this competition were teams from King William's Town, Grahamstown, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Each team at this Port Elizabeth tournament played a double innings match against its three fellow contestants. The Champion Bat winning all three games, ran out clear winners. The Competition continued for some years until the arrival in South Africa, in the season 1888/89 of the first English team to visit South Africa, captained by Sir C. Aubrey Smith. This touring team travelled throughout South Africa and played test matches in Port Elizabeth and in Cape Town, winning both. With them the tourists brought a beautiful inlaid cup presented by Sir Donald Currie and eventually handed over to Kimberley as the centre that played the finest cricket against the touring team. The following year this Currie Cup was put up for competition between the provinces. Transvaal defeated Kimberley by six wickets and so held the Currie Cup for the first of many times thereafter. Those test matches started in season 1888/89 have brought to South Africa teams from England, Australia and New Zealand and taken Springbok teams far and wide. Unquestionably South African cricket has been at its finest over the past 20 years with victories in test series over England, Australia and New Zealand. In the 100 years since competitive cricket was first organised at the instigation of the tourists of Port Elizabeth, Australia and Sydney last that South African cricket was first organised for South Africa. [Charles Fortune] GESKIEDENIS VAN KRIEKET IN SUID-AFRIKA Krieket het volgens die tradisie eers in ongeveer 1795 tydens die eerste Britse besetting van die Kaap na Suid-Afrika gekom. Daar is beslis besonderhede opgeteken van 'n wedstryd wat in 1808 in Kaapstad tussen die offisiere van die Artillieriemesse en die Kolonie gespeel is. Dié wedstryd is vir 'n weddegeld van 1 000 riksdaalders gespeel. Ons weet dat die Port Elizabeth-krieketklub in 1843 gestig is en dat die militêre kort daarna in Pietermaritzburg krieket gespeel het. Kommunikasie was moeilik en stadig en krieket is tot wedstryde tussen plaaslike spanne beperk. In 1875 is die eerste amptelike kompetisie vir interdorpse krieket in die lewe geroep. Die munisipaliteit van Port Elizabeth het nie 'n beker nie maar 'n krieketkolf as trofee aangebied en dit is die Champion Bat genoem. Spanne van King William's Town, Grahamstad en Kaapstad en Port Elizabeth het aan hierdie toernooi op Port Elizabeth deelgeneem. Elke span het in hierdie kompetisie deelgeneem het teen die ander drie deelnemers in 'n dubbelbeurtwedstryd. Die toerspan wat die sentrum wat die beste krieket teen die besige toerspan het dus vir die eerste keer op die volgende jaar hou die Currie Beker vir die eerste van vele kere hierna. Dié toetswedstryde wat in die seisoen 1888/1889 begin het, het al spanne van Engeland, Australië en Nieu-Seeland na Suid-Afrika gebring en Springbokspanne wyd en syd laat reis. Suid-Afrikaanse krieket was ongetwyfeld die afgelope 20 jaar op sy beste, met oorwinnings in toetsreekse oor Engeland, Australië en Nieu-Seeland. In die 100 jaar sedert mededingende krieket vir die eerste keer op die aandrang van die burgers van Port Elizabeth georganiseer is, het die spel vir Suid-Afrikaanse skoolseuns tradisioneel geword en het dit onder al ons rasse hier in Suid-Afrika versprei.

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 15 March 1976 in Johannesburg, SAPO reference PT 2.13. It marks a century of organised cricket in South Africa, with the stamp itself designed by John Maskew and showing a batsman mid stroke. The earliest recorded cricket match in the country is said to have been played in Cape Town in 1808, between officers of the Artillery Mess and officers of the Colony, for a stake of 1 000 rix dollars.

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