Cricket ACT's move from it's offices at Manuka Oval this week has become something of an archaeological dig, the bowels of the stadium a time-capsule of cricketing history.
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But there was one hidden treasure that captured the imagination of Cricket ACT officials more than any other.
Among the scorecards dating back to the 1940s, ACT Comets merchandise, souvenir match programs and Prime Minister XI bats signed by international legends such as Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, was a simple framed team sheet.
Blowing away the dust, it revealed not only the signature of Don Bradman, but the autographs of Australia's entire 1948 touring squad to Great Britain – the team that became known as The Invincibles.
All the names are there in cursive – Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall, Sid Barnes, Neil Harvey and Lindsay Hassett. It was the legendary team that Bradman captained on his last tour, an undefeated journey of 31 first-class matches and a 4-0 sweep of the Ashes series.
"One of the younger guys found it in one of our storage areas, under the grandstand," said Cricket ACT chief executive Mark Vergano. "They saw Bradman and it rang a bell, but it's probably got broader significance than that, in the sense of having the whole team there."
"I'm no expert but it certainly looks the goods, it was already framed."
So, figuring Cricket ACT could be sitting on a jackpot, The Canberra Times sought an expert opinion from Michael Fahey of Sports Memorabilia Australia. Inspecting a photo, Fahey said it was a signed team sheet from 1948, which could fetch $850.
"These were signed by Aussie Test sides home and away from the 1930s onwards," Fahey emailed. "This 1948 is a little unusual as Sid Barnes (a different character) had a stamp made of his signature and paid a cabin boy to stamp the sheets whilst on the boat to England."
A long-time tenant at Manuka Oval, Cricket ACT has been forced to relocate its offices to the Italo Australian Club in Manuka, as Manuka Oval continues its makeover for the biggest summer of cricket it has ever seen.
Manuka's international grandstand space will be redesigned to cater for the demands of bigger matches: the one-day international between Australian and South Africa on November 19; the Prime Minister's XI match against England (January 14); the Big Bash League final (January 28); and three World Cup matches in February-March.
Cricket ACT has taken an 18-month lease at the Italo Australian club and there is one benefit – more wall space.
"We may have to put some things that were behind locked doors onto walls," Vergano said, laughing.
