With the Prime Minister's XI's place on the Australian cricket calendar being called into question, one man is proof of why it needs to stay.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His name is Graeme Smith.
The leading wicket-taker in the history of Canberra first grade cricket was the designated local in the Prime Minister's XI match in 1963 - which doubled as Sir Donald Bradman's final game of cricket.
Smith can still remember Bradman's exact words from their first meeting. It was February 5, 1963 - the night before Bradman led the Prime Minister's XI against the Marylebone Cricket Club.
"'You're a very courageous bowler, keep it up.' Those are the words he said," Smith said.
"He treated me with tremendous encouragement. Forget about me, imagine if it was you.
"It's a living memory to me, as it would probably be to others, but I was a local."
Smith took 7-8 and "five wickets in five consecutive balls" in a game for Turner against Manuka-Yarralumla to win selection for the Prime Minister's XI, in an effort he says had Bradman impressed.
"He congratulated me on that effort personally. He said 'I heard that you got seven wickets in first grade for eight runs, and five wickets in five balls'," Smith said.
"He said 'I've never heard of that before' - those were his exact words."
Smith took 3-61 the day he played alongside "The Don", but the "greatest thrill" was bowling in tandem with the legendary Richie Benaud, who claimed 2-62 and scored 69 in the four-run loss.
Smith once sent a collection of photos from the game to Bradman for his 90th birthday as a gift - Bradman autographed them all and sent them back with a letter.
Smith retired with 878 scalps to his name at an unbelievable average of 11.20 during his 230-game Canberra career with Turner, Ainslie, Northern Suburbs and Ginninderra.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Prime Minister's XI will face England at Manuka Oval on Friday night, but for the third year running there won't be a Canberra player in the XI.
Age is starting to catch up with Smith but the memory of playing with the greatest of all time is "always there".
Smith is why the Prime Minister's XI fixture needs a permanent place on the Australian cricket calendar.
PRIME MINISTER'S XI
Friday: Prime Minister's XI v England at Manuka Oval, 7:15pm. Curtain-raiser: ACT XI v Hong Kong at Manuka Oval, 2:30pm.
Prime Minister's XI squad: Nathan Lyon - Sydney Sixers ©, Sean Abbott - Sydney Sixers, James Faulkner - Melbourne Stars, Sebastian Gotch - Melbourne Stars, Peter Handscomb - Melbourne Stars, Daniel Hughes - Sydney Sixers, Nic Maddinson - Sydney Sixers, Peter Nevill - Sydney Sixers, Mitchell Swepson - Brisbane Heat, Gurinder Sandhu - Sydney Thunder, Kurtis Patterson - Sydney Thunder, Blake MacDonald - ACT (12th man). Coach: Brad Haddin
