‘Lost’ cricket grounds visit

It was a standard Saturday morning in 1951 at the Uduc Cricket Grounds. The town was abuzz with the sound of cheering from sideline spectators who piled in early to snag the best spots and settle in for a competitive contest. Some 70 years later, that same spirit was back in the air when amateur historian Les Everett, pictured left, paid a visit to the now-abandoned cricket pitch. Joined by opening batsman for the club Phil Maughan, pictured right, Mr Everett was continuing his mission to document the relics of Australia’s cricketing past. Having travelled thousands of kilometres to find WA’s “lost” cricket pitches, the teacher-turned-historian said the concept transpired from a visit to an oval he once played sport at. “In late 2019 I went to a few places where I had actually played sport and noticed nobody played there any more and this concept of abandoned cricket pitches came to mind,” he said. “Immediately, it became an obsession. “There is all of this history here that nobody knows about and what I have found most interesting is how my work has brought back memories for people all over the country. The Kalgoorlie-Boulder born author has visited more than 200 pitches around the State so far and says the Uduc grounds have a rich cricketing history. In December 1952, a State Parliament cricket team including renowned football players Stanley “Pops” Heal and Ross Hutchinson ventured out to the South West to play against the local Uduc team at the grounds. Some may say a home-ground advantaged helped the team secure a win that day, while others like Uduc Cricket Club legend Mr Maughan put it down to skill. Having played for the club for 15 years, Mr Maughan was thrilled to see some action back at the grounds last week. “I played here for about four or five years and we used to love it,” Mr Maughan said. “The atmosphere here during the games was fantastic and back in those days the ground was brand new.