Field of Dreams-like shrine to cricket built ‘from bud to bat’ – photo essay

Cricket Willow’s origin can be traced back to the 1902 Ashes when it was found that Australia did not cultivate its own willow for bat makingIan Tinetti watches the wind in his willows as Newstead’s opening batters prepare to take on Hepburn in the hamlet of Shepherds Flat. His self-made cricket ground is about the only thing that is flat in Victoria’s Central Highlands and, on a chilly November afternoon, the adjacent grove of English Willow makes it feel even more like the Yorkshire Dales.Visiting this Field of Dreams-like shrine to the game is like uncovering the interconnected layers of a Russian doll – bat making, the Hepburn area’s Swiss-Italian heritage, the history of Victorian cricket and Australian rules football, and also, appropriately, doll collecting.Above: Newstead and Hepburn meet in a Castlemaine & District Cricket Association match at the self-made ground at Cricket Willow. Below: Ian and Trish Tinetti watch Newstead take on Hepburn from the verandah at Cricket Willow. Continue reading...

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