CROQUET HISTORY: First MacRobertson Shield

20 December 2008
by Chris Williams on Nottingham Board

1925 was the first time the Mac was played and was between teams from England and Australia. Four players travelled from Australia and spent the whole summer playing the tournament circuit. The matches between England and Australia were described as Test Matches and were played over two days (Friday and Saturday) at the end of various week long Championships at venues all over the country; Roehampton, Cheltenham and Brighton as the club at Southwick was referred to in those days. Matches consisted of four best of three singles and two best of three doubles. Three tests were played and were won by England 6-0, 6-0 and 5-1 respectively.

What is interesting is the ranking list for 1925 that I have produced has all six of the players who represented England in the top 8; DD Steel, Geoffrey Reckitt, Willie Longman, David Joseph, Charles Wilson and Duff Matthews.

Duff Mathews was Irish, but the team was known as England. Two of the Australian players, JC Windsor and Billy McCleery, were seventh and ninth respectively. The only player in the top nine who did not feature in any of the tests was John McMordie, who was originally from Northern Ireland, but had moved to Kent following the troubles in the province during the First World War. McMordie, who was a grandfather of John McMordie, who currently plays for Hampshire, was profoundly deaf and reportedly did not like playing in London. McMordie did eventually appear in the 1937 series.

Windsor and McCleery both played over 100 games during the course of the season. McCleery died in 1936 at the age of 33, which means he was only 22 during the 1925 season.

John Prince added:

Arthur Ross played and defeated Billy McClerry in the 2nd test during the 1930 MacRob., at Warleigh club in Melbourne. He told me in one game McClerry did all 3 peels of a triple before hoop 6. Peeling rover after running hoop 5 he then promptly stuck in hoop 6!

Arthur was most impressed be Cyril Miller's play which was all the more remarkable as Miller had a slightly withered arm.