Victorian Premier Cricket matches - "Ice Block" and "Mud Match"
Ken Jacobs | April 05, 2023
Since 1906/07 when Cricket Victoria's District Cricket (now Premier Cricket) was first established there have been a host of wonderful matches, close matches and also plenty of controversial matches and two matches in the later category played in 1968/69 and 1981/82 respectively still generate plenty of discussion among seasoned observers of the competition and some of the participants and members of all clubs involved.
The first match in 1968/69 was the semi-final between Carlton and University at Princes Park on the 15th and 16th March in what has long been known as the "Ice Block" match. Having dismissed the strong Carlton line up on day 1 for just 136 University having lost two early wickets late in the day would still rightly go into day 2 as favourites to secure victory.
However overnight the wicket had been the subject of some "watering" (as reported in the VCA Annual Report for 1968/69) viz a viz reportedly a very large block of ice!
University was subsequently dismissed for just 62 with former England player Barry Knight with 7/20 and Barney Jones 3/36 running through the University team.
The "mystery ' watering of the wicket overnight remains the subject of much conjecture although there have been many suggestions over the years as to the suggested culprits with high on the list being the names of some very prominent then VFL players who also used to spend a lot of time at Princes Park in the winter months!!!
In contrast to the "Ice Block Match" of 1968/69 the 1981/82 match between Richmond and Footscray has over the years become known as the "Mud Match" and it also had severe ramifications for the Carlton CC.
There is no better summary of the chain of events in the lead up to the match and the eventual outcome than contained in of all places "The Footy Almanac" courtesy of Mic Rees:
https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/premier-cricket-the-mud.../
Interestingly two players were involved in both of these controversial matches in Jimmy Higgs and Russell Sincock along with many other great players and household names in Victorian cricket history involved across the two matches in question.
A big thanks to Peter Binns for sourcing the scorecards from both matches.
