'Close of Play'
Catalogue for the auction of items from the cricket collection of Chris Saunders
Held on Saturday 13th September 2025 at
The Leonardo Hotel, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham GL51 0TS
Lot 47
Estimate: £150/250
Hammer: £800
William Henry Moule. Victoria & Australia 1878-1886. Handwritten two page letter in ink to Hugh Trumble. the letter dated 26th October 1925. The letter headed ‘Law Courts, Melbourne’ in ink. Moule is writing to Trumble, on behalf of his wife, if the Melbourne Cricket Club would donate some bats and balls to Bundoora Park, a convalescent home for shell shocked soldiers. Nicel;y signed by Moule ‘Yours sincerely’. Clipped to the letter is a letter from Mabel Quartermaine of the Bank of Victoria (September 1925) also asking for help at the convalescent homes of Melbourne as well as copy letters to them both from Trumble agreeing to donate. Further to this is a typed listing of items taken as ‘treats’ to the soldiers including food, playing cards, footballs, magazines, cricket materials, cigarettes etc. A rare signatures from a very early Australian cricketer who made his one appearance for the national side in the inaugural Test in England in 1880. Good condition
William Moule (1858-1939) had a short cricket career, and though he played a few times for Victoria, most of his first-class appearances were on the 1880 tour of England with the Australian team. He played in the one Test match of the tour, a hastily arranged match at The Oval which was the first Test in England. Moule’s success to that point had been modest and he played only because Fred Spofforth was injured. In the Test he batted at No 11 and was the sixth bowler tried. With three wickets for 23 runs he was the most successful bowler in England’s first innings and his 34 in Australia’s second innings helped in a last-wicket partnership of 88 with his captain that avoided an innings defeat. Hugh Trumble. (Victoria & Australia 1887-1904) was Secretary of the Melbourne Club in 1925
The Leonardo Hotel, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham GL51 0TS
Lot 47
Estimate: £150/250
Hammer: £800
William Moule (1858-1939) had a short cricket career, and though he played a few times for Victoria, most of his first-class appearances were on the 1880 tour of England with the Australian team. He played in the one Test match of the tour, a hastily arranged match at The Oval which was the first Test in England. Moule’s success to that point had been modest and he played only because Fred Spofforth was injured. In the Test he batted at No 11 and was the sixth bowler tried. With three wickets for 23 runs he was the most successful bowler in England’s first innings and his 34 in Australia’s second innings helped in a last-wicket partnership of 88 with his captain that avoided an innings defeat. Hugh Trumble. (Victoria & Australia 1887-1904) was Secretary of the Melbourne Club in 1925