General Auction including Antiques & Collectables, Gold & Silver.
A vintage willow cricket bat and leather ball set associated with the Golden Age of cricket. The bat is an Autograph model produced by Lillywhite Frowd of London, featuring the facsimile signature of the Surrey and England opening batsman Tom Hayward. The face is stamped in black ink with the Surrey County Cricket Club crest and the manufacturer name. At the shoulders are two identical trade marks showing an elephant on a pedestal with the initials J.L.F. for James Lillywhite Frowd. The lower face contains faint handwritten ink inscriptions including the word England and the signatures of notable cricketers A. C. MacLaren, W. Rhodes, and J. B. Hobbs, alongside the date 1908. The bat retains a dark aged patina to the wood and a period black rubber grip. The reverse side features a circular red and black paper label with instructions for the oiling and care of cricket bats. The accompanying red leather cricket ball shows a heavily scuffed surface and period horizontal stitching.
Length: 86 cm.
Condition report:
The bat exhibits significant signs of age and match use, with numerous indentations and bruising across the striking face. There are surface scuffs and minor wood chips located at the toe. The rubber handle grip has hardened and shows oxidation consistent with age. The handwritten ink signatures are faded but identifiable. The paper label on the reverse is worn but mostly legible. The leather ball is heavily scuffed and faded to a brownish-pink tone, with fraying to the stitched seams.
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