Another Baggy Green Acquired by Unique Memorabilia

This 3-Test series was Australia's very first tour of India.

Australian spinner Jack Wilson wore this Baggy Green during his first and only Test match.  This was played at Brabourne Stadium in Bombay in 1956.  He also wore it whilst playing for Australia during the 1956 Ashes Tour.

Baggy Green Test-Worn And Ashes Tour Worn Cap - Jack Wilson, 1956 

As is typical for the period, the cap was made by Farmer's in Sydney and "J Wilson" is typed on the label.

A left-arm finger spinner, Jack Wilson toured England with the 1956 Richie Benaud-led Ashes side, taking 43 wickets in tour matches.  Originally from Victoria before moving to South Australia, Wilson delivered the ball at almost medium pace, Wilson was nicknamed "Chuck" or "Chucker" because of the jerkiness of his action, a legacy of a football injury when he was a teenager.  His bowling action was never questioned.

In 78 First Class matches he took 230 wickets at just over 30 runs per wicket.

Amazingly, Wilson's widow was throwing out Jack's cricket gear when a cricket-loving chap asked if he could souvenir one of the items, taking Jack's Baggy Green, a cap which may be one of the best I've seen in terms of its condition after over 70 years.  It was then acquired by a Victorian cricket fan from whom I've just acquired the cap.  It goes to show how the perceived value of the Baggy Green has changed over the years!

One of the great things with the early Baggies is that you know with some certainty that they were worn on the field since modern fielding hats (such as "Greg Chappell" hats or the terry-towelling hats that players like Max Walker wore in the '70s) did not exist at that time.

Australia's very first Test tour of India has been largely overlooked by history. As you would expect, the cricket in 1956 was not scintillating, with a run rate that generally hovered between 1.5 and 2.5 runs per over. However, the series was the starting point for an Australia-India rivalry that has grown dramatically over the years since.

We have sold more authentic Baggy Greens than any other Australian retailer, including the caps of Thommo, MacGill, Dean Jones, Bob Simpson, Ray Lindwall, Barry Jarman and others.