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Lot 115:
Description
A pair of vintage Nicolls souvenir miniature cricket bats produced to commemorate international tours from the mid-1950s. Both bats are constructed from wood with blackened handles and feature factory-printed facsimile signatures of the respective squads. The first bat is a Nicolls Crusader model marked Extra Special with four stars. It is inscribed M.C.C. South Africa Tour 1956-57 and includes facsimile signatures for players such as Peter May, Doug Insole, Trevor Bailey, Freddie Brown, Tony Lock, Brian Statham, Godfrey Evans, Johnny Wardle, Colin Cowdrey, and Frank Tyson. The second bat is a Keith Miller Autograph model, also marked Extra Special with four stars. It is inscribed Australia 1956 and features facsimile signatures for the touring squad including Ian Johnson, Keith Miller, Ron Archer, John Rutherford, Ken Maddocks, Ray Lindwall, Pat Crawford, Ken Mackay, Alan Davidson, Ian Craig, Jim Burke, Richie Benaud, Peter Burge, Gil Langley, and Neil Harvey. Both bats display the Nicolls maker’s mark at the shoulders.
Length: Approximately 28 cm each.
Condition report:
Both bats exhibit signs of age and significant wear. The wood shows overall darkening and staining throughout. The black finish on the handles is heavily worn, chipped, and thinning in several places. The printed text and facsimile signatures remain largely legible, although some areas show light fading and minor surface abrasions consistent with age.
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