Cricket – A Summer Game

July marks the final of the Cricket World Cup and (hopefully) a warm summer.

Cricket is a sport I am only beginning to understand. I was recently lucky enough to see a World Cup game between Bangladesh and South Africa and asked questions throughout. We have a few cricket stamps in the collection but cricket also appears in other aspects of the Post Office.

Stamps

Stamp-size rough designs by E.M. Ripley for the County Cricket Issue, 1972

Cricket had its own dedicated stamp issue in 1973 to celebrate a hundred years of county cricket. We have a great collection of designs produced for this issue including preliminary sketches by E.M. Ripley.

Stamp-size higher value rough designs by E.M. Ripley for the County Cricket Issue, 1972

These designs depict cricket as a gentleman’s game with some players still wearing their top hats. This attire has not continued, but the traditional whites can still be seen on cricket picthes across the country.

The three issued stamps for the 1973 County Cricket stamp set featuring cartoons of cricketers.

County Cricket Stamp Set. 1973

The issued designs were produced by E.M. Ripley featuring drawings of W.G. Grace (an iconic cricketer) by Harry Furniss.

The past-time of playing or watching cricket featured as a British summertime activity in The Four Seasons, Summertime stamp issue (1994). These outdoor sports are synonymous with the British summer even though ours can tend to be a tad on the wet side.

The issued design for 35p stamp featuring spectators watching cricket at Lord's.

35p, Lord’s, Four Seasons – Summertime Events, 1994

England’s Ashes victory was celebrated in 2005 with a dedicated miniature sheet. They won the series 2-1 returning the ashes to England. The sheets consist of photographs from the tournament and the celebratory raising of the Ashes.

A miniature sheet featuring four stamps that show photographs from the Ashes tournament and an image of the team holding the cup.

England’s Ashes Victory, Miniature Sheet, 2005

Cricket and the Post Office

Sir Ian Botham, the British cricket legend, also featured in a Royal Mail Post Early campaign for Christmas. Celebrities have been used in the advertisement to encourage people to post their cards and parcels in good time before Christmas to prevent them from being delivered late.

A black and white photograph with a postwomen holding a large cricket bat and Ian Botham dresses as Santa.

Photograph of a Post Early Campaign featuring Ian Botham in a Santa Clause coat (POST 118/CT00085)

Cricket has also been used in the Post Office as social activities for colleagues. The below photograph depicts the North West Travelling Post Office Cricket Club team, some in their whites and others in suits.

Black and white photograph of a all male Post Office cricket team grouped for a team photograph.

Postcard of the North West Travelling Post Office Cricket Club Team (2006-0312/1)

Cricket is a traditional British sport and it’s unsurprising that it would feature in our stamp design and postal campaigns. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the England team and maybe this year they could take home their first ever World Cup title.

Discover the long history of sport in the Post Office in our Discovery Room.

– Georgina Tomlinson, Deputy Curator Philately