Rekindling the spark from pivotal 1924 game

Source: The Australian Jewish News

It was a Jewish cricket match that was literally 100 years in the making and it will be talked about by all who played or watched it for many years to come.

In the biggest and most symbolic celebratory event held so far in Maccabi Australia’s centenary year, a Jewish Victorian XI captained by former Australian T20 opening batter Michael Klinger played a Jewish NSW team captained by newly-appointed Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg last Sunday afternoon at Melbourne’s Caulfield Park, replicating a match played in December 1924 at Fitzroy Cricket Ground, regarded as the birth of Maccabi Australia.

The original match a century ago was the first Jewish interstate sport tour in Australia and made such an impact that a national Jewish sports carnival was held the following summer in Sydney and in Perth the year after, planting the seed for what the 54-club and 9000-member Maccabi Australia organisation is today.

The replica match was preceded by a special dinner last Saturday night at Caulfield Sports Club attended by 120 people, including Jewish cricket stalwarts from the 1950s to today, such as 90-year-old Maccabi-AJAX Cricket Club (MACC) legend Les Kausman – whose father Henry was in the 1924 NSW Jewish team – former Australian and Victorian player Julien Weiner, former NSW Sheffield Shield batter Marshall Rosen and MACC player for 50-plus years and counting, Barry Kave.

Perfect weather on Sunday and a carnival atmosphere at Caulfield Park set the scene for a packed program.

The day began with a T20 tribute memorial match in honour of MACC legend Joel Rembach, followed by a players’ lunch along one very long outdoor table – resembling the “long lunch” held at the 1927 national Jewish sports carnival in Perth.

Then it was time for the main game and just like in 1924, team Victoria won, but Jewish cricket was the real winner.

For the record, Victoria set a total of 109, with Mark Fine top-scoring with 23 runs and Michael Klinger 20.

In reply, NSW were all out for 72, but Anthony Moss (22 runs) and Paul Platus (21) showed good touch with the bat.

Player of the Match honours went to Victorian Jonathan Mond, who took three wickets in a single over.

Platus described the event as “an amazing weekend that touched a lot of people and rekindled many friendships – a true reflection of what Maccabi is”.

“It was so good to have a whole lot of players from both states who have been to Maccabiah Games or to Maccabi senior national carnivals to reconnect and to celebrate Maccabi’s history.

“And for me, it was really nice to play in a cricket match again with Mikey Klinger after so many years, as I captained him in the Australian cricket team at the 1997 Maccabiah Games, when he was just 16.”

Platus also told The AJN about the significance of a particular item of silverware.

“In the 1924 match, they played for the Keith Cup trophy, which ended up being lost.

“But Mark Fine found it while working at a trophy shop.

“So, 100 years later, we got to play for the real Keith Cup trophy again … although it remains a mystery who Keith actually was.”

Platus said the dinner the night before was another highlight, as it brought different generations of Jewish cricketers together.

“There was a lot of reminiscing, sharing stories and tales of how bowlers got batters out in the old days.”

Ben Einfeld, who played in the NSW team – and whose great-uncle Sol was a player and team manager for NSW in the 1924 match – said the whole event “was successful in so many ways and really highlighted the bonds and deep connections between people through Maccabi, that go back a very long time”.

“At the dinner and at the end of the match, people spoke with real emotion,” Einfeld said.

“The feedback that Paul and I received reflected how people were completely blown away by the impact it had on everyone.”

Check out more photos from the day on our Facebook page: