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Auction of Cricket, Football, Golf & Sporting Memorabilia
Knights Auctioneers last auction of Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia was held on Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd March 2025. The sale included over 1100 lots and we have included some highlights below.
To view the results from the auction click here
Lot 269 Cricketing silver pocket watch 1897. An exquisite colourful watch face with an 18th century cricket scene of a bowler about to bowl a ball with the batsman stood in front of two stumps and bails. Two fielders are also featured within floral and tree decoration to border with a central watch dial. To inside of outer casing a label for 'W. Johnson, clock & watch maker of High Wycombe', To the back of the watch is inscribed the makers name 'Peter Dickinson of London' and the reference number '02311'. The watch hallmarked for London 1897. Hammer £550
Lot 221 'Kent County Cricket Club 1906'. Very wide panoramic style oil painting on canvas by renowned artist Albert Chevallier Tayler, the painting finally completed in 1906 as a companion piece to the larger and famous painting of 'Kent v Lancashire at Canterbury 1906'. The portrait panel painting with central image and title, in banner, depicting portraits of Lord Harris and George Marsham, head and shoulders, within decorative cameo panels with title below. To the right and the left of this central image are portraits of the players who did not play in the Kent v Lancashire match, with two exceptions, Kenneth Hutchings, 'Wally' Hardinge, Edward Dillon, Frank Woolley, Arthur Day, Alec Hearne, William Fairservice, John Hubble and Sammy Day plus former Kent Captains W.H. Patterson and Frank Marchant both portrayed in similar decorative cameo panels. The painting measures 2.3 metres wide and 43cm tall. This historic artwork has been hung in the pavilion until recently, marking 118 years since it was first revealed to the cricket club and the public. A unique opportunity to acquire a piece of Kent and cricket history. Hammer unsold
Lot 707 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1875. 12th edition. Bound in brown boards, lacking original paper wrappers, with title and date in gilt to spine, red speckled page edges. Probably the rarest Wisden edition. From the library of Earl of Sondes, the original owner of the ground at Canterbury. The ground was purchased by the county club from the 2nd Earl Sondes in 1896 and became Kent's headquarters. Hammer £27000
Lot 310 'Cricket & Croquet'. A unusual pair of nineteenth century unglazed terracotta earthenware figures. One of a boy batsman, wearing broad banded boater, pads and with bat and stance ready to receive the ball and the other of a young woman wearing dress and feathered hat playing a croquet shot. The cricket figure stands approximately 15" tall and the lady 14.5". A rare pair of sporting figures not previously sold by the auctioneer. Hammer £2400
Lot 821 'The Auckland Cricketers' Trip to the South. A complete history of the late successful tour of the Auckland representatives to Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington and Nelson'. W.F. Buckland, Auckland, New Zealand. E. Wayte, Bookseller, Queen Street. Printed by Reed and Brett. 1874. 8vo, pp(3),4-58 and eight advertising pages with buff printed paper wrappers. With the ownership signature of T.W. Reese, New Zealand cricket historian to front wrapper, title page and to the first page of the book, and another signature, which looks like Buckland's. Probably the rarest New Zealand cricket publication. Hammer unsold
Lot 219 Colin Blythe. Kent & England 1899-1914. Kent navy blue cloth cricket cap with raised embroidered county emblem of the white horse, the Kent emblem, to front. The cap, with small peak typical of a pre first world war cap, from the Sankey family collection and previously sold by Knights as lot 570 in October 1995. An early cap from a truly notable cricketer of the 'Golden Age' of cricket. Hammer £2600
Lot 301 England v Australia 1905. Victor Thomas Trumper. New South Wales & Australia 1894-1914 and Archibald Campbell MacLaren. Lancashire & England 1890-1923. Scarce Staffordshire mug, printed in dark turquoise, with figures of Trumper and MacLaren in batting pose, each within a cartouche with the title 'Australia' and 'England' printed above. To centre an image of crossed bats, stumps, bails and a ball and below this a shield with kangaroo and lion facing each other with title to shield 'Australia England' and above in scroll 1905. Floral decoration to borders and to strap handle, gilt to rim. 4" tall. One of the rarest Staffordshire cricketing mugs especially in this more unusual colour. Hammer unsold
Lot 573 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 1899. 36th edition. Original hardback. A rare early hardback edition in lovely condition. Hammer £3800
Lot 2 'The Australian Cricket Team' 1878. Very rare and early large cotton handkerchief commemorating Australia's inaugural first-class tour to England. Lithographed in grey, the centre panel set in elaborate frame depicts all twelve members of the Australian touring party seated and standing, with names printed below. To each of the four corners is an oval cartouche panel of four of the players in batting or bowling pose featuring Spofforth, Blackham, Murdoch and C. Bannerman. The ornate title scroll below the centre panel comprises an Australian coat of arms, crossed bats and 'Registered Sept. 1878'. Measuring 23"x24", the handkerchief is fully laid down to mount card and in very good condition. A very rare and early item of cricketing history. Hammer £330
Lot 256 Cricket cigar box. An attractive wooden oblong cylindrical cigar box with a horizontal 19th century cricket scene to the side, in colour, of a bowler about to bowl to batsman, cricket tent and trees to background. The scene entitle 'Play' to lower border. . 5"x2.5". Date unknown. An unusual and interesting item. Hammer £150
Lot 431 M.C.C. tour to North America 1905. Francis Anthony Hoste Henley. Oxford University & Middlesex 1903-1908. Large original and personal photograph/ scrap album with title in gilt to front 'Tour of the M.C.C. in America and Canada July 11th - August 26th 1905' and the owner's initials in gilt 'F.A.H.H.', assumed to be Henley's personal copy compiled by himself. The contents comprise some thirty original mono photographs, the majority candid in style, also a good selection of menus (some signed), postcards, cuttings, leaflets etc. from the tour, which was made up almost entirely of Oxford and Cambridge University players, captained by E.W. Mann (Cambridge University & Kent 1902-1905). A very nicely compiled album with good early cricket and cultural interest. Hammer £1600
Lot 500 'Bringing Back The Ashes. A Complete and Accurate Review of the M.C.C. Tour of Australia 1903/04. Fully Illustrated by "Looker-On" of the Sheffield Telegraph'. James Hayton Stainton 1904. 96pp. Rare post-tour brochure. Original pictorial paper wrappers. Rare. Hammer £360
Lot 258 Cricket snuff box. Circular early Victorian black lacquered papier mache snuff box. The hinged lid painted with a colour cricketing scene, after Hayman's painting of 1740. The box measures 2.75" diameter. Rarely seen. Hammer £180
Lot 775 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 1918. 55th edition. Original hardback. A rare wartime hardback edition in very good condition with gilt titles to front board and spine bright. Hammer £1900
Lot 462 Sussex v Surrey at Brighton 1854. Very early single sided scorecard printed by 'Lillywhite's Printing Tent by authority and under the Patronage of the Marylebone Club' for the match played at the Royal Brunswick Ground, Hove on the 29th & 30th June & 1st July 1854. The scorecard showing the fully completed printed scores for the match. Remarkably good condition for its age. A rare scorecard. Hammer £240
Lot 446 William Gilbert Grace, Gloucestershire, London County & England 1870-1908. Excellent original sepia photograph of Grace in batting pose at the wicket. The photograph laid down to official photographer's mount with photographer's name, E. Hawkins & Compy of Brighton, to lower mount border. Grace is depicted holding the bat with which he scored over 1000 runs in May 1895, including making his one hundredth century. Good/very good condition. Hammer £240
Lot 188 Kent County Cricket Club Annual 1886-1887. Hardback 'blue book'. Original decorative boards. Gilt titles with silver gilt Kent emblem to centre. Printed by J. Burgiss-Brown, Maidstone 1887. Good/very good condition. Rare tenth issue of the 'blue book’. Hammer £320
Lot 319 Westerwald. Large and impressive Westerwald stoneware tapering cricket jug, moulded in relief with five cameo panels all believed to be modelled on W.G. Grace, in different poses, coloured in cobalt blue on a grey background. The body decorated with vine and sprig decoration with decorative pewter lid with clasp to top of the handle. 13" high. German circa 1890. A large and impressive example of this German pottery. Hammer £860
Lot 561 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 1872. 9th edition. Original paper wrappers. Good/very good condition. Rare. Hammer £2800
Lot 311 Boy Cricketer'. Excellent Parian ware figure of a boy cricketer resting against a tree stump holding a cricket bat to left hand. The figure is of a very high quality and with exceptionally good detailing. Approximately 11" tall. Circa 1860's. A rare figure in very good condition. Sold with an original sepia carte de visite photograph showing the figure and entitled to lower border 'The Cricketer’. Hammer £1200
Lot 717 Lord Harris, George Robert Canning, Kent & England 1870-1911. Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 1891 to 1931. 28th-68th editions, lacking the 1895 and 1898 editions. Thirty nine editions of the Almanack, formerly owned and from the library of Lord Harris. All editions are bound in green full leather, lacking wrappers, with gilt to all page edges, marbled end papers. The first five editions are signed in ink by Harris to the front end paper and twelve editions bear his bookplate, 'Kent County Cricket Club' handstamp to first end paper and odd other pages. An excellent and rare opportunity to acquire books once held and collected by one of the pillars of Kent, England and world cricket. Hammer £2000
Lot 314 Doulton Lambeth stoneware mug in art nouveau style, with three moulded relief vignettes of cricketers, a batsman, bowler and wicket keeper, Abel, Woods and McGregor in white on a brown background, with floral leaf decoration above and below in green and green/blue. 5" tall. 1880/90's. Good/very good condition. A rarely seen and very appealing shaped mug with an art nouveau twist. Hammer £650
Lot 1148 England v Scotland 1889. Excellent early original sepia photograph of the England team depicted wearing football attire, some with England international caps, seated and standing on the steps of the pavilion at Kennington Oval for the match v Scotland 13th April 1889. Odd faults otherwise in good/very good condition. Hammer £130
Lot 771 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 1916 to 1919. 53rd-56th editions. Handsomely uniformly bound in green and black leather with gold edging, with original paper wrappers, with raised bands and title and date in gilt to spine. Marbled end papers and gilt to all page edges. Binding by W&E Bramhall. All of the books are in exceptional condition with wonderfully almost pristine wrappers Rare war-time bound editions in superb order. Hammer £1200
Lot 897 Kent C.C.C. 'The Tale of the Kent Eleven' 1906. A rare small booklet comprising a printed four page poem bound in original decorative colour card wrappers comprising an illustration of two Kent cricketers with County 'Invicta' emblem of two prancing horses captioned 'Kent XI 189- Kent XI 1906'. The poem, by an unknown author writing under the pseudonym 'Senex', describes the achievements of the team, led by Captain C.H.B. Marsham who won the County Championship for the first time in 1906. Very good condition with nice bright colours to the wrappers. A lovely souvenir of Kent's first Championship victory. Hammer £320
Lot 313 Cricket at Windsor Castle meat dish'. A very large oval shaped Goodwin & Harris 'Metropolitan Scenery' meat dish printed in blue and embellished with a scene of Windsor Castle and the Thames to foreground featuring a cricket match to the foreground with trees and foliage to sides. Surrounding borders highly decorated with flowers, leaves and various foliage, patterned rim. Printed mark in blue to base 'Metropolitan Scenery, Windsor Castle' and number '81'. The dish measures 19.95" wide by 15.5". Circa 1830/40's. A rare, early and impressive dish in lovely original condition. Hammer £1900
Lot 1006 'Cricket. An Heroic Poem Illustrated with the Critical Observations of Scriblerus Maximus... by James Love, Comedian'. James Dance. Printed for the Author, London 1770. Fourth edition. Dedicated 'To the Members of the Cricket Club, at Richmond, in Surrey'. The first separately published poem on cricket. James Dance (1722-1774) assumed the name of Love as a compliment to his wife. The mock heroic couplets describe the match between Kent and England played on the Artillery Ground on the 2nd June 1744. This edition has an additional five page Epilogue titled 'Bucks Have at Ye All'. One of the rarest cricket books. Hammer £1000
Lot 562 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1881. 18th edition. Original paper wrappers. The book is in outstanding condition, not often seen for this early edition. Hammer £750