David Morris, as the Great Britain Cricket Team Coach in the very first Test matches between Great Britain and Australia, wore the team uniform in 1992. He decided to donate his GB cricket equipment to the Deaf Museum in 2017 as he said “I would rather the BDHS have them rather than have them thrown away, losing our Deaf History”.
Where were the first ever GB Cricket Test matches played?
Around 1988 two Australians, Steve May and John Webb, visited the UK to meet Robert Craven and David Morris in Coventry to discuss setting up a Test Match between Great Britain and Australia. They agreed to set up the first ever Test Matches between Australian Deaf and British Deaf to be played in Australia in 1991/1992. David and Robert then met the British Deaf Sports Council to discuss funding and they were told to raise £25,000 for the cricket matches. After a few years they 49 managed to raise only £21,500 and reported back to the BDSC. The latter was very pleased with their efforts so gave them £3,500 to meet their target. It was agreed with the Australians to have five Test Matches and one or two “50 overs matches”. They raised a team of 15 players and flew to Perth where there was a warm welcome for them all in a Welcome Ceremony. They celebrated 1992 with a New Year’s Eve party at the Perth Deaf Centre and about 400 people attended.
The first Test match was at Perth, the second Test match at Adelaide, the third Test at Melbourne, the fourth Test at Sydney and the fifth and Final Test at Brisbane. The Australians paid for all the domestic flights for GB players and they stayed at various places such as schools, colleges, apartments and a University! In each state they were in they visited the Deaf clubs and some high-ranking people such as the Minister of Sport and a representative of the Prime Minister met them. After four gruelling weeks of travelling and playing Australia won the first four Tests with the final Test to play and they aimed to inflict on the GB team a whitewash! But in the 5th Test the GB team managed to draw the match to avoid the whitewash so the Australian team won 4.5 to 0.5! David Morris said he could not remember what happened to the 50 overs matches but he thinks they lost one. At the end of the tour the team had a Farewell Ceremony in Brisbane in which the players exchanged souvenirs such as cricket clothes, cricket bats and T-shirts and some received cricket bats with autographs from each squad. David said that he and the team appreciated all the efforts made by the Australian volunteers as they all worked hard to provide the visitors with food and trips.
