Gloucestershire presented with Billy Midwinter's bat during England vs Australia ODI | News | Gloucestershire Cricket

Gloucestershire was thrilled to receive the original bat used by Billy Midwinter during the break of the England vs Australia one-day international match in Bristol this afternoon.

Billy, who was born in the Forest of Dean in 1851, is the only cricketer to have played Test matches for both England against Australia and Australia against England. In honor of this rare accomplishment, his bat will be permanently showcased at The Museum and Learning Centre in the Seat Unique Stadium.

Billy, a British citizen, along with his family, moved to Australia in 1861. In 1877, he was chosen to represent Australia in the inaugural Test Match against England, marking a significant moment in cricket history.

Earlier, after catching the attention of the legendary WG Grace while he was playing for Victoria during England's 1873/74 tour of Australia, Billy was convinced by WG that he should represent Gloucestershire, his home county, when he came back to England in 1877.

Billy remained in England, where he played four seasons for Gloucestershire. In 1881, he returned to Australia and spent the next three years traveling back and forth between the two countries, enjoying cricket year-round. During this period, he played at the Test level for both England and Australia. He eventually settled back in Australia in 1884, and his playing career concluded in 1887.

After retiring from professional play, Billy passed his bat on to his Australian friend and teammate from Bendigo, William Pearce. Today, Pearce's great-great-grandson, Neil, along with his brother-in-law, Ian Davidson, attended the ODI to donate Billy's bat to Gloucestershire for it to be permanently showcased in the Museum and Learning Centre.

To learn more about the museum and the Gloucestershire Cricket Heritage Trust, please follow this link.