William Lloyd "Billy" Murdoch

ASHES STORY

In the lead-up to the first cricket Test in Melbourne in 1877, Fred "the Demon" Spofforth was furious to find that his Albert Club teammate, wicket keeper Billy Murdoch, had been omitted from the side in favour of Jack Blackham.

Concerned that Blackham would not be up to keeping to the pace of his bowling, Spofforth made his feelings known in a vibrant letter to Australian captain, Dave Gregory. Spofforth proclaimed, '...you have left out Murdoch so you might just as well draw a pen through mine..."

Gregory stuck to his original selections and neither Spofforth nor Murdoch took the field.

Shown here is a depiction of the cricketer William Lloyd "Billy" Murdoch in caricature. Known as being a well equipped wicket-keeper, Murdoch is featured holding a bat in a cavalier stance at the crease.