The Norton Oakes Story

Way back in 1978 George Dingwall first suggested to his brother Norman that their respective clubs should play each other in a game of cricket. The fact that both clubs were separated by a distance of 20,000 km did not deter George who even at that early stage could see the far reaching benefits of his proposal. George's vision finally came to fruition in February 1985 when a squad of Norton Oakes cricketers undertook a tour of Australia which culminated in the famous tied Test Match at North Sydney Oval. A return visit to England was made by North Ryde R.S.L. in 1986 with subsequent Tours taking place on a 5 year cycle in 1991 and 1996.

What follows is a summary of this sister club arrangement that has allowed a group of amateur Australian cricketers to travel internationally and experience what is normally reserved for the games elite. As well as experiencing the thrill of going overseas part of the attraction of a Norton Oakes Tour is that each one has been so different from the others. However despite the differences some things have remained the same which is that the opportunity to go to England, make a stack of new friends, and play cricket against people from another country is something very special and worth continuing into this new Millennium. To learn more about the Norton Oakes Story please click one of the five links below.

I'd like to express my thanks to the following people without whose assistance none of this would have been possible: John Bosward, Norm Casamento, Corey Donnell, Anthony Fonti, Don Frankish, Stu Gregory, Jeff Hickson and Scott Martin. Their willingness to donate their time and their photo's is not only appreciated by me but I'm sure by everyone who visits this website.

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