A gold medal presented to the English cricketer Harry Charlwood on the occasion of the first ever official Test Match that commenced 15th March 1877 a

A gold medal presented to the English cricketer Harry Charlwood on the occasion of the first ever official Test Match that commenced 15th March 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between Australia and England, the obverse engraved with crossed cricket bats, stumps and a ball, with a cricket field beyond, the reverse inscribed PRESENTED TO, H. CHARLWOOD, BY, GE0. BROWNE C.E., ARCHITECT, M.C.C. GRAND STAND, MELBOURNE, 1877 This exciting discovery of a gold medal offers a unique opportunity to acquire a presentation made on the occasion of the first official Test Match in cricket history, the game between Australia and James Lillywhite's England side played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground commencing 15th March 1877. Australia won the game by 45 runs, a result that, extraordinarily, was duplicated precisely when Australia and England competed in the Centenary Test Match, played March 12th to 17th 1977 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The medal was presented by George Browne, the Melbourne architect, responsible for the Grand Stand built at the MCG for the Test Series against England in 1877. This is the only known extant medal from Browne's commemoration, but presumably he presented a gold medal to every visiting England player, and perhaps the home team too, as a suitable souvenir of his achievements in developing a ground more than worthy of hosting Test Match cricket. Browne is known to have socialised heavily with James Lillywhite's English cricketers during the 1876-77 Tour. ''The Australasian'', Saturday December 2, 1876, p.715 records: ? On Saturday last Mr. George Browne, the architect for the grand stand at the M.C.C. ground, drove [the English cricketers] round the city and suburbs in an English drag and six, and entertained them at a sumptuous dinner at Clement's Caf? in the evening ? The present medal was engraved to the Sussex professional Henry Rupert James Charlwood (born Horsham, 19 December 1846 - died Scarborough, 6 June 1888). The right-hand bat played in both the Melbourne Test Matches of 1877. In the historic first match he batted at No.3 for England, scoring 36 in the first innings and 13 in the second innings. During the 2nd Test played March 31st to April 4th, Harry Charlwood batted at No.4 and scored 14 and a duck during England's 4 wickets victory. In three of his four innings he was the victim of the bowling of Tom Kendall. These were the only two Test maches of H.R.J. Charlwood's career, that spanned 197 First-Class matches. Harry Charlwood was the mainstay of a poor Sussex county team for several seasons and was noted for his attacking top-order batting style. He was also an occasional lob bowler and a specialist cover fielder, taking 89 career catches. He scored five centuries for, recording a highest score of 155, and scored over 7,000 runs. He later played for Derbyshire and last played in 1882. Returning to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first grandstand was a temporary structure erected in 1861 and capable of holding 6,000 spectators. A second, but permanent structure, thereby being referred to as the 'First Grand Stand', was built by George Browne in 1876 in readiness for the visit of James Lillywhite's England team in 1877. It could seat 2,000 and faced both the ground and the parkland. It was sometimes referred to as the 'Reversible Stand' as in the winter the seating could be reversed in order to watch the football games in Yarra Park. The grandstand's builder was Peter Cunningham and the cost was ?4,500. But sadly it had a short life. Browne's structure was destroyed by fire in 1884, and replaced by the Second Grand Stand designed by the architect William Salway. Thereafter, the MCG saw a continual evolution into the spectacular arena that it is today. Other notable projects by George Browne included Rupertswood Mansion in Sunbury, built as a residence for Sir William John Clarke (first Australian born Baronet) between 1874 and 1876. Rupertswood also holds a place in the great sporting rivalry between Australia and England, as it was on a field at Rupertswood that the ''Ashes'' were created. On Christmas Eve of 1882, after a congenial lunch, Sir William Clarke suggested a social game between the English Cricket team and a local side, made up largely of Rupertswood staff. By all accounts, it was an enjoyable match with no one really keeping score. However, it was generally agreed that the English won. Pat Lyons, a worker at Rupertswood, clearly remembered the afternoon many years later. It was his understanding that Lady Clarke, at dinner that evening, together with other female guests who enjoyed a joke, presented Ivo Bligh with a pottery urn. It was purported to contain the ashes of a burnt bail. This was a light hearted gesture intended to be a memento of the England team's visit to Rupertswood, with reference to the 'obituary' to English cricket that had appeared in the The Sporting Times after their defeat to Australia on home soil at The Oval 29th August 1882. One of George Browne's prot?g?s, who took articles in 1875, was William Pitt who made a profound effect on the architecture of Melbourne with his use of Neo-Gothic and Second Empire styles, giving the city a distinct feel of opulence. Some of Pitt's most important buildings would include the Rialto, the Olderfleet, the former Stock Exchange and Safe Deposit Building, the Princess Theatre and the spectacular, but demolished, Federal Hotel and Coffee Palace.