SIXTY YEARS AGO MY FIRST LETTER FROM DAVID SHEPPARD, ENGLIST TEST CRICKETER IN 1950-51 TOUR OF AUSTRALIA.

Here is the letter in full, received with excitement by a 13 year old cricket lover, living in Essendon.

The Station Hotel
Auckland C1
New Zealand

8 March 1951

Dear Macleod,

I was delighted to have your little note – still more to know that you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Saviour and Friend. I enclose a small booklet which I hope may be helpful. May I make just four points?
When I became a Christian about fifteen months ago one of my greatest discoveries was that He is alive to-day to be our best friend. [Hebrews 7:25]. There is a chorus which runs
Jesus died to set me free
From the guilt of sin:
Jesus lives that I may be
Strong the fight to win.

Second: having let him into your life, don’t keep him shut out of certain parts of it. Let Him take charge of it all. I think Proverbs 3 vv 5,6 the best prescription for the happy and successful Christian life.

Thirdly, do link up with Crusaders, or some such Christian organisation which will help you to grow as a Christian. A coal burns best in the fire, and not when it has fallen out.

Fourthly, dig deep into the bible – 1 Peter 2:2

I am sorry for the delay in writing but this last week has been pretty hectic with packing, saying good-byes and travelling.



I would very much appreciate a line from you one day when you have time about how things progress. You will find me with MCC Touring Team, c/o Umpire, Christchurch, N.Z. until march 28: afterwards at home at StBRIGET'S COTTAGE, SLINFOLD, SUSSEX. England

With every good wish

Yors sincerely

David Sheppard

A LETTER FROM AN ENGLISH TEST CRICKETER

Can you imagine my excitement on arriving home from school to discover a letter addressed to me from David Sheppard, the English Test player I had met just three weeks earlier?

I am typing up this correspondence for ease of reading. The marks on the original are mine.

AN INVITATION THAT SHAPED MY LIFE

As I watched that remarkable third day of the Perth Test match, my mind slipped back to the summer of 1950-51. It was England’s second tour since the war, it was led by Freddy Brown, and I was at the age when youngsters are capable of absorbing lots of facts about things that captivate them.
I kept a scrapbook of the tour, which I still possess, I listened to the ABC broadcasts by Alan McGilvray,Vic Richardson and Johnny Moyes and I saw some of the games at the MCG.
What a glorious summer it was…..holidays on the beach at McCrae, swimming in the mornings and afternoons, tennis after tea at Min Ratcliffe’s and then those marvellous ice creams and milk shakes at the milk bar near the store.
And there was that amazing invitaton, out of the blue, to meet two of the English test team! The autographs came later but, apart from them, here is what appeared in our letter box one day in early February, 1951.......TO BE CONTINUED