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Memories of the “Battle of the Blues” in Australia By Claud Reid Source:Thomiana Newsletter Claud reflects on the beginnings of this annual event and few memorable moments in subsequent encounters The year – 1972. The venue – Albert Park Morley Pereira proudly holds aloft the Thomian flag, created for the occasion by his Sylvia, and marches to the centre of the ground. Accompanying him is Ernie de Bruin equally proudly carrying the “Blue, Gold and Blue”. The toss of the coin in the first Royal- Thomian cricket match is about to take place. Over the years, the match moved to the matting wicket at Greythorn Park, then the turf wickets at Oakleigh, Carnegie, Bayswater and Mulgrave. In the early days the two sides were equally matched. However, with the early “retirement” of Royal players Fitzroy Crozier and Michael Wille the pendulum swung in favour of STC. Following a string of ...