Leslie O'Brien Fleetwood-Smith (1908 - 1971)
Leslie O'Brien Fleetwood-Smith was born in Stawell on March 30, 1908, to Fleetwood and Frances. Fleetwood-Smith Senior, was the Editor of the Pleasant Creek News and was born in Bahawalpur, India. Juniors education was at Stawell Primary School 502 and at Xavier College where he was a successful first X1 cricketer. He played for St. Kilda from 1930-33 before joining the Melbourne Club. He first represented Victoria against Tasmania in 1931 and made his Sheffield Shield debut against South Australia in 1931. His first Test Match for Australia was against South Africa in Durban. He went on to play 10 tests, touring South Africa and England twice. He took a total of 597 wickets at 22.6 in all first class cricket. In test matches he took 42 at 37.4 including 10 for 239 against England in 1937. He retired from playing cricket with Melbourne in 1946. Fleetwood-Smith was married twice. Married twice, he did not have any children. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1940 and was promoted to Warrant Officer. He served briefly at the Physical and Recreational Training School at Frankston before being discharged on medical grounds in 1941. Fleetwood-Smith died of cancer in March 1971.
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Jim Phillips (1860 - 1930)
Jim Phillips was born on September 1, 1860 at Pleasant Creek (Stawell) and died on April 21, 1930, in Burnaby, British Columbia. It is not generally known that Concongella produced such an outstanding cricketer. By occupation he was a wood carter to the Mining Batteries - notably the Moonlight. His introduction to cricket was most unusual. It had its beginnings on his Fathers property at Concongella, not far from Kofoed's Bridge. His wicket was a large tree and his 'fieldsman' was his intelligent dog named Spot. When he came to Stawell and unloaded his wood at the Moonlight Battery he would place a wicket in the nearby pug and bowl at it and Spot never failed to bolt after it and return it to him. Spot and his master were popular figures in Stawell, Concongella and Campbells Bridge. In addition to winning his 'spurs' as an Inter State bowler he gained fame as an International Umpire. Jim Phillips played his first, first class-match in the 1885/1886 season. He played for Victoria and then in 1888, went on to play County Cricket in England for Middlesex and Canterbury. Whilst playing cricket for Middlesex he was employed on the ground staff at Lords. As a player and Umpire he travelled between Australia and England. He umpired 29 Test Matches which included Australia, England and South Africa.
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