Walhalla Cricket Club is set to host a match next month.
Melbourne Cricket Club will travel to the picturesque ground nestled high in the hills, to take on a local contingent.
The local contingent is made up of players from Blackbridge Cricket Club, a Gippsland-based team that competes in winter cricket.
The MCC team making the trip are members of the XXIX Club (‘The 29ers’).
The 29ers are an offshoot of the MCC, and play exhibition games at locations across the country.
It is understood players from both sides will be walking up the hill to the old ground, in order to fully take-in the experience of what it may have been like for players in the early 1900s.
Strangely enough, Walhalla has produced one Australian Test cricketer – Barlow Carkeek (six Test matches in 1912).
Visitors to the ground can read about a famous story involving Australian Test cricket captain Warwick Armstrong, who stepped foot on the ground in 1907.
It was said Walhalla hardly lost a game at home, partly because by the time opponents made the trek up the hill, they were exhausted before the game even started.
The Walhalla ground was also home to bizarre scenes in the mid-1920s.
In a football match in 1924 between Walhalla and Baw Baw, the ball burst in the first quarter, meaning a miner on horseback was sent down to the township to retrieve another one.
In the interim, the players had a drink and chatted with the ladies. Once the miner returned play continued, however another delay came about when the ball was kicked in the vicinity of a horse who became startled and brought its hooves down on the ball, splitting the stitching.
Another ball was called for from down below, but this one was punctured after an error with the needle trying to inflate it.
By this time, fires had been lit at either end to try and illuminate the ground, while goal umpires waved blazing torches to signal their decision.
In the end, after allegations the Walhalla team had rigged the scoreboard as the match was played in pockets of darkness, the teams settled on declaring the game a draw in the pub.
The match between Blackbridge and MCC XXIX Club will be held on Sunday, February 5.
Those wishing to attend may need a 4WD to drive up to the ground, or allow an extra 45 minutes if walking.
