Porongurup’s ‘Field of Dreams’ to be broadcast nationwide during first test of Australia vs West Indies series

The magic of Porongurup’s “Field of Dreams” will be shared with cricket fans across the country — and beyond — during the first Test of Australia’s series against the West Indies. Channel 7 sent a crew to the Thorn family’s Millinup Estate on October 22, where one of the world’s most picturesque cricket grounds sits on the fringe of the ancient Porongurup Range. The ground was the setting for a tournament featuring a motley crew of social cricketers from the Great Southern — with four teams cobbled together from the ranks of the Elleker Locos, Youngs Siding Swamprats, Denmark Muckrakers and Porongurup Woodburners. The teams usually compete for the annual Pigs Arse Shield in the South Coast Social Cricket competition, where batters can’t be dismissed on their first ball and LBW is all but outlawed. The Swamprats are the reigning champions after a thrilling final in March this year. On the eve of the new season, rivals played on the same teams for an exhibition match at the ground dubbed the Field of Dreams. 7Cricket creative producer Jacqui Reed had flown from Melbourne to be there after catching wind of a story she believed deserved to be shared. The mini-documentary she has produced will be broadcast during the first Test of the Australia vs West Indies series to start on November 30 at Optus Stadium. “Up to a million viewers will see the piece,” Reed said. “It will be broadcast across the nation on Seven and will be posted on our social media channels as well as 7plus. “One of the features of our coverage is that we love to highlight the love of the game throughout the country. “This is one of our favourite stories that we’ve produced, as it showcases wonderful characters and shows how cricket can bring communities and surrounding areas together. It was a pleasure for 7Cricket to travel to such a stunning location and we hope the story will capture the hearts of all cricket fans.” The ground was the brainchild of Peter Thorn, a cricket diehard and veteran conservationist who had a vision for a stunning cricket grounds as he trekked around the Porongurups. “I used to go climbing in the Stirlings down here as a young bloke and I loved climbing in the Porongurups,” Thorn said. “I walked up here with my wife at the time — sadly, she died a few years after that — I walked up here and saw this big, flat area and I thought, ‘wow, that would make a great cricket field’.” Thorn was a handy cricketer in his day who took a hat-trick bowling off-spin for Darlington. Now well into his 90s and living in Albany, his playing days are behind him, but he loves soaking up the atmosphere from the sidelines of the ground he willed into being. His son, Michael Thorn, lives on the Porongurup property and manages the family business. He shares his father’s passion for cricket. “Cricket’s a game you can play just for the pure joy of it,” he said. “For me, winning is not a big part of the deal. It’s just about having a run around and having a good time.” Mike said he and his father were delighted by the interest from Channel 7. “It’s really confirmation of what I’ve felt all of these years — that this ground deserves recognition as one of the unique grounds in the world,” he said.