Aussies bowled over by Pom bats and balls
WITH the age-old cricketing rivalry between England and Australia still going strong, an aversion to all things Pom might be expected of Australian cricket fans.
Fresh from England’s glorious Ashes win over Australia, new figures reveal the rivals are the biggest buyers of cricket balls and bats and have bought 13 per cent more than the previous year.
The total value of exports of British-made goods Down Under now stands at £1.1m.
The growth in trade means Australia continues to be the UK’s largest export market for cricketing equipment.
Perhaps surprisingly, the US was the second biggest export market for the sports goods, followed by Norway and then the United Arab Emirates.
Steve Finn, whose eight-wicket haul at Edgbaston helped England on the way to retaining the urn, said: “The UK’s love for cricket is well known and evidence by the high-quality cricketing equipment manufactured right here in Britain and exported across the world.”
Lord Francis Maude, Trade and Investment Minister, said: “It’s great to see the Aussies continue to be bowled over by the excellent standard of our sporting equipment.”
British exports of cricketing equipment may have further to go before reaching the boundary, with manufacturer Hawk, whose exports to Australia and New Zealand now account for 10 per cent of its business, recently announcing it was assessing new markets in the Middle East.