Australian cricket great Shane Warne’s baggy green cap has made more than $1m at auction to aid those affected by bushfires.
When bidding closed on Friday morning, the famous cap was sold for A$1,007,500 (£528,000) to ‘M.C. from Sydney’, according to the auction house’s website.
‘M.C.’, whose identity has yet to be revealed, went head-to-head with ‘W.C. from Gordon’ in the final stages of the auction. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Australian Red Cross bushfire appeal.
One of Wisden’s five cricketers of the century, Warne played 145 Tests and claimed 708 wickets. The 50-year-old is Test cricket’s second-most successful bowler behind Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan who took 800 wickets. The baggy green is presented to Australian players when they make their Test debut.
“Thank you so much to everyone that placed a bid and a huge thank you/congrats to the successful bidder – you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations!” Warne posted on social media. “The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
The figure is more than twice the amount one of Don Bradman’s baggy greens made in 2003.
Bidding on Warne’s cap reached $1m two minutes before the original 10am deadline. The auction was extended for almost 10 minutes because of a late flurry of bids.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has donated more than A$500,000 (£262,000) to support fire and animal rescue services working in the Australian bushfire crisis.
The 35-year-old Mercedes driver wrote on Instagram: “It saddens me deeply to know that over 1 billion animals in Australia died a painful death, no way out, not their fault.
“My love of animals is no secret and I can’t help but grieve for the defenceless animals thought to have died so far, pushing certain species closer to extinction. I’m lucky enough to visit Australia often and I know first-hand how beautiful the country is.
“Keep fighting Australia,” he continued. “I’ve spent some time speaking to people in Australia who are working at the heart of this and I’m filled with admiration for everything they are doing. I implore you to join me in thinking about the impact we are having on our planet. Let’s work together to make small changes, and encourage our family and friends to do the same, so we can help shift the direction we’re going in.”