Auction Of Ex-Cricketer Warne's Cap Nets A$1M-Plus Donation

Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne's baggy green cap, which he put "up for auction on Monday to raise money" for bushfire relief, will "stay in Australian hands" after it emerged that Commonwealth Bank Australia was responsible for the successful A$1,007,500 ($696,000) bid for the iconic item. CBA said that it will "take Warne's cap on a national tour to raise money for communities devastated by bushfires" before becoming a permanent exhibit at the Bradman Museum in Bowral. The winning bid was made by an "M.C." in Sydney, the "same initials" as CBA CEO Matt Comyn. CBA is a "long-time commercial partner of Cricket Australia and the national women's team" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/10).

Meanwhile, Aussie EPL side Brighton GK Mat Ryan is going to donate A$500 ($345) for "each save made by a Premier League goalkeeper this weekend" to an Australian wildlife rescue fund (AFP, 1/10). Philanthropic grassroots rugby supporter the Paul Ramsay Foundation gave A$30M ($20.7M) to the bushfire relief effort this week (SMH, 1/10).