Families pad up to relive legend (By Genevieve Barlow) 'They battled for 2½ days, made a world record partnership of 641 that stood for 74 years and put Buffalo River in the history books. A year later, 27 year old school teacher Tom Patton went to fight at Gallipoli and never returned. His partner in cricketing fame, 37 year old farmer Norm Rippon, lived to be an old man. On October 31, descendants of these country cricketers will return to the same ground, near Myrtleford, don the whites and re-enact the 1914 Buffalo River versus Whorouly match. Though the record score is part of local cricket lore, time and tide threatened to bury it, re-enactment organiser Roger Johnson said. Roger, who grows trees commercially in the Buffalo River valley, says he learned of the record just this year. When Lake Buffalo was built in the valley in the 1960s, 70% of the community was forced to leave, leaving fewer people to recall stories, he said. "I've lived in this valley 50 years and I only read about the record about five months ago," Roger said. Patton's 408 run contribution, believed to be a record for the highest individual score in A Grade country cricket, and the man himself, remain a fascination for his family's descendants. Tom Patton's nephew, named after his legend-making uncle, said his own children and grandchildren will travel from around Australia to watch or play in the October 31 match. "It's been a big thing for the Patton family," said Tom, 75, who lives at Wagga Wagga. Among them is Steve Taylor, a great nephew so fascinated by Tom Patton that he wrote a history thesis on his life as a school teacher, cricketer and Gallipoli soldier. "Tom was obviously a very talented and gifted person,' Steve said. "We still have the diary he kept at Gallipoli and the hat he wore at that cricket match." The re-enactment - part of Myrtleford's 150th anniversary celebrations - will be played at the Gapsted oval, west of Myrtleford. Organisers hope spectators will wear early 20th century garb and turn up in horse-drawn buggies and vintage cars. And, as happened in the original game, the losing team will host a barbecue afterwards.'