Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Name of Applicant: Neville Boyle of 36 Black Wallaby Drive, Langwarrin, Victoria 3910, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Neville Boyle Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia Innovation Patent specification for the invention entitled: "Cleaning cloth for ball sports" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: C:\RPorbl\DCC\KZS\4475723_1 DOC-24I07/2012 CLEANING CLOTH FOR BALL SPORTS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cleaning cloth, which is particularly, though not 5 exclusively, useful for players of ball sports such as cricket and baseball. BACKGROUND In ball sports such as cricket and baseball it is common for matches to be at least partly conducted in wet conditions, for example during or shortly after rainfall. Under such conditions a ball which is hit into a wet outfield will become damp and difficult to grip, 10 and may collect debris such as grass cuttings, soil and the like. In order to clean or polish a ball which has become damp and/or soiled, some cricketers and baseballers carry a cloth in a front pocket, or more commonly, tucked into a rear pocket of their trousers, to clean and/or polish the ball. Whilst reasonably effective, this method suffers from the disadvantage that the cloth must be removed from the pocket prior 15 to each use, and if tucked into the back pocket, will tend to "flap" against the trousers during play, causing an unsightly appearance. In cricket it is also usual for fielders or bowlers to rub the ball directly against their apparel, typically against the front of the trousers, to maintain the "shine" on one side of the ball in order to promote, during delivery of the ball by a bowler, lateral movement of 20 the ball in its trajectory towards the batsman (swing). This causes staining of the trousers by transfer of the dyes which are impregnated into the leather casing of the ball. Such staining can be difficult to remove. The present invention aims to at least partly overcome one or more of the above difficulties, or at least to provide a useful alternative. 25 SUMMARY In a first aspect, the present invention provides a cloth attachable to an article of sporting apparel, including: C \NRPonbI\DCC\KZS4475723_ .DOC-24/I7/20l2 -2 a first attachment means at a first end, and a second attachment means at a second end opposed to the first end, the first and second attachment means being removably attachable to corresponding first and second anchoring means on the article of sporting apparel. 5 In a second aspect, the present invention provides an article of sporting apparel, including: a first anchoring means spaced from a second anchoring means, and a cloth having a first attachment means at a first end and a second attachment means at a second end opposed to the first end, 10 the first and second attachment means being removably attachable to the first and second anchoring means. Preferably, the article of sporting apparel is part of a cricket or baseball uniform. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the article of sporting apparel is a pair of cricket 15 trousers (which may be wholly or predominantly white or cream coloured) or a pair of baseball pants (which may be wholly or predominantly white, and may include pinstripes, for example). In certain embodiments, the first attachment means is a hook portion (or a loop portion) of 20 a hook-and-loop fastener, and the first anchoring means is a corresponding loop portion (or hook portion) of the hook-and-loop fastener. In other embodiments, the first attachment means includes at least one button-hole and the first anchoring means includes at least one button which mates with the at least one button 25 hole. In certain embodiments, the cloth is coloured to match a colour of the article of sporting apparel. 30 C:\NRPorbl\DCC\KZS47572_I.DOC.24/7/I2012 -3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a cleaning cloth according to a first embodiment of the invention; 5 Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a cleaning cloth; Figure 3 shows the cleaning cloth of Figure 1 attached at one end to an article of sportswear; Figure 4 shows the cleaning cloth fully attached; and Figure 5 shows the cleaning cloth detached at one end during use. 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figure 1, there is shown, in highly schematic form, a cleaning cloth 100 having a first end 102 and a second end 104. Located at the first end 102 is a first attachment means 112 in the form of a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastener, for example, a fastener of the type known by the trade mark VELCRO. Located at the second 15 end 104 is a second attachment means 114, also in the form of a hook portion of a hook and-loop fastener. The hook portions 112, 114 are attachable to corresponding loop portions of the respective hook-and-loop fasteners, which are located in spaced relationship on the front of one leg of a pair of cricket trousers. The loop portions constitute respective first and second anchoring means to which the respective first and 20 second attachment means are removably attachable. The hook portions 112, 114 are spaced by an intermediate portion 110 of the cloth 110, the intermediate portion 110 having a length corresponding substantially to the spacing between the loop portions on the trousers. Turning to Figure 3, in order to attach the cloth 100 to the trousers 300 worn by a cricketer, 25 the cricketer attaches the first hook portion 112 at the first end 102 to a first anchoring means, namely one of the loop portions (obscured in the Figure), and also attaches the second hook portion 114 at the second end 104 to a second one 314 of the loop portions (second anchoring means).
C \NRPorbl\DCC\KZS4475723_I.DOC.24/07/2012 -4 Advantageously, the attachment of the cloth at both of its ends substantially prevents any tendency of the cloth to flap around while a person wearing the cloth moves about during play. Additionally, the cloth is able to be easily detached and re-attached whenever desired, for example for ease of handling on the playing field, or for washing or 5 replacement with a like cloth. In an alternative embodiment, depicted in highly schematic form in Figure 2, a cleaning cloth 200 includes at its second end 204 a second attachment means 214 which, as for the embodiment of Figure 1, is in the form of a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastener, the second attachment means 214 likewise being removably attachable to the second 10 anchoring means 314 of a pair of trousers 300. However, in this alternative embodiment, the first attachment means may instead comprise a plurality of button holes 220 located at (or near) the first end 202 of the cloth 200. The button holes 220 are sized and shaped to mate with first anchoring means in the form of a corresponding set of buttons (not shown) on the trousers. The buttons are spaced from 15 the second anchoring means by a distance corresponding substantially to the length of intermediate portion 210 of cloth 200. The engagement of buttons with button holes 220 may be advantageous in lessening any tendency of the first attachment means disengaging from the first anchoring means, for example if it is desired to detach only the second end 204 of the cloth 200 during use 20 without the first end 202 becoming detached. The roles of hook and loop in the hook-and-loop fasteners mentioned above may of course be reversed, such that loop portions are located on the cloth 100 or 200 whilst corresponding hook portions are located on the trousers 300 to enable attachment of the cloth 100 or 200 to the trousers 300. 25 Two different modes of use of the cloth are depicted in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4, a cricketer 400 holds a red cricket ball 410 and wishes to maintain the shine on one side of the ball 410. In order to do so, he rubs that side of the ball 410 against the cloth 100 which is affixed at both of its ends 102, 104 to his trousers 300, while the cloth 100 C:\NRPortbI\DCC\MZS\447572C I DOC-24107/2012 -5 remains affixed at both ends by first and second attachment means 112, 114 (the locations of which are shown in dotted outline). By maintaining the cloth 100 in place, any dye which would otherwise be transferred onto trousers 300 is instead transferred to cloth 100, preventing staining of the trousers 300. 5 In Figure 5, the ball 410 has become damp and the cricketer wishes to rub or polish most of its surface in order to dry it. Accordingly, the cricketer detaches the second end 104 of the cloth 100 by pulling hook portion 114 away from the corresponding loop portion on his trousers, with the first end 102 remaining attached to the trousers by hook portion 112 (location shown in dotted outline). Detaching the second end 104 allows the cricketer to 10 envelop the ball 410 with the partially-detached cloth 100 gripped in his right hand 402, and to apply a polishing action with his left hand 404 and/or right hand 402. Typical dimensions of the cloth 100 or 200 may be approximately 200mm to 300mm along its longer edge (as depicted in the Figures), and approximately 160mm to 200mm along its shorter edge, though it will be appreciated that the dimensions are not critical provided that 15 sufficient surface area is provided for the user to clean or polish the ball which is being used. Smaller dimensions may suffice if the intended use is with golf balls, for example. Preferred materials for the cloth 100 or 200 include absorbent cloth materials such as terry towelling (also known as terry cloth or terry) or flannel of various types, including flannelette. However, it will be appreciated that other materials may also be suitable, 20 including waffle (honeycomb) fabric or a material composed of synthetic fibres, such as microfibre. In the particular examples shown in the Figures, the trousers 300 are white (or cream) and the cloth 100 or 200 is also white. If the trousers 300 are coloured or patterned, as is typical for trousers used in limited overs cricket matches, the cloth 100 or 200 may also be 25 coloured, preferably in the main colour of the trousers so as to be less prominent to the eye. Many variations of the above embodiments are possible while still falling within the scope of the present invention. For example, while the particular examples provided are in relation to cloths used with cricket trousers, the above examples may be easily adapted to C \NRorbl\CC\KZ5\4475723_LDOC-24/07/2012 -6 use with trousers or pants worn by baseballers. Further, the attachment position of the cloth may be varied, for example by providing the first and second anchoring means on a rear of one trouser leg, or at least partially within a pocket of the trousers so as to obscure the cloth from view, or even on another article of clothing altogether, such as the front or side 5 of a shirt. In addition, whilst hook-and-loop fasteners and buttons are used in the particular embodiments described above, it will be appreciated that either or both of the first or second attachment means may employ alternative removably attachable fasteners, such as a snap fastener or press stud of a type known for use with clothing, and having a male part 10 configured to mate with a female part by snap-in engagement. In such variants, one or more male parts may constitute a first or second attachment means, the one or more male parts being removably attachable to corresponding one or more female parts on the article of sporting apparel. Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", 15 and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.