The 1870s
Season | Opponent | Venue | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1876–77 | England | Australia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
1878–79 | England | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
The 1870s saw the first official matches between English and Australian teams. Due to the amount of time that it took teams to travel from England to Australia (and vice versa), these teams were generally not a true representation of the best players for each country. At the time, there was no significance placed on these matches – statisticians later called them "test matches" between England and Australia.
James Lillywhite's English side toured Australia in between January and April 1877 and played the first two test matches after a drawn match against a New South Wales side.
England in Australia 1876/77. Match length: Timeless. Balls per over: 4. Series result: Drawn 1–1.
No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 15,16,17,19 Mar 1877 | Dave Gregory (AUS) | James Lillywhite (ENG) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (AUS) | AUS by 45 runs |
2 | 31 Mar,2,3,4 Apr 1877 | Dave Gregory (AUS) | James Lillywhite (ENG) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (AUS) | ENG by 4 wkts |
Just over a year later, an Australian side visited England and played a match against the MCC. In what turned out to be a match that was completed in one day, only 105 runs were scored with the Australian side emerging the victors by nine wickets. This match however was not granted test status.
In 1879, Lord Harris led an English side down under between January and March. This tour schedule involved a single test match followed by two series of two matches against Victorian and New South Wales sides.
England in Australia 1878/79. Match length: Timeless. Balls per over: 4. Series result: Australia, 1–0.
No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 2,3,4 Jan 1879 | Dave Gregory (AUS) | Lord Harris (ENG) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (AUS) | AUS by 10 wkts |
Read more about this topic: History Of The Australian Cricket Team