CRICKET

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11196, 3 May 1930, Page 11

CRICKET

FIFTY YEARS AGO. THE FIRST TEST MATCH IN ENGLAND. Fifty years ago this year the first Australian team to play a test match in England left these shores (says a writer in the Mel bourne Age). Prior to that, however, English teams had visited Australia, and an Australian team had toured England. The first international match in Australia was played in Melbourne in January, 1862, when Stephenson’s All-England eleven played eighteen of Victoria, the visitors winning by an innings and 9(5 runs. It was during the visit of tho fourth English team to Australia. in 1576-77 that tho first test match between the two countries was played. Fifteens of New South Wales and of Victoria had each defeated the Englishmen, and it was suggested that a- team picked from Victoria, and New South Wales should meet the Englishmen on level terms—viz., eleven a. side. Tin’s was agreed to, with the result that Australia won the memorable match—at Melbourne'—by 45 runs. A feature of the game was the batting of C. Uannorman, who compiled 165 (retired hurt) out of a total of 215 runs, and the howling of the Richmond player, T. Kendall, who captured 8 for 109, and Midwinter, who secured six for 101. In 1878 an Australian cricket team visited England for the first time, but did not play a tost match. The captain of that team was David Gregory, one of a family of seven brothers, five of whom played for Now South Wales, nnd the uncle of the test players Syd. Gregory and J. M. Gregory. Although the 1878 team was not granted a test match, it arrested great attention by. defeating a Mnrylobone team which included Dr. W. G. Grace and other celebrities. Boyle and Spofforth had splendid howling figures, and there was great excitement in regard to the Australians’ victory. “Punch” referred to that victory as follows;

The Australians came down like a wolf on the fold. The* Mnrylobone cracks for a trifle were bowled; Our Grace before dinner was wry soon clone, And Grace after dinner did not get a run ! In the Australian team there were only twelve players in all, and they had a strenuous programme of thirty seven matches, twenty of them ngagainst odds. The 1880 Australian lenni encountered many initial difficulties utt reaching England. It appears Unit the county programme had been practically completed before information was received that the team would tour England. The Australians, therefore, had to confine their programme to fixtures with local duhs in the north and Midlands. They played thirty-seven games in all, but until August they were never really tested on even terms at nil, except in their two games with Yorkshire, and which were not sacnetioned by the county club. In Althnm’s excellent “History of Cricket,” it is stated: “It is an open secret that at one time tfic Australians were actually reduced to advertising for opponents.” They made an offer to play a representative English eleven for the benefit of the cricketers’ fund, but it was refused, and YY. G. Grace made an unsuccessful ni tempi to arrange a similar fixture. Finally Lord Harris was persuaded to organise nnd lead an English eleven against Australia at the Oval on September 0, 7 and 8, and this was the first test, match in England between the two countries. In addition to Lord Harris, the English side included W. G. Grace, E. Af. Grace, and G. F. Grace. A. P. Liuyis, AY. .Barnes, F. Penn, A. G. Steel. A. Lyttelton, A. Shaw and F. Alorley. Tho Australian team was AV. L. Afurdoehi (captain), A. C. Bannerman, T. IT. Murdoch, T- 11. Groube, W. IT. Af.oulo (now a judge of the Victorian County Court), J. Slight, J. Blaokham (the great wicket-keep-er, who resides in Melbourne and still takes a. great interest iu tho game), G. J. Bonnor, IT. F. Boyle. G. E. Palmer, G. Alexander, and P. S. McDonnell. Unfortunately for the Australians, the great Spofforth was unable to play, as be had been injured. Altham’s account of the game is ns follows; * W. 0. signalised his first appearance in a tost match by scoring 152, and with splendid support from Harris, Lucas and Steel, the total reached 420. When, in spite of plucky batting by Alex. Ban norma n, Percy ATcDonnell and Boyle, tho Australians. followed on '271. in arrears;, and then lost six for 17ft by the end of the second day’s play, it seemed long odds on an innings defeat. Next morning two more wickets fell at once, but then the last two Australions helped their captain to add no fewer than 110 runs. Murdoch was undefeated at the finish after topping the champion score by one run, and carrying his bat for 153. His innings was a masterly combination of defence and clean hitting. No one drejnmt that England would be hard put to it to get the 57 runs needed for victory, but, perhaps unwisely, Lord Harris altered tho hatting order, and when AY. G. joined Frank Penn five wickets had fallen to Palmer and Boyle, for jKist over 20. Two amateurs, however, pulled ns through. So ended this, tho first of our home, test matches, in which tho Australians gave unmistakable evidence of their power to play an uphill game, which has since been, perhaps, the hall-mark of their cricket. It was a game full ol variety, incident and sensation, watched by over 20,000 spectators on each of tho first two days. , The “successes” of the team were Murdoch, who had reached the highest class as a batsman; McDonnell, only nineteen years of ago, who proved a magnificent driver; A. Bannerman, with his stubborn defence, and Bonner, with his big hitting. Practically three, players wore relied upon for bowling—Spofforth,. Boyle and Palmer. It was on record that “the Demon Spofforth” was more successful than ever and in a- class by him-

self. The collective record for the tour of the throe howlers mentioned was 909 wickets, average 6.56 runs a wicket! BlackhamV wicketkeeping astonished everyone, particularly tho way, on all sorts of wickets, in which ho stood up to all. his bowlers. It was a revelation to English cricketers. It was Murdoch’s next team in 1882 that opened up a new era in cricket by defeating an All-Eng-land team in tho famous test match at Kennington Oval, which Australia won bv 7 runs. “GiOOCSIiV MERCHANT.” C. V. Grimmott (one of South Australia’s reps. in the Australian side) was horn oh December 75, 1892. He went from Now Zealand to New South Wales before settling in Victoria. In 1924 lie Iransiei red .to Smilli Australia, and iu Lite liiili test match at Sydney in February. ] 625, made a sensal ional first appearance, taking five wickets lor 45 runs in the first innings, and six for 67 in the second. With _ the last Australian side in England he was one of the mainstays of the bowling. In ■ all matches he look 120 wickets at an average eosl ol ' 17.12 runs each, and in test matches headed the averages, taking thirteen wickets at an average cost of 61.84 runs each. In tho tost innicites last season ho took* twenty-throe wickets, which cost him 44 runs each, and scored 95 runs, with a hat-ting average of 15.8. In Bhelßeld Shield matches la* took twenty-three wideets ai an average cost of 61.6, and in ladling seorod I/O runs in five completed innings. He began ilns season well bv taking six wickets lor 61 against the, Mteam in tlie first innings.