English cricket team in Australia in 1882–83

An English cricket team toured Australia and Ceylon in 1882–83. Captained by Ivo Bligh, the team was on a quest "to recover those Ashes", a reference to the famous RIP notice that was published in the aftermath of England's defeat by Australia at The Oval in the previous English season.

Sketch of the English Touring Squad, 1882.

Originally, three matches were arranged between Bligh's XI and a Combined Australia XI. Bligh's XI won two of these after losing the first. Although the actual sequence of events has never been completely confirmed, it was after winning the third match that Bligh was somehow presented with a small urn which is believed to contain the ashes of a burnt bail. He brought this back to England and it is now the most famous exhibit in the museum at Lord's Cricket Ground. England and Australia have been contesting these mythical Ashes ever since. A. fourth match was arranged ad hoc after the original series had been completed, and was won by the Australians. Following publication of Clarence P. Moody's proposed Test cricket list in 1894, all four matches were retrospectively recognised as Test matches.

Test matches

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These matches were not called Tests at the time but they were retrospectively recognised after they were included in Australian Cricket and Cricketers, 1856 to 1893–94 (1894) by Clarence P. Moody. The original title of each match was Combined Australia XI v I. F. W. Bligh's XI.

First Test

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30 December 1882 – 2 January 1883
(Timeless Test)
Scorecard
v
291 (169 overs)
G. J. Bonnor 85
C. F. H. Leslie 3/31 (11 overs)
177 (107.2 overs)
E. F. S. Tylecote 33
G. E. Palmer 7/65 (52.2 overs)
58/1 (53.1 overs)
W. L. Murdoch 33*
W. Barnes 1/6 (13 overs)
169 (f/o) (99.1 overs)
E. F. S. Tylecote 38
G. Giffen 4/38 (20 overs)
Australia won by 9 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: E. H. Elliott (Aus) and J. S. Swift (Aus)

Second Test

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19–22 January 1883
(Timeless Test)
Scorecard
v
294 (183.3 overs)
W. W. Read 75
G. E. Palmer 5/103 (66.3 overs)
114 (98.2 overs)
H. H. Massie 43
W. Bates 7/28 (26.2 overs)
153 (f/o) (69 overs)
G. J. Bonnor 34
W. Bates 7/74 (33 overs)
England won by an innings and 27 runs
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: E. H. Elliott (Aus) and J. S. Swift (Aus)

Third Test

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26–30 January 1883
(Timeless Test)
Scorecard
v
247 (143 overs)
W. W. Read 66
F. R. Spofforth 4/73 (51 overs)
218 (179.1 overs)
A. C. Bannerman 94
F. Morley 4/47 (34 overs)
123 (80.1 overs)
C. T. Studd 25
F. R. Spofforth 7/44 (41.1 overs)
83 (69.2 overs)
J. M. Blackham 26
R. G. Barlow 7/40 (34.2 overs)
England won by 69 runs
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: E. H. Elliott (Aus) and J. S. Swift (Aus)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 28 January was taken as a rest day.
  • This match saw the creation of the Ashes urn; with England having won the series, some Australian ladies burnt a bail and put the ashes in an urn, which remains in the Memorial Gallery at Lord's.

Fourth Test

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17–21 February 1883
(Timeless Test)
Scorecard
v
263 (155 overs)
A. G. Steel 135
H. F. Boyle 3/52 (40 overs)
262 (146 overs)
G. J. Bonnor 87
A. G. Steel 3/34 (18 overs)
197 (126.3 overs)
W. Bates 48*
T. P. Horan 2/15 (9 overs)
199/6 (163.1 overs)
A. C. Bannerman 63
A. G. Steel 3/49 (43 overs)
Australia won by 4 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: E. H. Elliott (Aus) and J. S. Swift (Aus)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 18 February was taken as a rest day.
  • Four separate pitches were used in the match, one for each innings.[1][2][3]

Players

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England was captained by Ivo Bligh and had Edward Tylecote as its specialist wicket-keeper, the other players being Billy Bates, Dick Barlow, A. G. Steel, Charles Leslie, Walter Read, Charles Studd, Fred Morley, Billy Barnes, George Vernon and George Studd.

Australia was captained by Billy Murdoch and had Jack Blackham as wicket-keeper. Other players to represent Australia were Billy Midwinter, Alec Bannerman, George Bonnor, Tom Horan, Percy McDonnell, George Giffen, Harry Boyle, Edwin Evans, Hugh Massie, Eugene Palmer, Tom Garrett and Fred Spofforth.

Ceylon

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The team used Colombo as a stopover during its long sea voyage and played two matches against local sides in October 1882 that were not first-class. This was the first time that an overseas team visited Ceylon.

13 – 14 October 1882
Europeans
v
Match drawn
 
 
92 (47 overs)
E. Cave-Browne 19
C. T. Studd 5/21 (10 overs)
155/9 (73 overs) (d)
C. F. H. Leslie 23
Jackson 4/27 (25 overs)
16/7 (14.4 overs)
Bird 7
W. Bates 6/8 (7.4 overs)
  • Europeans won the toss and elected to bat
  • Europeans had 18 players
23 October 1882
v
Match drawn
 
 
24/9 (20 overs)
Bird 7
W. Bates 5/14 (10 overs)
184 (98.4 overs)
E. F. S. Tylecote 44
Carr 3/32 (21.1 overs)
  • Royal Dublin Fusiliers had 18 players

Other matches in Australia

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Besides the four against Combined Australia, Bligh's XI played in fourteen matches against colonial and club teams. Some of these were scheduled for two days' play, others for three days.

10–11 November 1882
v
Match drawn
 
 
128/7 (96 overs)
J. Noel 37
F. Morley 3/17 (19 overs)
153 (113 overs)
E. F. S. Tylecote 59
Quilty 6/60 (36 overs)
  • I. F. W. Bligh's XI won the toss and elected to bat
  • South Australia had 15 players
17–20 November 1882
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by 10 wickets
 
 
104 (95.1 overs)
E. Turner 25
W. W. Read 4/28 (12 overs)
273 (126.2 overs)
C. T. Studd 56
W. H. Cooper 5/89 (35 overs)
169 (96.1 overs) (f/o)
W. Bruce 40
R. G. Barlow 3/31 (16 overs)
4/0 (0.1 overs)
R. G. Barlow 0* (1)
  • I. F. W. Bligh's XI won the toss and elected to bat
  • This match is retrospectively, but unofficially, recognised as first-class by some sources.
22–23 November 1882
v
Match Drawn
 
 
100 (114.2 overs)
G. N. Campbell 28
A. G. Steel 8/35 (40.2 overs)
117 (92 overs)
C. F. H. Leslie 48*
Spargo 4/46 (40.1 overs)
Back Creek Ground, Bendigo
119 (92.3 overs)
G. Mackay 29
A. G. Steel 10/35 (30 overs)
28/0 (11 overs)
G. B. Studd 19*
  • Sandhurst had 22 players
24–25 November 1882
v
Match Drawn
 
 
136 (154.1 overs)
G. Smith 41
F. Morley 8/45 (51 overs)
238 (125 overs)
C. T. Studd 52
Vick 2/0 (2 overs)
Wattle Flat, Castlemaine
22/8 (37 overs)
Dawes 10
A. G. Steel 2/0 (2 overs)
  • Castlemaine won the toss and elected to bat
  • Castlemaine had 22 players
1–4 December 1882
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by an innings and 144 runs
 
 
152 (140.1 overs)
A. P. Marr 34
A. G. Steel 5/32 (28 overs)
461 (221 overs)
C. F. H. Leslie 144
Edwin Evans 6/146 (85 overs)
Association Ground, Sydney
Umpires: W. C. Goddard and James Swift
165 (148 overs)
J. J. Davis 85
R. G. Barlow 3/18 (26 overs)
  • New South Wales won the toss and elected to bat
  • This match is retrospectively, but unofficially, recognised as first-class by some sources.
6–7 December 1882
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by an innings and 15 runs
 
 
49 (46.1 overs)
J. McAlpine 15
A. G. Steel 8/25 (23 overs)
155 (88.1 overs)
W. Barnes 25
McAlpine 3/44 (31 overs)
Albion Ground, West Maitland
91 (52.3 overs)
T. A. Onus 20
C. T. Studd 7/30 (17 overs)
  • I. F. W. Bligh's XI won the toss and elected to bat
  • Maitland had 18 players
8–9 December 1882
v
Match Drawn
 
 
67 (82.2 overs)
W. Smith 13
A. G. Steel 7/36 (38 overs)
339 (246.2 overs)
W. W. Read 64
Ryder 3/70 (76 overs)
54/15 (75 overs)
J. Rodgers 12
A. G. Steel 10/29 (38 overs)
  • Newcastle won the toss and elected to bat
  • Newcastle had 18 players
11–12 December 1882
v
Match Abandoned
 
 
Tamworth No 1 Oval, Tamworth
  • No toss
26–28 December 1882
v
Match Drawn
 
 
227 (151 overs)
P. McGregor 53
W. Barnes 7/24 (16 overs)
272 (201 overs)
W. W. Read 55
Duffy 5/58 (52 overs)
176/14 (136 overs)
P. Lewis 40
A. G. Steel 8/68 (43 overs)
  • Ballarat won the toss and elected to bat
  • Ballarat had 18 players
8–9 January 1883
Northern Tasmania CA.  
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by an innings and 75 runs
 
 
114 (99.2 overs)
O. G. Douglas 29
W. Barnes 6/25 (29 overs)
270 (176 overs)
C. T. Studd 99
T. Kendall 5/104 (85 overs)
81 (83 overs)
O. G. Douglas 16
A. G. Steel 10/33 (30 overs)
  • Northern Tasmania Cricket Association won the toss and elected to bat
  • Northern Tasmania Cricket Association had 18 players
12–13 January 1883
Southern Tasmania CA.  
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by 7 wickets
 
 
82 (83 overs)
J. G. Davies 23
A. G. Steel 6/42 (34 overs)
110 (103.1 overs)
I. F. W. Bligh 32
T. Kendall 6/56 (48 overs)
95 (74 overs)
G. H. Arthur 14
A. G. Steel 7/41 (34 overs)
68/3 (44 overs)
A. G. Steel 30*
Bayley 2/12 (20 overs)
  • Southern Tasmania Cricket Association won the toss and elected to bat
  • Southern Tasmania Cricket Association had 18 players
2–3 February 1883
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by an innings and 154 runs
 
 
62 (82.3 overs)
H. Strickland 10*
A. G. Steel 10/28 (41.3 overs)
265 (115 overs)
W. W. Read 84
Wearne 5/79 (36 overs)
Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane
Umpires: M. R. Cobbett and R. C. Miller
49 (38.1 overs)
W. Hobbs 9*
A. G. Steel 9/16 (19.1 overs)
  • I. F. W. Bligh's XI won the toss and elected to bat
  • Queensland had 18 players
8–9 February 1883
v
I. F. W. Bligh's XI won by an innings and 58 runs
 
 
42 (55 overs)
J. T Gaskell 11
A. G. Steel 8/14 (24 overs)
179 (87.3 overs)
W. W. Read 66
Roberts 6/62 (39.3 overs)
Showground Oval, Maryborough
Umpires: M. R. Cobbett and C. F. Gataker
79 (77 overs)
R. S. Warry 30
A. G. Steel 8/28 (34 overs)
  • Maryborough won the toss and elected to bat
  • Maryborough had 18 players
9–12 March 1883
v
Victoria won by an innings and 73 runs
 
 
284 (219.2 overs)
W. E. Midwinter 92*
W. Barnes 5/70 (51.2 overs)
55 (31.1 overs)
C. T. Studd 11
E. Palmer 4/21 (15.1 overs)
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: W. C. Goddard and James Swift
156 (109 overs) (f/o)
A. G. Steel 76
E. Palmer 7/65 (48 overs)
  • Victoria won the toss and elected to bat
  • This match is retrospectively, but unofficially, recognised as first-class by some sources.

References

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  1. ^ Hilton, Christopher (2006). The birth of the Ashes : the amazing story of the first Ashes test. Banksmeadow, N.S.W.: Renniks Publications. ISBN 978-0-9752245-4-0. OCLC 123232899.
  2. ^ Bennett, David (2014). From ashes to glory. Capalaba, Qld. ISBN 978-1-921632-76-1. OCLC 865168925.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "South Africa's Superman". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 20 February 2019.

External sources

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Further reading

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  • The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877–1978 by Bill Frindall
  • Chris Harte, A. History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993