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Test Cricket Tours - England to Australia 1884-85

 

 

Tour of Australia  1884-85                 Captain :  Alfred Shaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

England’s fifth Test tour.

 

(September 1884 – April 1885)

 

 

 

Fifth Test playing tour of Australia by an English side.

    (previous tour  1882-83)

 

 

 

The second venture to go out to the Australian colonies under the management of Shaw, Shrewsbury and Lillywhite made a small profit of approximately £500.

James Lillywhite, now 42 years old, had more or less given up cricket and played in only two matches. He acted as umpire until his judgements became regarded as unreliable, and the Australian sides would not agree to him standing.

The English team arrived in Australia before the 1884 Australian tourists got home from their own tour. A match arranged between these two sides at Adelaide was the opening match of the first ever five-Test series. A series of five Test matches in England was not arranged until 1899.

Before the First Test began, certain members of W L Murdoch's 1884 team were refusing to play for their states (then colonies) against Shaw's team, and demanded to be paid the same as the English professionals. This amounted to half of the takings from the gate in the 'Combined Australia' matches at Adelaide and Melbourne (now regarded as the first two Tests). After some negotiation, the South Australian Cricket Association came to a financial arrangement with them and they played at Adelaide. But the Melbourne Club would have none of it, and promptly dismissed the rebels from the Australian side for the second Test.

A settlement was reached in time for the third Test and all were available to play.  From now on cricket between Australia and England was always a genuine match, the participants being the best players available.  At this point, however, a dispute broke out within the English camp. William Barnes fell out with Shrewsbury and refused when called upon to bowl.  Australia narrowly won the match and, as they also comfortably won the next, the series stood level. England then won the final Test at Melbourne by an innings and 98 runs.

In all matches Robert Peel took 356 wickets (in the odds match at Moss Vale his figures were 18 wickets for 7 runs). William Barnes was the leading batsman; in the Test matches he recorded three fifties and a century. He and Shrewsbury averaged more than 40 in the first-class matches.

 

 

 All England tours

 


 

 Previous Test tour

 Australia 1882-83

 (Hon Ivo Bligh’s team)

 


 

 Next Test tour

 Australia 1886-87

 (Shaw & Shrewsbury’s team)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the Test tour party (12)

 

 

Opening batsmen: Arthur Shrewsbury, William Scotton

Middle-order batsmen Maurice Read, Wilfred Flowers

All-rounders:  William Barnes, Billy Bates

Wicket-keeper:  Joe Hunter

Slow bowlers: Bobby Peel, Johnny Briggs

Faster bowlers: Alfred Shaw, Dick Attewell, George Ulyett.

 

 

 

Attewell,  W

Nt

23

RM

 

Barnes,  W

Nt

32

RHB       RFM

 

Bates,  W

Yo

29

RHB        OB

 

Briggs,  J

La

22

RHB       (SLA)

 

Flowers,  W

Nt

28

RHB         OB

 

Hunter,  J

Yo

29

WK

 

Peel,  R

Yo

27

SLA

 

Read,  J M

Sy

25

RHB

 

Scotton,  W H

Nt

28

LHB  opener

 

Shaw,  A

Nt

42

RM                captain

 

Shrewsbury,  A

Nt

28

RHB  opener    deputy captain

 

Ulyett,  G

Yo

33

RHB opener     RFM

 

 

 

 

  

County representation:

 

La - Lancashire  (1)

Nt – Nottinghamshire (6)

Sy - Surrey (1)

Yo - Yorkshire (4)

 

 

  

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(12 December 1884) :

 27  yrs 9 months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Appearances made before the tour

 

 

Ulyett 11, Barnes 8, Bates 8, Shaw 7, Shrewsbury 7, Scotton 5, Read 1, Attewell 0, Briggs 0, Flowers 0, Hunter 0, Peel 0.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Officials

 

Alfred Shaw

Promoter & Player-Manager

James Lillywhite

Promoter & Umpire

John Conway

Manager

C W Beal

Australian agents

 

John Conway stood down after the third Test because the Australians would not play Shrewsbury’s team while he was associated with them.

 

 

 

 

 

Selectors

 

 

Shaw, Shrewsbury and Lillywhite chose the team.

 

 

 

 

 

Selection

 

Unavailable :  Dick Barlow declined an invitation to tour and recommended that Johnny Briggs should be taken instead. 

Also not available : wicket-keepers Mordecai Sherwin and Dick Pilling, left-arm fast bowler Walter Wright and amateur batsmen Walter Read and E J Diver.

Tour Party Announced  :  ?

Withdrawal :  William Gunn.

Hunter, Briggs and Peel were the last to be chosen.

 

Time between final selection and departure from England

   x  days

 (August - 18 September)

 

 

 

Travel

Plymouth  T    Adelaide

                 Orient’

 

 

Departure was from Plymouth on 18 September 1884.  The ss 'Orient', due to call at Naples, had to avoid this port because of a cholera outbreak and steamed on to Suez, arriving on 2 October 1884 where it was arranged to play a match against the British residents and servicemen and see the Pyramids.

Sailing on via  Aden (7 October), the 'Orient' reached Port Adelaide on 29 October, before the 1884 Australians had arrived home.  Within a month the two sides were engaged in what later became recognised as the first Test of the series.

 

 

Time spent in Australia

    159 days

(29 October - 6 April)

 

 

 

Reinforcements

 

Alfred Shaw played in only ten minor matches and Lillywhite in two. The eleven members of the team had little rest from playing. Shrewsbury took over as captain.

The services of G F (George) Hearne, the MCC pavilion clerk at Lord's who had visited Australia for the benefit of his health, were enlisted.   Likewise, Surrey batsman Robert Henderson, sent to Australia at his county's expense for health reasons, played in one match. Both had travelled to Australia on the RMS Orient  with the team.

G.F.Vernon fielded for Bates in the final Test, as did Affie Jarvis of the Australian side.

 

 

 

 

 

Fixtures/Results

 

a

Suez

The Army & Navy (11 v 22)

Drawn

b

Adelaide

South Australia (v 15)

Won 3 w

c

Norwood

Kensington & Norwood (18)

Drawn

d

Melbourne

Victoria

Won 118 r

e

Sydney

New South Wales

Won 4w

f

Windsor

Hawkesbury (22)

Drawn

g

Parramatta

Cumberland County (18)

Won 9w

h

Grafton

Clarence River District (22)

Won 8 w

i

ADELAIDE

AUSTRALIA  First Test

WON 8w

j

Maryborough

Maryborough (22)

Drawn

k

Sandhurst

Bendigo (18)

Drawn

l

Ballarat

Ballarat (22)

Drawn

m

Benalla

Benalla (22)

Drawn

n

MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA  Second Test

WON 10 w

o

Wagga Wagga

Wagga Wagga  (22)

Won 2w

p

Wollongong

Woolongong (22)

Won inns 62

q

Candelo

Candelo (22)

Won inns 12

r

Nowra

Shoalhaven (22)

Drawn

s

Yass

Yass (22)

Drawn

t

Moss Vale

Moss Vale (22)

Drawn

u

Sydney

New South Wales

Won inns 37

v

Brisbane

Brisbane (22)

Won 9 w

w

Maryborough

Maryborough (22)

Won 129 r

x

Gympie

Gympie (22)

Won 8 w

y

Maitland

Maitland (22)

Drawn

z

Singleton

Singleton (22)

Drawn

a’

SYDNEY

AUSTRALIA  Third Test

LOST 6 r

b’

Narrabri

Narrabri (22)

Won inns 42

c’

Armidale

Armidale (22)

Drawn

d’

Ashfield

Junior Cricket Association (18)

Drawn

e’

Wellington

Wellington, N.S.W. (22)

Drawn

f’

SYDNEY

AUSTRALIA   Fourth Test

LOST 8 w

g’

MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA   Fifth Test

WON inns 98

h’

Adelaide

South Australia (15)

Drawn

 

 

 

† not first-class

 

Time spent in Australia before First Test:

   19 days

(29 October - 17 November)

 

 

 

 

Test appearances on tour

(v Australia 1884-85)

 

 

5 -   Attewell,  Barnes,  Bates,  Briggs,  Flowers,  Hunter,  Peel,  Read,  Scotton,  Shrewsbury,  Ulyett.

 

 

 

 

 

Match appearances

 

 

 

T  Test match

x other match 

  played for opposition

 

W won  L lost  D drawn  

N no result   A abandoned  

u unknown result

 

 

 

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

y

z

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Attewell

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Barnes

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

T

x

x

x

 

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Bates

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Briggs

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

 

 

T

T

x

Flowers

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Hearne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henderson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunter

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

 

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Lillywhite

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

x

 

 

 

Peel

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

 

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Read, M

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

 

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Scotton

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Shaw

 

x

x

 

 

x

 

x

 

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrewsbury

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

Ulyett

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

x

x

x

x

T

T

x

 RESULTS

D

W

D

W

D

D

D

D

W

W

L

W

W

W

D

D

W

W

W

D

D

W

W

D

L

W

W

L

D

D

D

W

W

D

 

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

y

z

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

 

 

 

 

 

 

England’s previous Test tour results:

 

 

 

 

in Australia 1882-83 (4 Tests)

 - drew 2-2

in Australia 1881-82 (4 Tests)

 - lost 0-2

in Australia 1878-79 (1 Test)

 - lost 0-1

in Australia 1876-77 (2 Tests)

 - drew 1-1

 

 

 

 

Highlights

 


  England fielded an unchanged side throughout the five-match Test series, and indeed through most of the tour.

  By contrast the Australians’ second Test side showed 11 changes because the whole team from the opening Test demanded 50 per cent of the gate money to play at Melbourne, which was refused.

  William Barnes struck 134 in the first Test and Johnny Briggs 121 in the second, both match-winning centuries.

  Barnes also took 9 wickets in the 2nd Test but he argued with Shrewsbury and refused to bowl in the next match

  Wilfred Flowers and Maurice Read shared a stand of 102 as England approached its third Test target of 214 runs

  With the series level at 2-2, England won the final Test at Melbourne to retain the Ashes

  Arthur Shrewsbury became the first England captain to score a Test century (105*) in this 5th Test victory.





 

 

 

 

Tour Summary

   

  P

 W

L

 D

Aban

“Test” Matches

  5

  3

2

  0

-

Other first-class matches

  3

  3

0

  0

-

Minor matches

26

10

0

16

-

All Matches

34

16

2

16

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to England

 

Adelaide  T    Plymouth

                 ‘Potosi’

 

Shaw left Australia on the ‘Liguria’ on 23 February having been engaged by the Earl of Sheffield to coach the Sussex team beginning on 10 April.

On 6 April 1885 the team sailed home from Adelaide on the Orient Line steamer ss 'Potosi', via Suez into the Mediterranean Sea.  At Naples half of the players (Attewell, Barnes, Scotton, Ulyett, Lillywhite, Flowers) chose to travel overland across Italy and France, reaching England (their destination Nottingham) on 12 May,

The remainder, Shrewsbury, Read, Bates, Briggs, Hunter and Peel sailed on through the Bay of Biscay, arriving in Plymouth on 15 May, by which date the other group were already playing in a county match. 

 

 

 

Time away from England

  239 days  

(18 September - 15 May)

 

 

 

Finances

 

 

Their proposal that the Australians would take half the gate money in the first two Tests was turned down. For their part in boycotting the matches the Victorian players were suspended

 

 

 

 

Accounts of the tour

 

"Shaw & Shrewsbury's team in Australia"   written by themselves  (facsimile published by J W McKenzie, 1985)

 

 

 

 

 

Postscript

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shaw joked that his team were “providentially-sent water diviners who produced deluges at call. Rain accompanied us all round Australia. The up-country people thanked us for breaking the drought, and asked us to come again whenever their land was afflicted with an abnormally dry season.”

 

On return, Shaw arranged a match against the eleven on behalf of the Earl of Sheffield. In September the touring team, assisted by one Derbyshire player, W.Chatterton, and Mr Martin Riley of Yorkshire, played two further matches.

 

Uckfield

Lord Sheffield's XI

Drawn

Harrogate

An England XI

Drawn

Bradford

Louis Hall's XI

Drawn

 

 

 

 

 

 




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