Australian cricket team in England in 1902

The Australian cricket team
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...

toured England during the 1902 English cricket season
1902 English cricket season
The 1902 English cricket season saw the first Ashes series in England since 1899, when Australia had won a series in England for the first time since 1882. Australia won again, this time 2–1, with the first two Tests rained off...

. The five-Test series between the two countries has been fondly remembered; in 1967 the cricket writer A.A. Thomson described the series as "a rubber more exciting than any in history except the Australia v West Indies series in 1960–61

West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1960-61

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1960-61 season under the captaincy of Frank Worrell. Both Worrell and his opposing captain, Richie Benaud, encouraged their teams to play attacking cricket. The first Test of the five match series ended in a dramatic tie, the first of only two...

". Australia had won the previous three Test rubbers between the two countries, and won their fourth successive Test series, by two matches to one with two draws. In the process they "beat the records of all their predecessors in the country" by losing only two of 39 matches during the tour, their defeats being against England in the Fifth Test and in the first of their two fixtures against Yorkshire

Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....

. The remaining 37 matches gave 23 wins for Australia and 14 draws.

Following the tour, three of the Australians — Victor Trumper

Victor Trumper

Victor Thomas Trumper was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found unplayable. Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby...

, Warwick Armstrong

Warwick Armstrong

Warwick Windridge Armstrong was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921 and was undefeated, winning eight Tests and drawing two...

and Jim Kelly — were named Wisden Cricketers of the Year

Wisden Cricketers of the Year

The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...

in 1903, with their captain Joe Darling

Joe Darling

Joseph "Joe" Darling CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1894 and 1905. As captain, he led Australia in a total of 21 Tests, winning seven and losing four. In Test cricket, he scored 1657 runs at an average of 28.56 per innings, including...

already having been bestowed that honour in 1900. The Australians' leading batsman, Victor Trumper, made more first class runs than anyone in the season, and of batsman with more than 1,000 runs only Arthur Shrewsbury

Arthur Shrewsbury

Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...

scored his at a higher average. His 2,570 runs was a new record for any Australian in England. Harry Altham

Harry Altham

Harry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...

wrote: "From start to finish of the season, on every sort of wicket, against every sort of bowling, Trumper entranced the eye, inspired his side, demoralized his enemies, and made run-getting appear the easiest thing in the world."

Australian touring party

Name	Playing style	State team	Tests played
Joe Darling Joe Darling Joseph "Joe" Darling CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1894 and 1905. As captain, he led Australia in a total of 21 Tests, winning seven and losing four. In Test cricket, he scored 1657 runs at an average of 28.56 per innings, including... (c Captain (cricket) The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player... )	LHB	South Australia Southern Redbacks The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...	5
Jim Kelly (wk)	RHB	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5
Sammy Carter Sammy Carter Hanson Carter was a cricketer who played for Australia and New South Wales.-Career:... (wk)	RHB	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	0
Warwick Armstrong Warwick Armstrong Warwick Windridge Armstrong was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921 and was undefeated, winning eight Tests and drawing two...	RHB, LB Leg break A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. A delivery of a right-handed leg spin bowler. Leg breaks are also colloquially known as leggies or wrist spinners, as the wrist is the body part which is primarily used to impart spin on the ball, as opposed to the fingers in the case of... or RFM Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	Victoria Victorian Bushrangers The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...	5
Reggie Duff Reggie Duff Reginald Alexander Duff was an Australian cricketer who played in 22 Tests between 1902 and 1905....	RHB, RM Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5
Syd Gregory Syd Gregory Sydney Edward Gregory , sometimes known as Edward Sydney Gregory, was a cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. At the time of his retirement, he had played a world-record 58 Test matches during a career spanning 1890 to 1912...	RHB, RA	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5
Albert Hopkins	RHB, RFM Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5
William Howell	LHB, RM Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	1
Clem Hill Clem Hill Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five...	LHB, LB Leg break A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. A delivery of a right-handed leg spin bowler. Leg breaks are also colloquially known as leggies or wrist spinners, as the wrist is the body part which is primarily used to impart spin on the ball, as opposed to the fingers in the case of...	South Australia Southern Redbacks The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...	5
Ernie Jones Ernie Jones Ernest Jones was an Australian sportsman, playing Test cricket and Australian rules football....	RHB, RF Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	South Australia Southern Redbacks The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...	2
Monty Noble Monty Noble Montague Alfred Noble was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-hand batsman, right-handed bowler who could deliver both medium pace and off-break bowling, capable fieldsman and tactically sound captain, Noble is considered as one of the great Australian...	RHB, OB Off break Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5
Jack Saunders Jack Saunders John Victor Saunders was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1902 to 1908....	LHB, SLA or LM Fast bowling Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...	Victoria Victorian Bushrangers The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...	4
Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of...	RHB, OB Off break Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....	Victoria Victorian Bushrangers The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...	3
Victor Trumper Victor Trumper Victor Thomas Trumper was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found unplayable. Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby...	RHB	New South Wales New South Wales Blues The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...	5

Key: RHB: right-handed batsman; LHB: left-handed batsman; RA: right-arm bowler.

The manager was Major Ben Wardill.

5–7 May: London County v Australians

Australians (117 and 213/7) drew with London County (235)

The London County Cricket Club

London County Cricket Club

London County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...

, founded in 1899, faced the Australians for the first time, having played touring teams from the West Indies

West Indian cricket team

The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...

, South Africa

South African cricket team

The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...

and Netherlands

Dutch cricket team

The Dutch cricket team is a national cricket team representing the Netherlands. It is administered by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond which is based in Nieuwegein in the centre of the country and is older than many renowned cricket clubs in the West Indies, Australia, and New...

in preceding seasons. Rain delayed play at the Crystal Palace Park on the first day, but when it began the South African Test bowler Charlie Llewellyn took five wickets, bowling unchanged through the Australians' innings. Captain W. G. Grace

W. G. Grace

William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...

ended the innings, and was then bowled by Monty Noble

Monty Noble

Montague Alfred Noble was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-hand batsman, right-handed bowler who could deliver both medium pace and off-break bowling, capable fieldsman and tactically sound captain, Noble is considered as one of the great Australian...

with two runs on the scoreboard. However, after Len Braund

Len Braund

Leonard Charles Braund, born October 18, 1875, at Clewer, Berkshire, and died December 23, 1955, Putney Common, London, was a cricketer who played for Surrey, Somerset and England....

's 140-minute hundred, London County had made 235, and Llewellyn took two more wickets with the new ball as the Australians found themselves at 16 for two. However, opener Victor Trumper

Victor Trumper

made 64 and captain Joe Darling

Joe Darling

92, as the Australians led by 85 runs with three wickets in hand overnight. A further ten runs were added in the 15 minutes of play on the final day, as the game was drawn.

8–10 May: Nottinghamshire v Australians

Australians (474) beat Nottinghamshire (287 and 183) by an innings and four runs

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...

won the toss at Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...

and batted through the first day to make 287. The Australians lost their first five wickets for 137, but Darling, batting at number five, made the Australians' first hundred of the tour. His innings of five hours lasted into the third day. The seventh-wicket stand with Bert Hopkins was worth 131 runs, and the eighth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Jim Kelly a further 119. The Australians made 474, before Warwick Armstrong

Warwick Armstrong

took career-best figures of eight for 47 as the hosts were bowled out for 183 to secure the Australians' first win on tour.

12–14 May: Surrey v Australians

Australians (296/5d) beat Surrey (96 & 122) by an innings and 78 runs

Eighty minutes of play was possible on the first day, in which Trumper made his way to 47 not out

Not out

In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...

and Surrey

Surrey County Cricket Club

Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...

's Tom Richardson

Tom Richardson

Tom Richardson was an English cricketer. A fast bowler, Richardson relied to a great extent on the break-back , a relatively long run-up and high arm which allowed him to gain sharp lift on fast pitches even from the full, straight length he always bowled...

took the only wicket. Play was further delayed on the second day, which had the Prince of Wales

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

among the attendance at The Oval

The Oval

The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...

. Trumper converted his 47 into 101, and Noble and Armstrong put on an unbeaten stand of 80 before the Australians declared. Surrey were 18 for nought overnight, but lost all twenty wickets on the final day, with Bill Howell taking a match haul of eleven for 56 from 30 overs.

15–17 May: Essex v Australians

Essex (178 & 13/2) drew with Australians (249/8d)

At Leyton

Leyton Cricket Ground

Leyton Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Leyton, London.-Cricket ground:...

, the Australians drew with Essex

Essex County Cricket Club

Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...

in a match affected by the weather. Percy Perrin

Percy Perrin

Percival Albert Perrin , known as either "Percy" or "Peter", was an English cricketer, who played for Essex as a right-handed, middle-order batsman for more than thirty years from 1896.Perrin was a Tottenham publican and a property developer who organised his considerable business...

hit 63 on the first day, when Essex reached 178, and on the second day only 70 minutes of play was possible, as the Australians reached 59 for one. On the third day, Australia took a lead of 61 before declaring in the afternoon, but after seven overs had yielded two wickets, play was abandoned.

19–21 May: Leicestershire v Australians

Australians (126 & 69/3) beat Leicestershire (51 & 143) by seven wickets

Ernie Jones and Monty Noble bowled out Leicestershire

Leicestershire County Cricket Club

Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....

for 51 in 35.1 overs at Aylestone Road

Aylestone Road

Aylestone Road is a cricket stadium in Leicester, England.It was for many years the home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club. It was first used in 1901 after it was decided that Grace Road was too far from the centre of the city...

after they chose to bat, but Leicestershire bowler Arthur Woodcock

Arthur Woodcock

Arthur Woodcock was a first class cricketer who played in 121 first-class matches for Leicestershire CCC from 1894 to 1908 and appeared for London County in 1900....

replied with three wickets in four balls, and Australia were seven for three. That became 43 for four at the end of the day; on the second day, Jones top-scored with 40 from number ten, in a stand of 49 with Jack Saunders, and the lead grew from 26 to 75. Leicestershire responded with 143 in 46.1 overs, while Noble took eight wickets, and on the final day Australia chased 69 in 20 overs.

22–24 May: Oxford University v Australians

Australians (314/6d) beat Oxford University (77 & 183) by an innings and 54 runs

Oxford University

Oxford University Cricket Club

Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...

were bowled out by Noble and Armstrong on the second morning at Christ Church

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

, after rain had prevented any play on the first. Batting out the second day, the tourists almost trebled the students' score on that day alone, for the loss of two wickets, with Trumper making 121. They added a further 87 to the total before declaring, and Saunders then bowled the University out, taking seven for 67.

26–28 May: Marylebone Cricket Club v Australians

Marylebone Cricket Club (240 & 280/8d) drew with Australians (271 & 217/3)

At Lord's, the Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...

side captained by W. G. Grace

W. G. Grace

included two players who would turn out for England in the first Test match, C. B. Fry and Ranjitsinhji. In both innings, the two passed 20, with Ranjitsinhji's 67 in the first innings being the highest score for MCC. Grace won the toss and chose to bat, and MCC made 240, but Trumper completed his third century on tour with a two-hour 105, taking the tourists to a lead of 31 though no other player passed 30. Grace took five for 29, including the three lowest-batting players. In the second innings, Frank Mitchell

Frank Mitchell

Frank Mitchell was a cricketer and rugby union player.-School, University and Yorkshire:...

hit 55 not out

Not out

before MCC declared with a lead of 249, and the tourists fell 32 short, Trumper once more passing 80 before being bowled by Albert Trott

Albert Trott

Albert Trott was a Test cricketer for both Australia and England. He was named as one of Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1899. He remains the only batsman who has struck a ball over the top of the Lord's pavilion...

First Test, 29–31 May: England v Australia

	376/9d Declaration and forfeiture In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket... (142 overs)			Match drawn
	J. T. Tyldesley Johnny Tyldesley Johnny Tyldesley was a Lancashire and England cricketer and for many years the finest professional batsman in county cricket.-Life and career:... 138 (262 mins) E. Jones Ernie Jones Ernest Jones was an Australian sportsman, playing Test cricket and Australian rules football.... 3/76			Edgbaston Cricket Ground Edgbaston Cricket Ground Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England... , Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Umpires: W. Hearn William Hearn (umpire) William Hearn was a first class cricketer and Test umpire. Born in Hertfordshire in 1849, he played 41 games for the Marylebone Cricket Club between 1878 and 1891 as a right-handed batsman, scoring 806 runs with a best of 91. He umpired four Ashes Tests between 1893 and 1902.-References:... and Jim Phillips Jim Phillips James Phillips was a Victorian First-class cricketer and Test match umpire....
Australia	36 (23 overs)	&	46/2 (28 overs, f/o)
Australia	V. T. Trumper Victor Trumper Victor Thomas Trumper was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found unplayable. Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby... 18 (70 mins) W. Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches... 7/17		R. A. Duff Reggie Duff Reginald Alexander Duff was an Australian cricketer who played in 22 Tests between 1902 and 1905.... 15 W. Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches... 1/9

England had selected 14 players, but left out Jack Mason

Jack Mason

John Richard Mason was an English cricketer who played in 5 Tests on A.E. Stoddart's 1897/98 tour of Australia. A right-hand bat and right-arm fast-medium pace bowler, Mason played county cricket for Kent between 1893 and 1919...

, Charlie Llewellyn, who had represented South Africa in Test cricket, and Tom Hayward

Tom Hayward

Thomas Walter Hayward was a cricketer who played for Surrey and England between the 1890s and the outbreak of World War I. He was primarily an opening batsman, noted especially for the quality of his off-drive...

for the game. A.A. Thomson wrote that this was reckoned the best integrated side that England ever put into the field: MacLaren, Fry, Tyldesley
Johnny Tyldesley
Johnny Tyldesley was a Lancashire and England cricketer and for many years the finest professional batsman in county cricket.-Life and career:...

, Ranjitsinhji, Jackson
Stanley Jackson
Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:...

, Braund
Len Braund
Leonard Charles Braund, born October 18, 1875, at Clewer, Berkshire, and died December 23, 1955, Putney Common, London, was a cricketer who played for Surrey, Somerset and England....

, Jessop
Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...

, Hirst
George Herbert Hirst
George Herbert Hirst was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. He played in 24 Test matches for England between 1897 and 1909, touring Australia twice...

, Lilley
Dick Lilley
Arthur Frederick Augustus Lilley was an English cricketer who played in 35 Tests from 1896 to 1909, more than any other England wicket-keeper in the first sixty years of Test cricket.The conservative cricket establishment of the time was not effusive in its appreciation of this great keeper...

, Lockwood
William Lockwood
William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom...

and Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches...

. Australia off-spinner Hugh Trumble

Hugh Trumble

Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of...

had an injured thumb and could not play; Australia also left out wicketkeeper Carter, and Saunders, who had "not shown bowling form" yet, having taken 14 wickets in four matches at a bowling average

Bowling average

Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...

of 14.21, of which seven came on the final day against Oxford University.

England batted first on what was described as a "beautiful wicket", but Fry was out in the third over, caught behind by the wicketkeeper standing back, and captain Archie MacLaren was then run out for nine after a "misunderstanding". After 50 minutes at the crease, Ranjitsinhji, who was described as "upset" by getting the blame for MacLaren's run out, was bowled by second-change bowler Warwick Armstrong

Warwick Armstrong

for 13, and England were 35 for three. Jackson then batted until lunch with Tyldesley, and had made 53 when he inside edged Ernie Jones shortly afterwards. Wicketkeeper Lilley followed, having skied a ball from Noble to Jones, while Tyldesley had the luck to survive three dropped catches. Tyldesley went on to make a "turning point" partnership with Hirst for 94 in 80 minutes, while Jessop was caught at deep cover having made six and played "very wild cricket". Tyldesley was last out on the day, having made 138, an innings described as "truly magnificent" despite the chances, including "masterly defence" and well timed cuts.

Lockwood and Rhodes added 55 before stumps on the first day, and when play resumed at three o'clock on the second day after rain had fallen during the night, they added a further 25 before MacLaren declared. What followed was described by Wisden as "one of the chief sensations of [the 1902 season]". It took 90 minutes to bowl out Australia for 36, with Trumper making half of the total, and though the light was bad the wicket was not "so difficult as to excuse such an ignominious breakdown". The Yorkshire bowlers Rhodes and Hirst bowled 22 of the 23 overs, in a manner described by the Wisden Almanack as "wonderful". Rhodes got seven wickets for 17, his first five-wicket-haul in Test cricket, and up until 2004 joint cheapest seven-for in Test history. Hirst was helped by Braund to get one of his wickets, as the Somerset allrounder pulled off "a dazzling catch" to dismiss Clem Hill

Clem Hill

Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five...

. For 22 years, the total of 36 stood as the lowest total in a Test match in England.

However, more rain followed. Twelve hours of unbroken rain during Friday night left the wicket unplayable, and though the afternoon was fine no play was possible until quarter past five. The thousands that were admitted got to watch 75 minutes of cricket, in which Australia "easily" batted through 28 overs, 13 of them maidens.

2–3 June: Yorkshire v Australians

Yorkshire (107 & 50/5) beat Australians (131 & 23) by five wickets

Yorkshire

Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....

, defending county champions

County Championship

The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...

and joint leaders of the 1902 championship, lost the toss at Headingley

Headingley Stadium

Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....

, were trailing by 24 on first innings, but still became the first team to beat the tourists during the 1902 tour. In fact, they were the only county team to register a win against the Australians.

The Australians won the toss and batted, making 131, Trumper top-scoring with 38 while Hirst and Stanley Jackson took four wickets each. Yorkshire lost their three first wickets before the close of the first day, David Denton

David Denton

David Denton was an English first-class cricketer. An attacking batsman, he had a long career with Yorkshire and played eleven Tests for England. His nickname of 'Lucky' came from his habit of surviving the numerous chances, that his attacking batting style naturally created for the opposition...

becoming the second batsman to make more than 25 with his 32, and on the second morning Noble and Howell took the remaining seven wickets to bowl Yorkshire out for 107. Then, the Australians lost six wickets in 13 overs, with Trumper making seven and Gregory an unbeaten ten. Hirst had Trumper, Darling, Noble and Armstrong all bowled

Bowled

Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...

, as well as Duff caught by Jackson. With the score 23 for six, Hopkins faced the second ball of Jackson's seventh over - and was given out lbw. Kelly and Jones were bowled, Howell was caught at the wicket, Jackson completed four wickets with five balls, and Yorkshire were left with a target of 48. With Tom Taylor's 11 the highest total of the last two innings, the target was chased down in 19.3 overs, though Noble took three wickets and Howell two. A. A. Thomson recounts that his uncle said that the unbeaten nine made by Irving Washington

Irving Washington (cricketer)

William Arthur Irving Washington was an English first-class cricketer, who played forty four matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1900 and 1902. He also appeared for Griqualand West , Transvaal and The Players...

was the "finest innings of Irving's life".

5–7 June: Lancashire v Australians

Australians (356/7) drew with Lancashire

The tourists, fresh from scores of 36 in the Test match and 23 against Yorkshire, now got first use of the wicket at Old Trafford

Old Trafford (cricket)

Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...

and registered four half-centuries on the first day, through Trumper, Hill, Armstrong and Kelly. The last two days' play were called off, and the match drawn.

9–10 June: Cambridge University v Australians

Australians (337) beat Cambridge University (100 & 46) by an innings and 183 runs

The match was played at Fenner's

Fenner's

Fenner's is the University of Cambridge's cricket ground.-History:Fenner's has hosted first-class cricket since 1848, and many of the world's great players have graced the wicket. The ground was established on land leased for the purpose by Francis Fenner, after whom the ground is named.Playing for...

. Despite being badly hit by illness, Australia won inside two days, for their largest victory on tour. Hugh Trumble

Hugh Trumble

played his first match on tour after recovering from an injured thumb, and took the first four wickets of the game, as Cambridge University were bowled out for 108. The Australians, who included their medical advisor who had not played first class cricket since 1891, replied with 337, of which Trumper made 128, and Hopkins then took seven for 10 as the students were all out for 46.

Second Test, 12–14 June: England v Australia

	102/2 (38 overs)	Match drawn
	F. S. Jackson Stanley Jackson Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:... 55* Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... A. J. Y. Hopkins 2/18	Lord's, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Umpires: C. E. Richardson Charles Richardson (umpire) Charles Edward Richardson was an English cricketer and Test match umpire.Richardson was born in England. He played as a batsman and bowler in 14 matches for Leicestershire from 1875 to 1898, before it was a first-class county, including several with more the eleven Leicestershire players.He stood... and V. A. Titchmarsh Valentine Titchmarsh Valentine Adolphus Titchmarsh was a first-class cricketer and Test match umpire. Born in 1853 in Hertfordshire, he played 8 matches for Marylebone Cricket Club and others between 1885 and 1891 as a right arm quick bowler and left handed batsman. His best haul, 5 for 69, came against Cambridge...
Australia
Australia

The second Test match was restricted to 105 minutes of play, rain and poor pitch conditions accounting for the rest. Australia were suffering from the same ill health that had weakened the team before and during their match in Cambridge; Trumble and Howell had influenza

Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...

, while Darling, Noble and Saunders all felt ill, though did take part in the game. Saunders thus replaced Howell in the playing eleven. England went in with the same eleven that had played in Birmingham, with Tom Taylor as twelfth man.

England lost two wickets in the first four overs, without any batsman having added to the total; rain then kept interrupting the partnership between Jackson and MacLaren, but the two added 102, giving a few chances that were not taken by Australian fieldsmen. The match was abandoned at quarter past eleven on the third morning, with the ground almost under water.

The tourists' health problems and the bad weather which they had been experiencing, combined with their poor recent performances in the First Test and against Yorkshire, meant that this match could be seen as marking the low point of their fortunes. The remainder of the tour would prove far more successful.

16–18 June: England XI v Australians

Australians (154 & 185) beat England XI (138 & 70) by 131 runs

The England XI which took the field at The Saffrons

The Saffrons

The Saffrons is a multi-purpose sports ground in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The ground is home to Eastbourne Cricket Club, Eastbourne Hockey Club and Eastbourne Town Football Club. There is also an astroturf pitch....

in Eastbourne

Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...

was captained by Gilbert Jessop

Gilbert Jessop

Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...

and included two more players with Test experience, Bobby Abel

Bobby Abel

Robert Abel , nicknamed "The Guv'nor", was a Surrey and England opening batsman who was one of the most prolific run-getters in the early years of the County Championship...

and Bill Storer. Neither had featured in the first two Tests of the series, however. Darling won the toss and chose to bat, though play was delayed until after lunch on the first day, and the Australians made 154, with Hill scoring 46 and Trumper 31. England XI then fell to 29 for five, Abel having made 26 of the runs, while Trumble took three wickets. He added a further five to that on the second day, bowling unchanged throughout the England XI's innings, and the eighth-wicket partnership between Jessop and Vivian Crawford was worth almost two-thirds of England XI's total. Trumble eventually had both men caught, and Gregory made 71 as the Australians set a target of 200, while the hosts George Thompson

George Thompson (cricketer)

George Joseph Thompson was the mainstay of the Northamptonshire county cricket eleven for a long period encompassing both its days as a minor county and its earliest years in the County Championship....

took eight for 88 in the second innings. Trumble then added six to his haul of wickets, as the England XI were bowled out for 70, with both Jessop and Crawford falling in single digits.

19–21 June: Derbyshire v Australians

Australians (218 & 13/2) beat Derbyshire (152 & 78) by eight wickets

Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Cricket Club

Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...

captain Albert Lawton made 50 from number six at Derby, including a 73-run fifth-wicket stand, and after that the last five pairs added 18 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 152. Hopkins, who opened the batting after going wicketless, made 68 and a stand of 113 with Darling, and the tourists were leading by four with six wickets in hand at close on the first day. No play was possible on the second day, but on the third the Australians added a further 52, before Saunders and Trumble bowled Derbyshire out for 78. After losing the first two wickets for two runs, Carter and Duff made it to the target of 13 for no further loss.

23–24 June: Yorkshire v Australians

Australians (106 & 87) beat Yorkshire (77 & 72) by 44 runs

The Australians travelled to Park Avenue Cricket Ground

Park Avenue (stadium)

Park Avenue is a sports ground on Horton Park Avenue in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was used for both cricket and football. It held 306 first class and 48 list A cricket matches between 1881 and 1996, and was home to former Football League club Bradford Park Avenue, to which it lent its...

in Bradford

Bradford

Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

seeking to gain revenge for the defeat three weeks earlier, which they did, in a match where the average partnership was worth 8.55 runs – the lowest thus far on tour, beating 8.88 in the previous Yorkshire v Australians clash. The Australians batted first, and Hill and Darling put on 74 for the third wicket,
before Rhodes and Schofield Haigh

Schofield Haigh

Schofield Haigh was a Yorkshire and England cricketer. He played for eighteen seasons for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, for England from the 1898/99 tour to 1912, and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1901....

bowled them out for 106. In reply, Saunders and Trumble took all ten wickets after bowling unchanged through 29.2 overs, Trumble getting six for 17 while Saunders took four for 58, with wicket-keeper David Hunter

David Hunter (cricketer)

David Hunter was part of a lineage of Yorkshire County Cricket Club wicket-keepers, stretching on through Arthur Dolphin to Arthur Wood, Jimmy Binks and David Bairstow...

top-scoring with 14 from number eleven.

The Australians led by 29, and despite a Haigh five-for, Gregory made an unbeaten 42 which lasted into the second day, setting a target of 117. John Brown and John Tunnicliffe

John Tunnicliffe

John Tunnicliffe was an English, first-class cricketer, who played in 472 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.-County career:...

put on 14 for the first wicket, but Trumble and Saunders then took four wickets for one run, and though Irving Washington

Irving Washington (cricketer)

made the highest score in the match for Yorkshire with 22, Trumble ended with six for 27 as the Australians triumphed by 44 runs.

26–28 June: England XI v Australians

Australians (402 & 42/3) beat England XI (240 & 203, f/o) by seven wickets

This match was hastily arranged; the coronation of Edward VII was planned for 26 June, but the King developed appendicitis and the Australians decided to remain at Bradford to play an England XI. It included one former Test player, Willie Quaife

Willie Quaife

William Quaife, known as "Willie", born at Newhaven, Sussex on 17 March 1872 and died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on 13 October 1951, was a cricketer who played for Sussex, Warwickshire and England....

. The Australians won the toss, batted first, and made a total higher than the entire previous match had produced. Trumper made 113 before he was bowled by Jack Knutton of Coventry, who had played one first class match eight years before, and now returned to take nine for 100. Knutton, who usually played in the Bradford Leagues, bowled at quick pace but his action was sometimes regarded as suspect. In his second over, he bowled Noble, Hill and Darling, but Trumper and Duff put on 193 for the fifth wicket, before Trumper fell five short of the ground's fifth-wicket record. Duff went on to make 182 before he, too, was bowled by Knutton. The England XI were bowled out for 240 and 203, with Quaife making 68 in the first and captain Reginald Crawford making 90 in the second, and Knutton had Darling out a second time before the Australians chased down the total with seven wickets to spare.

30 June–1 July: Scotland v Australians

Australians (305) beat Scotland (109 & 91) by an innings and 105 runs

This match at The Grange

The Grange, Edinburgh (cricket and sports club)

The Grange Club is a cricket and sports club in the Stockbridge district of Edinburgh, Scotland. The cricket ground, commonly known as The Grange, is the regular home of the Scotland national cricket team.-Cricket:...

was not considered first class. Scotland

Scottish cricket team

The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of cricket. They compete in the Clydesdale Bank 40 as the Scottish Saltires...

made 109 in the first innings, and the Australians responded with 283 for six at the close of the first day's play, with Duff having made 98. Hopkins was on 42 not out

Not out

overnight; he did not add to that, but the Australians still added 22, all coming from Jones at No. 10 and Saunders at No. 11. Needing 195 to make the Australians bat again, Scotland were bowled out for 91, with the Australians using six bowlers.

Third Test, 3–5 July: England v Australia

Australia	194 (66.1 overs)	&	289 (72.1 overs)	Australia won by 143 runs
Australia	M. A. Noble Monty Noble Montague Alfred Noble was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-hand batsman, right-handed bowler who could deliver both medium pace and off-break bowling, capable fieldsman and tactically sound captain, Noble is considered as one of the great Australian... 47 (70 mins) S. F. Barnes Sydney Barnes Sydney Francis Barnes was an English professional cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the sport's history... 6/49		C. Hill Clem Hill Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five... 119 (145 mins) W. Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches... 5/63	Bramall Lane Bramall Lane -Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket... , Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Umpires: Jim Phillips Jim Phillips James Phillips was a Victorian First-class cricketer and Test match umpire.... and W. Richards Walter Richards (umpire) Walter Richards was an English first-class cricketer and Test match umpire.Richards was born in Balsall Heath in Worcestershire . A right-handed batsman, he played cricket for Warwickshire from 1883 until 1896...
	145 (61.3 overs)	&	195 (60.5 overs)
	R. Abel Bobby Abel Robert Abel , nicknamed "The Guv'nor", was a Surrey and England opening batsman who was one of the most prolific run-getters in the early years of the County Championship... 38 J. V. Saunders Jack Saunders John Victor Saunders was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1902 to 1908.... 5/50		A. C. MacLaren 63 M. A. Noble Monty Noble Montague Alfred Noble was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-hand batsman, right-handed bowler who could deliver both medium pace and off-break bowling, capable fieldsman and tactically sound captain, Noble is considered as one of the great Australian... 6/52

This was to be the only Test match played at Bramall Lane

Bramall Lane

-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

in Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, which became England's seventh Test ground. From Australia's squad for the second Test, one change was made, as a recovered Trumble replaced Ernie Jones in the eleven. Jack Saunders retained his place, having not featured in the first match. England made several changes; Bobby Abel

Bobby Abel

Robert Abel , nicknamed "The Guv'nor", was a Surrey and England opening batsman who was one of the most prolific run-getters in the early years of the County Championship...

was originally selected to replace Fry in the top order, but Ranjitsinhji was ruled out due to a strained leg and Fry took his place back. Schofield Haigh

Schofield Haigh

had also been added to the twelve originally, but both he and Bill Lockwood were left out in favour of Sydney Barnes

Sydney Barnes

Sydney Francis Barnes was an English professional cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the sport's history...

, a last-minute replacement. Wisden claimed that "there [could] be no question that a grave mistake was committed in not playing Lockwood."

The English Wisden account acknowledged that Australia "played the finer all-round cricket" and "fully deserved their victory", but still claimed that "all the luck of the game went their way" as they won by 143 runs. The first lucky streak was to win the toss and bat; Braund opened the bowling with Hirst, and had Trumper out bowled for one early on. Barnes took the next four wickets, all caught, including Darling for a golden duck, before Noble and Hopkins added 54 for the sixth wicket, the largest partnership thus far in the game. Noble was out caught off Rhodes, and Barnes removed Hopkins and Kelly, but Armstrong and Trumble put on 57 for the ninth wicket and Australia totalled 194.

Again according to the Wisden account, England had "much of the best of the match" when MacLaren and Abel had taken the score to 60 for nought. But Noble bowled both, and as the light faded Noble and Saunders struck three more times before England successfully appealed against bad light a quarter before the scheduled close. By then England had lost three wickets for a single run, to close on 102 for five with Lilley and Braund set to resume.

Rain then fell overnight and the start of the second day's play was delayed, after which England lost their last five wickets for 43 runs, with Jessop the only England batsman to make it into double figures. Then, Trumper entered, to play what Wisden described as his most "marvellous" innings of the summer. In 50 minutes, he scored 62, the first half-century in the match, "doing whatsoever he liked with the English bowling", before he was caught behind off Jackson's bowling. Barnes had Darling caught with no further score added, but then Hill and Gregory got together. Hill then became the only man to score a Test century at Bramall Lane, leaving with the total on 225 after "a great innings", and though it was "not entirely free from fault" with a couple of dropped catches, it took a "wonderful catch" by MacLaren off Jackson to dismiss him.

Hopkins and Armstrong added 52 for the seventh wicket, taking the lead past 300, before Rhodes took the final four wickets in 19 balls. England now needed 339 to win the game, which would be a new Test record, the previous one of 315 being set by Australia in January. They sent Jessop out to open the innings, and he made an unbeaten 53 overnight, as England closed on 73 for one. However, on the third morning they lost three wickets in the first half hour, and despite MacLaren's "great effort" of 63, including an hour-long stand with Jackson, it was Noble (six for 52) and Trumble (four for 49) who came out on top. On Saturday morning, after coming on for Saunders, he took five for 22 in twelve overs, though the pitch "show[ed] unmistakable signs of wear". Noble ended with eleven for 103, his second and last ten-wicket-haul in Test match cricket.

7–9 July: Warwickshire v Australians

Warwickshire (124 & 225/7d) drew with Australians (316)

Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Cricket Club

Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...

won the toss at Edgbaston

Edgbaston Cricket Ground

Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...

, chose to bat, and were bowled out by Warwick Armstrong, who took six for 13 as Warwickshire fell from 98 for three to 124 all out. Nine Australians made it into double figures, though only Gregory got past 50, making 83. Warwickshire closed the second day ten runs ahead and with five wickets down. Only forty minutes of play was possible on the third day, with Ernie Jones taking both wickets before the game was eventually called off as a draw.

10–12 July: Worcestershire v Australians

Australians (274 & 199) beat Worcestershire (202 & 97) by 174 runs

Albert Bird got six wickets for Worcestershire

Worcestershire County Cricket Club

Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...

after they were put in the field at New Road

New Road, Worcester

New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...

. The Australians made 274, then bowled out Worcestershire for 202 despite a last-wicket stand of 62 between George Gaukrodger

George Gaukrodger

George Warrington Gaukrodger was a cricketer who played more than 100 times in first-class cricket for Worcestershire between 1900 and 1910; he also played once for the Players against the touring Australians in 1902.Being partially domiciled in Ireland and hailing from an Irish family, Yorkshire...

and Robert Burrows

Robert Burrows

Robert Dixon Burrows was a first class cricketer who played for Worcestershire CCC between 1899 and 1919, he also umpired one test match and set a world record in 1911 when he sent a bail spinning 67 yards and 6 inches when he bowled Huddleston at Old Trafford.He bowled right arm fast medium and...

. At the end of the second day, the Australians had added a further 169 for the loss of five wickets, and though they lost their final wickets for 30 runs, Worcestershire were bowled out for 97 by Ernie Jones (six for 53) and Warwick Armstrong (four for 34)

14–16 July: Gloucestershire v Australians

Australians (545/5d) beat Gloucestershire (155 & 168) by an innings and 222 runs

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....

became the first side to concede 500 against the Australians, and suffered the largest defeat margin thus far on tour, losing by an innings and 222 runs at Ashley Down

Ashley Down

Ashley is one of thirty-five council wards in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom. The ward contains the areas of Ashley Down, Baptist Mills, Montpelier, St Andrew's, St Paul's and St Werburghs.-Politics:...

. After winning the toss and batting, they were bowled out for 155, then conceded 111 against Trumper and Duff before the day was over - Trumper making 83 of those runs. On the second day, Trumper was caught by Jessop for 92, but Hill, Noble and Hopkins all made hundreds, as the Australians totalled 434 in a day. They declared overnight, before bowling Gloucestershire out for 168.

17–19 July: Somerset v Australians

Somerset (274 & 315) drew with Australians (348 & 16/0)

In this match at Taunton, Somerset

Somerset County Cricket Club

Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...

batted first. Saunders took five wickets for 109 for the tourists on the first day, four caught and one lbw as the hosts made 274. In reply, Somerset got two wickets, but Duff had made 75 by stumps on the first day; when he gave a return catch to George Gill

George Gill (cricketer)

George Cooper Gill was an English cricketer who played 171 first class cricket matches for Somerset, Leicestershire and London County between 1897 and 1906/ A right-hand bat and right-arm fast medium, Gill scored 4,160 runs and took 465 wickets at 25.36 runs per wicket.-References:...

, he had made 183 in a three-hour innings, which turned out to be more than half of the Australians' total. Somerset were 159 for five overnight, with Lionel Palairet

Lionel Palairet

Lionel Charles Hamilton Palairet was a famous cricketer of the so-called "Golden Age" of English cricket before the First World War...

having made 90, but Somerset's Randall Johnson made 62 as they almost doubled that score on the third day. The Australians did not have enough time to chase 242 for victory.

21–23 July: Surrey v Australians

Surrey (296 & 111) drew with Australians (313 & 11/0)

At The Oval

The Oval

, England Test batsman Bobby Abel

Bobby Abel

Robert Abel , nicknamed "The Guv'nor", was a Surrey and England opening batsman who was one of the most prolific run-getters in the early years of the County Championship...

made a hundred for Surrey, who batted through the entire first day to make 296. The Australians then scored 313 at almost double the rate, with play ending early on the second day due to rain, before Saunders took six for nine to bowl Surrey out for 111. However, as the Australians had to travel to Manchester for the Fourth Test, they did not attempt to chase 95 for victory.

Fourth Test: 24–26 July: England v Australia

Australia	299 (76.1 overs)	&	86 (47.4 overs)	Australia won by three runs
Australia	V. T. Trumper Victor Trumper Victor Thomas Trumper was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found unplayable. Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby... 104 (115 mins) W. H. Lockwood William Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom... 6/48		J. Darling Joe Darling Joseph "Joe" Darling CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1894 and 1905. As captain, he led Australia in a total of 21 Tests, winning seven and losing four. In Test cricket, he scored 1657 runs at an average of 28.56 per innings, including... 37 W. H. Lockwood William Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom... 5/28	Old Trafford Old Trafford (cricket) Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857... , Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Umpires: J. Moss John Moss (cricket) John Moss was a first class cricketer and test match umpire . Born in Clifton, Nottingham in 1864, he played one match for Nottinghamshire in 1892 and stood in 12 test matches from his first, the England v Australia test at Old Trafford in 1902 to his last, between the same teams, at the Oval in... and T. Mycroft Thomas Mycroft Thomas Mycroft was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire and MCC between 1877 and 1887.Mycroft was born in Brimington, Derbyshire, the son of George Mycroft and his second wife Elizabeth Lowcock. His father was an ironstone and coal miner who kept the Red Lion public house at Brimington....
	262 (114 overs)	&	120 (49.4 overs)
	F. S. Jackson Stanley Jackson Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:... 128 H. Trumble Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of... 4/75		A. C. MacLaren 35 H. Trumble Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of... 6/53

Australia secured the series with one match to play, though only with a three-run margin, as England, who required 32 to win with seven wickets in hand, fell to Trumble and Saunders' bowling. A. A. Thomson claimed that this match, along with the fifth Test of this series, was "the most dramatic in Test history" when he wrote in 1967, excepting the Tied Test

Tied Test

Tied Test refers to a rare result in Test cricket. Only two ties have occurred in the 2,000 Tests played since 1877. The first was in 1960 and the second in 1986...

in 1960–61. Neville Cardus

Neville Cardus

Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...

, who later wrote an article on the game he had watched as a 13-year-old, said: "The match at the end seemed to get right out of the control of the men that were making it; it seemed to take on a being of its own, a volition of its own, and the mightiest cricketers in the land looked as though they were in the grip of a power of which they could feel the presence but whose ends they could not understand."

Australia, who went in unchanged from the Third Test, won the toss and batted first against an England side where Lionel Palairet

Lionel Palairet

Lionel Charles Hamilton Palairet was a famous cricketer of the so-called "Golden Age" of English cricket before the First World War...

, Ranjitsinhji, William Lockwood

William Lockwood

William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom...

and Fred Tate

Fred Tate

Frederick William Tate was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1902. This was the famous match at Old Trafford which England lost by 3 runs, and with it the series...

had replaced Fry, Hirst, Jessop and Barnes. The Sussex bowler Tate was given his Test debut, but it was to be his only one; nevertheless, the match is known as Tate's match. He dropped a crucial catch, and was last man out when England heeded only four more runs to win. In the 1903 Wisden, it is claimed that leaving out Hirst for Tate was a "blunder", though the decision was inspired by a rain-affected wicket. Likewise, not selecting Jessop was called "a mistake".

According to Barker and Rosenwater England did well to get so close to winning as they did, Australia gaining a large advantage from batting first. The ground was very wet when play began, and the pitch was initially slow and easy. Furthermore, the bowlers' run-ups were so slippery that Lockwood was unable to bowl for over an hour.

According to Wisden, "the ball did nothing on the soft turf", but the England bowlers pitched it too short, allowing Trumper and Duff to add 135 in the first 80 minutes before Duff was caught at the wicket by third-change bowler Lockwood, who had been introduced with the score on 129. Australia were 173 for one at lunch, with Trumper having achieved the rare feat of reaching his hundred before lunch, before Rhodes struck three times to remove Trumper, Noble and Gregory, all caught with ten further runs added since lunch. Trumper's 104 was described as "one without mistake of any kind." Another stand

Partnership (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...

developed, however, between Darling and Hill; Darling made 51 before he was caught by England captain MacLaren, and the two added 73 for the fifth wicket, a partnership described as invaluable by Wisden. Darling hit two sixes, the first in a Test in England (prior to 1910 the ball had to be hit out of the ground for six runs to be awarded, so that sixes were rare).

The wicket had dried out since lunch, and Saunders and Trumble took five wickets for 44, with only Tyldesley passing 20 for England on the first day. They closed on 70 for five, but the following day was "England's day". First, Jackson and Braund added 115 to the overnight score, a stand broken just before lunch when Braund was bowled by Noble, steering a ball outside off onto the stumps. Jackson then kept the scoring rate going, making 128, the highest score of the game, and England's total increased by 77 before he was finally out, 24 of them contributed by the lower-order batsmen, who were out to Noble and Trumble. England thus trailed by 37 on first innings, having been given some runs when Gregory missed "the simplest of chances" at cover point, but Australia were undone by Lockwood's bowling. He took the new ball, removed Trumper, Hill and Duff, and Australia were ten for three. Six more runs were added before the left-handed Darling hit a catch to deep square leg on the railway side, where Palairet would normally have fielded. But MacLaren had sent Tate, normally a close-in fielder, to that position. Tate dropped the catch, and Darling went on to make 37, the highest score of the innings, and share a stand of 48 with Gregory before Tate broke the stand, having Gregory lbw. Wisden speculated it was likely that the Australians would have been all out for 50–60 if the catch had been held. Despite Lockwood's five-wicket-haul, and match figures of eleven for 76, Australia lasted into the third morning, making 86, and setting a target of 124.

Rain had fallen for considerable time overnight, making the pitch difficult, though MacLaren and Palairet cut 36 off the target before lunch was taken. Palairet was then bowled by Saunders, and Tyldesley and MacLaren followed, the latter caught far out in the field by Duff for 35. Australia's Saunders then dropped Abel before rain stopped play again. After the break, England's batsmen were instructed to hit out. Abel added 20 with Ranjitsinhji, who looked uncertain against Trumble and was eventually given lbw, and Trumble and Saunders kept at the English batsmen. Abel was bowled trying to drive, Jackson caught at mid off, Braund stumped, and Lockwood bowled, England now requiring 11 to win with two wickets in hand. Rhodes came in and struck a boundary, and Lilley hit two scoring shots to take the tally to 116, before Hill, starting from long on, took a brilliant running catch square in the deep, in front of the pavilion, to dismiss him when the ball, albeit held up in the wind, had seemed sure to go for four.

Then rain struck once more, and the players left the field for 45 minutes. When they returned, seven runs were required, and the debutant Tate came to the crease to face Saunders. He edged down the leg side for four with the first ball, before the next two were no-scoring shots. The fourth ball of the over, a quicker one which kept low, struck the stumps, leaving Tate bowled and Australia winners by three runs.

The inclusion of Tate in the England side appears to have been a result of friction between MacLaren and the selectors (and in particular their Chairman, Lord Hawke) that had developed during the course of the series. According to Fry, the selectors included Tate in the twelve (he was a late addition to the eleven originally selected) because they thought that MacLaren could not possibly pick him and would therefore have to play their preferred eleven. However, MacLaren was supposedly annoyed that Haigh was not included, and therefore on the morning of the match chose Tate for the final eleven in preference to Hirst. However, Tate had been having a great season, eventually finishing second in the first-class wicket tallies behind Rhodes, and an argument could be made for his inclusion.

28–30 July: Essex v Australians

Essex (345 & 184/3d) drew with Australians (232 & 253/6)

The Australians got their third successive draw against a county side at Leyton

Leyton Cricket Ground

Leyton Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Leyton, London.-Cricket ground:...

, with Victor Trumper

Victor Trumper

making a pair of hundreds. Essex

Essex County Cricket Club

lost five wickets on the first day, with Frederick Fane

Frederick Fane

Frederick Luther Fane was born in Ireland, but played cricket for the England cricket team in 14 Test matches...

, Charlie McGahey

Charlie McGahey

Charles Percy McGahey was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Essex between 1894 and 1921. McGahey also played for London County between 1901 and 1904 and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1902...

and Charles Kortright

Charles Kortright

Charles Jesse Kortright was an English cricketer, who played for Essex and Free Foresters...

all passing 50. Jones took four wickets as Essex could only add a further 34 on the second day, before Australia were bowled out 113 short; Trumper made nearly half the total, while no Essex bowler took more than two wickets. Three more half-centuries, from Alfred Lucas, Percy Perrin

Percy Perrin

and McGahey followed before Essex declared, and Australia batted out the day for a draw, Trumper making 119.

31 July–2 August: Sussex v Australians

Australians (580/6d) drew with Sussex (185 & 130/1, f/o)

The Australians drew their fourth successive match, which nevertheless provided a few records. Monty Noble

Monty Noble

recorded his highest career score, making 284 and sharing a partnership of 428 with Warwick Armstrong

Warwick Armstrong

, a new sixth-wicket record for The County Ground at Hove, which has remained standing for over 100 years. Tate, the unlucky man from the Fourth Test, bowled 41 overs without reward, while Albert Relf

Albert Relf

Albert Edward Relf, born at Burwash, East Sussex on 26 June 1874, and died at Wellington College, Berkshire on 26 March 1937, was a cricketer who played for Sussex and England....

took four wickets before meeting Noble and Armstrong. Noble was eventually stumped off Ernest Killick

Ernest Killick

Ernest Harry Killick was an English first class cricketer who played for Sussex.In 1911, Killick earned an unwanted place in cricket history, when Ted Alletson hit one of his overs for 34 runs...

, leaving a declaration. In reply Sussex were 84 for three overnight, eventually bowled out for 185 as Saunders took four for 22, but Vine and Killick held on for the draw by batting out 39 overs after being asked to follow on.

4–5 August: Glamorgan and Wiltshire v Australians

Australians (148 & 155/4) beat Glamorgan and Wiltshire (121 & 178)

The then minor counties

Minor counties of English cricket

The Minor Counties are the cricketing counties of England and Wales that are not afforded first-class status. The game is administered by the Minor Counties Cricket Association which comes under the England and Wales Cricket Board...

Glamorgan

Glamorgan County Cricket Club

Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...

and Wiltshire

Wiltshire County Cricket Club

Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....

fielded a combined team for a non-first class match at Cardiff Arms Park

Cardiff Arms Park

Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...

. The hosts made 121, before William Overton and Harry Creber shared the first seven wickets, all falling in single digits except Hill. Jones and Hopkins passed 30, however, and the Australians took a lead of 27; however, despite seven for 36 from Armstrong, Herbie Morgan and Walter Medlicott scored half-centuries as Glamorgan made the highest total of the match, 178, on the second morning. Kelly's unbeaten

Not out

42 and Gregory's 44 helped the visitors chase the target of 152 with six wickets to spare.

7–8 August: Hampshire v Australians

Australians (325) beat Hampshire (130 & 116) by an innings and 79 runs

The match at Southampton's County Ground

County Ground, Southampton

The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...

was originally scheduled to be a three-day affair, but due to the postponed coronation of King Edward VII, it was agreed to hold a two-day match. The Australians still won; after Hampshire decided to bat, Trumble bowled unchanged and took three for 53, while from the other end Noble took six wickets after being introduced in the 22nd over. The visitors were 69 for four when Noble came to the wicket, and together with Darling he quickly put the runs on the board. At stumps on day one they had added 107 without loss; Darling made 116 in 80 minutes, joining Noble in a stand of 155, and despite the lower order all being bowled by Arthur Hill the Australians made 325 in 61.1 overs, with Noble ending on 113. After Saunders had got the openers out caught and Sprot had been run out, Trumble took the remaining wickets bar one, and Sussex were bowled out for 116.

Fifth Test: 11–13 August: England v Australia

Australia	324 (123.5 overs)	&	121 (60 overs)	England won by 1 wicket
Australia	H. Trumble Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of... 64* G. H. Hirst 5/77		C. Hill Clem Hill Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five... 34 W. H. Lockwood William Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom... 5/45	The Oval The Oval The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Umpires: C. E. Richardson Charles Richardson (umpire) Charles Edward Richardson was an English cricketer and Test match umpire.Richardson was born in England. He played as a batsman and bowler in 14 matches for Leicestershire from 1875 to 1898, before it was a first-class county, including several with more the eleven Leicestershire players.He stood... and A. White Archibald White (umpire) Archibald White was a Test match cricket umpire . He umpired 8 Test matches in all, from his first - the England v South Africa match at Johannesburg in February 1899 to his final outing in the England v South Africa test at the Oval in 1912....
	183 (61 overs)	&	263/9 (66.5 overs)
	G. H. Hirst 43 (45 mins) H. Trumble Hugh Trumble Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of... 8/65		G. L. Jessop Gilbert Jessop Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations... 104 (77 mins) J. V. Saunders Jack Saunders John Victor Saunders was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1902 to 1908.... 4/105

Remarkably, this match turned out to be as exciting as the previous one had been. It has become known as "Jessop's

Gilbert Jessop

Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...

match", for his 104 in only 77 minutes in England's second innings turned the game. When he came to the wicket, England were 48/5, and scoring the 263 that they needed to win seemed far beyond them. Saunders had taken four of the wickets. Jessop's previous highest Test score was only 55, but now he reached his hundred off just 76 balls, after an uncertain start when he gave two chances with his score in the twenties. He and Jackson added 109, before Jackson was out for 49 to make the score 157/6. Hirst helped him take the score to 187 before Jessop himself was out. Wisden said of his innings: All things considered a more astonishing display has never been seen. What he did would have been scarcely possible under the same circumstances to any other living batsmen.

With 76 still needed and only three wickets remaining, the odds seemed once more to have shifted against England. Lockwood scored only two, but he helped Hirst add another 27 before being dismissed: 214/8. Lilley helped Hirst to add a further 34 before he was Trumble's fourth victim of the innings and twelfth of the match: 248/9. (Darling had entrusted almost all the bowling to Saunders and Trumble; they sent down all but nine overs of the 66.5 that the innings lasted.) So Rhodes joined Hirst with 15 still needed. Legend has it that Hirst said to Rhodes, "We'll get them in singles, Wilfred." However Rhodes denied the story, Hirst said he could not recall what his words had been, and not every run was a single. But get the runs they did, Hirst finishing with 58 not out. He had top-scored with 43 in just 45 minutes in the first innings, as well as taking 5 wickets in Australia's first innings, so this was his match almost as much as it was Jessop's.

Returning to the beginning of the match, England crucially, as it proved, recalled Jessop and Hirst, omitting Ranji and Tate. Tom Hayward

Tom Hayward

came in for his first match of the series, replacing Abel. Australia were once more unchanged. When Australia batted first, the pitch - though wet - played easily. England did well to reduce them to 175/7, but Hopkins, Trumble and Kelly ensured that the eighth and ninth wickets contributed another 149.

Rain in the night made the pitch difficult, and England were 94/6 at lunch, Trumble having taken five of the wickets. The wicket improved after lunch, and Braund and Hirst added 54 for the seventh wicket. England still needed 38 to avoid the likelihood of being asked to follow on, with the sun coming out and the wicket likely soon to deteriorate once more, but Lockwood helped Hirst add a further 42. Crucially, Hill missed Lockwood in the deep not long after he had come in. Though the ninth and tenth wickets fell quickly, England had reduced their first innings deficit to 141. Trumble, having top scored for Australia, had followed up by taking 8/65.

At the end of the second day, Australia had reached 114/8, never recovering from the early loss of Trumper to a run out, and the last two wickets fell quickly the next morning. Lockwood finished with 5/45. So England were left 263 to win, and the stage was set for Jessop's heroics.

14–16 August: Marylebone Cricket Club v Australians

Australians (427) beat Marylebone Cricket Club (212 & 181) by an innings and 34 runs

MCC won the toss at Lord's and batted first. They struggled, with Ranjitsinhji top scoring with 60 and Howell taking 6/105. The Australians were 80/2 at the end of the day's play. Next day, Hill took his score to 136, made in 240 minutes, with support from Noble (70) and Gregory (86). At the end of day two, MCC were 23-1. Next day, only H.A. Carpenter (66) and E. Smith

Ernest Smith (1869)

Ernest Smith was an English amateur first-class cricketer, who played twenty one games for Oxford University from 1888 to 1891, 154 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1888 to 1907, and four for the MCC from 1892 to 1902.Smith was born in Morley, Yorkshire, England...

(48) resisted for long. Armstrong took 6/44.

18–20 August: Gloucestershire v Australians

Australians (312) beat Gloucestershire (152 & 150) by an innings and 10 runs

In spite of the loss of almost all of the first day to rain at the College Ground, Cheltenham

College Ground, Cheltenham

The College Ground is a cricket ground in the grounds of Cheltenham College, England. Gloucestershire County Cricket Club have played more than 300 first-class and more than 70 List A matches there; it also hosted a Women's One Day International between England and Australia in 2005.The College...

, where the Australians batted first and reached 21/1, they had another comfortable victory. On the second day, Trumper made up for lost time by scoring 125 in only 120 minutes. Jessop took 7/91. By close of play, the county were 147/9, having collapsed from 103/3 at one stage. The last wicket soon fell the next morning, Armstrong finishing with 4/35 and Hopkins 4/11. Following on, the running out of Jessop for 43 probably sealed their fate, though W. Troup

Walter Troup

Major Walter Troup was an English first class cricketer who was born in Uttar Pradesh, India. He was a member of the inaugural All-India team....

managed 45* and enabled a partial recovery from 69/6. Armstrong and Hopkins bowled unchanged, taking 4/74 and 5/65 respectively.

21–23 August: Kent v Australians

Australians (154 & 209) beat Kent (77 & 197) by 89 runs

The tourists won the toss and batted first at the St Lawrence Ground

St Lawrence Ground

The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847...

, Canterbury. By the end of the day's play, 21 wickets had fallen, with the Australians 8/1 in their second innings. Noble top scored with 43 in their first innings, before being run out. Colin Blythe

Colin Blythe

Colin Blythe , also known as Charlie Blythe, was a Kent and England left arm spinner who is regarded as one of the finest bowlers of the period between 1900 and 1914 - sometimes referred to as the "Golden Age" of cricket.-Career:Blythe first played...

took 4/50 and Alec Hearne

Alec Hearne

Alec Hearne was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent between 1884 and 1906. Hearne was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1894...

3/39. If the Australians had found batting difficult, Kent found it even more so as Trumble, bowling unchanged, returned an analysis of 8/30, at the time the best of his career. James Seymour

James Seymour (cricketer)

James Seymour was a Kent cricketer from 1902 until 1926, having previously played for W. G. Grace's London County Cricket Club in first-class matches in 1900 and 1901. He was born in Sussex....

, batting at number 4, did well to survive, finishing on 26*. Conditions appeared a little easier for batting next day. Trumper made 69 before he was run out. Kent were set 287 to win. At one point they were 138/4, but then they fell away. Saunders took the last five wickets, to finish with figures of 5/43. Trumble had 3/92.

25–27 August: Middlesex v Australians

Australians (232 & 176/4) beat Middlesex (205 & 203) by 6 wickets

When Middlesex won the toss and batted at Lord's, for the second match in succession Trumble took eight wickets in an innings, this time 8/101 bowling unchanged. PF Warner

Plum Warner

Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....

made 58. The tourists were 3/1 at the end of the first day. Next day, they could only establish a first innings lead of 28, their top scorer being Trumper with 69. At close of play, Middlesex had reached 122/5 in their second innings. When their innings was completed the following day, GW Beldam

George Beldam

George William Beldam was an English cricketer and a pioneer of action photography in sport.George Beldam came from a cricketing family of Huguenot refugees...

had made 75 and Trumble taken 4/48, giving him a total of 23 wickets in two consecutive matches. It had been a low-scoring matches, but the Australians had no difficulty in reaching their target, Noble (59*) and Armstrong (47) adding 95 for the fourth wicket. Trumper passed 2000 runs in first-class matches for the season when he reached 24 in the first innings. Trumble reached 100 wickets in first-class matches for the season when taking his 8th wicket in the first innings.

28–30 August: Lancashire v Australians

Australians (138 & 105) beat Lancashire (120 & 105) by 18 runs

In a low-scoring match at the Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

Cricket Club Ground at Aigburth

Aigburth

Aigburth is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Dingle, Mossley Hill, and Garston.-History:...

, the tourists almost suffered their third defeat. George Littlewood and Alexander Kermode shared 36 of the 38 overs in the Australian first innings, taking 5/49 and 5/68 respectively. At the end of the first day, Lancashire were 61/2, only 77 behind, but next morning they lost two wickets without adding to their score and only added another 44, Saunders finishing with 6/52. In their second innings, the Australians were 91/4, but then lost their last 6 wickets while only 14 runs were added. Littlewood took 7/49 for match figures of 12/98. At the close of the second day, the county were 77/5, needing only a further 47 to win. They added another 16 before the sixth wicket fell, but only managed 12 more before being all out. Trumble took 5/44 and Saunders 4/37. Littlewood's figures in each innings were his best in first-class cricket at the time, as were Kermode's in the first innings.

1–3 September: Players v Australians

The Players (184 & 128) lost to Australians (359) by an innings and 47 runs

Winning the toss and batting at Harrogate

Harrogate

Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...

, the Players were indebted to their captain Willie Quaife

Willie Quaife

William Quaife, known as "Willie", born at Newhaven, Sussex on 17 March 1872 and died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on 13 October 1951, was a cricketer who played for Sussex, Warwickshire and England....

, who top-scored with 58. At one point 165/5, they then collapsed. Saunders finished with 4/44 and Hopkins had 3/21. By close of play, the Australians had reached 59/0 in reply. Next day, Trumper went on to 127 made in only 105 minutes and, with Darling and Hopkins each passing fifty, the tourists established a big lead. By the end of day two the Players had reached 30/2, and they were all out for another 98 on the final day, Saunders finishing with figures of 5/44.

4–6 September: CI Thornton's XI v Australians

CI Thornton's XI (198 & 202/9d) drew with Australians (247 & 120/4)

CI Thornton

Charles Thornton (cricketer)

Charles Inglis Thornton , nicknamed "Buns", was an English cricketer who played more than 200 first-class matches in the later 19th century, for no fewer than 22 different teams....

had put together a strong side which included six Yorkshiremen. They won the toss at the North Marine Road

North Marine Road

North Marine Road Ground, formerly known as Queen's, is a cricket ground in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Scarborough Cricket Club which hosts the Scarborough Cricket Festival and the Yorkshire County Cricket Club plays a series of fixtures in the second half of the...

ground at Scarborough and batted. They slumped to 79/6 but their captain, Stanley Jackson, scored 72 and led a partial recovery. Trumble took 5/62 and Saunders 5/74. The Australians were 31/2 at the day's end. Next day, Trumper made 62 and Hopkins 49*, but the tourists led by only 49 on first innings. Wilfred Rhodes took 4/95 and George Thompson 3/32. By close of play the home side were 87/6 in their second innings, but next day Johnny Tyldesley, who had been 55* overnight, went on to make 88. An unbroken last wicket stand of 52 by Haigh and Rhodes enabled Thornton's XI to declare. Saunders finished with 5/95. When Trumper (55) was the fourth wicket to fall, the visitors gave up the chase for the 154 that they needed to win and accepted the draw, having batted for 24.5 overs.

8–10 September: South v Australians

Australians (249 & 248) drew with the South (403/7d & 87/5)

At Hastings

Hastings

Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....

the Australians very nearly suffered what would have been their third defeat, with the South, captained by WG Grace, being only eight runs short of victory when time ran out. The tourists made a partial recovery from 94/5 thanks to Noble (63) and Hopkins (74), supported by Trumble, but after Hopkins was the seventh man out the end came quickly, Cuthbert Burnup

Cuthbert Burnup

Cuthbert James "Pinky" Burnup was an amateur cricketer and footballer who gained fame through his participation in sports around the turn of the century...

taking three of the last four wickets to return figures of 3/22. Braund took 4/88. The South were 53/0 in reply by the end of the first day. Next day, Burnup and Abel took their first wicket stand to 122, Hayward made 106 in 180 minutes, and most of the other batsmen made useful contributions. Grace declared overnight, with Noble having taken 4/89. Next day the tourists made a good start. But after Duff was the first man out with the score at 102, Trumper stood almost alone, eventually being out for 120. Joe Vine

Joe Vine

Joseph Vine was a professional cricketer, who played his first-class cricket for Sussex County Cricket Club and London County...

took 7/31. With the pitch seemingly helping the spinners, Trumble and Armstrong shared the 22 overs that were possible in the South's second innings before time ran out. In the context of a run-chase, Armstrong did well to concede only 36 runs from his 11 overs, and took two wickets. Trumble had figures of 3/47.

11–13 September: South v Australians

Australians (123 & 91) beat the South (87 & 66) by 61 runs

There was no play on the scheduled first day of this match at Dean Park Cricket Ground

Dean Park Cricket Ground

Dean Park is a cricket ground in Bournemouth, England, currently used by Bournemouth University Cricket Club, as well as by and Suttoners Cricket Club....

, Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...

, but with the highest of the four innings only totalling 123 there was still time for a positive result, the Australians getting revenge for their scare at Hastings against a South side that contained only three of the same players. Noble's 30 in the tourists' first innings was the highest score of the match. Fred Tate and Ted Arnold

Ted Arnold

Edward George Arnold was an English cricketer who played in ten Test Matches from 1903 to 1907, and most of his 343 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1899 and 1913...

bowled unchanged in both Australian innings, Arnold taking 8/57 and 4/30 and Tate 2/61 and 6/48. At the close of the scheduled second day the South's first innings stood at 53/6, and when it ended the next morning Trumble had returned new career-best figures of 9/39, beating the 8/30 he had managed only a few weeks earlier. He took a further 6/29 in the second innings, only Fry (26) offering much resistance.

15–17 September: Players v Australians

The Players (356 & 117/3) drew with Australians (414)

The tour's final match was at The Oval. A strong Players side won the toss, but had reached only 283/6 by the end of the first day, Hayward making 74, Tyldesley 56 and James Iremonger

James Iremonger

James 'Jimmy' Iremonger was an English cricketer and one of the players most unlucky never to play Test cricket...

66. When the innings was completed next day, Saunders had figures of 4/50. The Australians reached 208/2 in reply, 75 minutes being lost to rain, with Trumper scoring 96 and Hill on 79 not out. Hill was soon out next morning for 81 and there was a minor collapse to 233/5. But nearly 200 runs were added for the last five wickets, with Trumble making 68. Rhodes took 5/115. The tour ended on a note of anticlimax, with the home side playing out time in their second innings.

External sources

CricketArchive – tour summaries

Australian touring party

5–7 May: London County v Australians

8–10 May: Nottinghamshire v Australians

12–14 May: Surrey v Australians

15–17 May: Essex v Australians

19–21 May: Leicestershire v Australians

22–24 May: Oxford University v Australians

26–28 May: Marylebone Cricket Club v Australians

First Test, 29–31 May: England v Australia

2–3 June: Yorkshire v Australians

5–7 June: Lancashire v Australians

9–10 June: Cambridge University v Australians

Second Test, 12–14 June: England v Australia

16–18 June: England XI v Australians

19–21 June: Derbyshire v Australians

23–24 June: Yorkshire v Australians

26–28 June: England XI v Australians

30 June–1 July: Scotland v Australians

Third Test, 3–5 July: England v Australia

7–9 July: Warwickshire v Australians

10–12 July: Worcestershire v Australians

14–16 July: Gloucestershire v Australians

17–19 July: Somerset v Australians

21–23 July: Surrey v Australians

Fourth Test: 24–26 July: England v Australia

28–30 July: Essex v Australians

31 July–2 August: Sussex v Australians

4–5 August: Glamorgan and Wiltshire v Australians

7–8 August: Hampshire v Australians

Fifth Test: 11–13 August: England v Australia

14–16 August: Marylebone Cricket Club v Australians

18–20 August: Gloucestershire v Australians

21–23 August: Kent v Australians

25–27 August: Middlesex v Australians

28–30 August: Lancashire v Australians

1–3 September: Players v Australians

4–6 September: CI Thornton's XI v Australians

8–10 September: South v Australians

11–13 September: South v Australians

15–17 September: Players v Australians

External sources

Further reading