United All-England Eleven
Encyclopedia
The United All-England Eleven (UEE) was an English cricket
team formed in 1852 by players breaking away from William Clarke's All-England Eleven
(AEE). Key UEE players included John Wisden
and Jemmy Dean
, who became joint secretaries of the team.
The team was part of a movement in cricket that used Clarke's idea of professional teams touring the country on the newly created railways. The introduction of railways meant that, for the first time, cricket teams found that touring was feasible. Together with Clarke's team, the UEE players monopolised the best cricket talent until the rise of county cricket in the 1860s.
Clarke would have nothing to do with the UEE, but he died in 1856, and from 1857 to 1866 the matches between the AEE and the UEE were perhaps the most important contests of the English season - certainly judged by the quality of the players.
Between 1850 and 1880, 19 such teams were formed including the United North of England Eleven
and the United South of England Eleven
. The teams functioned by charging game organisers for their services and the organisers recouped their costs through a paying audience.
By 1859, the New York Times could say that the first English team to tour overseas was composed of players from "the two leading professional elevens of England" when a team composed of six players from both the AEE and UEE visited Canada and the USA that September.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team formed in 1852 by players breaking away from William Clarke's All-England Eleven
William Clarke's All-England Eleven
The All-England Eleven was an itinerant all-professional first-class cricket team created in 1846 by Nottinghamshire cricketer William Clarke. Widely known by its acronym AEE, it took advantage of opportunities offered by the newly developed railways to play against local teams throughout Great...
(AEE). Key UEE players included John Wisden
John Wisden
John Wisden was an English cricketer who played 190 first-class cricket matches for three English county cricket teams, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex...
and Jemmy Dean
Jemmy Dean
James "Jemmy" Dean was an English cricketer who played for Sussex County Cricket Club in the 19th century....
, who became joint secretaries of the team.
The team was part of a movement in cricket that used Clarke's idea of professional teams touring the country on the newly created railways. The introduction of railways meant that, for the first time, cricket teams found that touring was feasible. Together with Clarke's team, the UEE players monopolised the best cricket talent until the rise of county cricket in the 1860s.
Clarke would have nothing to do with the UEE, but he died in 1856, and from 1857 to 1866 the matches between the AEE and the UEE were perhaps the most important contests of the English season - certainly judged by the quality of the players.
Between 1850 and 1880, 19 such teams were formed including the United North of England Eleven
United North of England Eleven
The United North of England Eleven was an itinerant cricket team founded in 1869 by George Freeman and Roger Iddison with the backing of Lord Londesborough who became the team's president. As its name suggests, its purpose was to bring together the best players of England's northern counties and...
and the United South of England Eleven
United South of England Eleven
The United South of England Eleven was an itinerant cricket team founded in November 1864 by Edgar Willsher, as secretary, and John Lillywhite, as treasurer....
. The teams functioned by charging game organisers for their services and the organisers recouped their costs through a paying audience.
By 1859, the New York Times could say that the first English team to tour overseas was composed of players from "the two leading professional elevens of England" when a team composed of six players from both the AEE and UEE visited Canada and the USA that September.
Further reading
- H S AlthamHarry AlthamHarry 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"...
, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1926 - Derek BirleyDerek BirleySir Derek Birley was an English educator and writer who had a strong interest in sport, especially cricket.He was educated at grammar school in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, and at Queens' College, Cambridge University....
, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999 - Rowland BowenRowland BowenMajor Rowland Francis Bowen was a cricket researcher, historian and writer....
, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970 - Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volumes 3-9 (1841-1866), Lillywhite, 1862-1867