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On March 15, 1887, the match between Australia and England was played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the contest later got the status of the first-ever Test match played in the history of cricket. Winning the toss, Australia elected to bat first and scored 245 runs. Charles Bannerman, who got retired hurt after hitting 165, played a key role in helping the home side to post a fine total on the board. This was Bannerman’s first and only ton in the longest form of the sport. Alfred Shaw and James Southerton claimed three wickets each for England.
Following the total, England got dismissed on 196 and handed a 49-run lead to the home side. Billy Midwinter bagged a five-wicket haul to contain England. Tom Garett also picked up a couple of wickets. England opener Harry Jupp’s 63-run knock helped the visitors to go close to the 200-run mark. In the second innings, the Aussies struggled against Alfred Shaw and surrendered after putting up only 104 on the board. Shaw racked up 5/38 after bowling 34 overs.
Tom Kendall stepped up for Australia to bundle out England for 107 runs
In the second innings, England were tasked to chase 154, but Tom Kendall was too hot to handle for the visitors. Bowling 34.1 overs, he clinched 7/55 figures to help his team walk back victorious with a 45-run win.
Supporting Kendall, John Hodges also picked up two wickets. Billy Midwinter, who took a fifer in the first innings, got the crucial scalp of Harry Jupp. John Selby and George Ulyett put up some fight with their 38 and 24 respectively to help England reach 108 in the second innings and narrow the margin of defeat for their team. Recently, Cricket Australia (CA) announced Australia and England will play a one-off day-night Test game at the MCG from March 11 to 15, 2027, to commemorate 150 years of Test cricket.
