The

Australian cricket team The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877, the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) an ...

toured

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in January and February 1881. The Australians played ten matches against provincial teams, nine of which fielded 22 players (the other team,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

, fielded 15) with the aim of providing more evenly-matched contests. Two further brief matches were played to fill the allotted time after a scheduled match finished early. As none of the matches were 11-a-side they are not considered to have been first-class.

The team

Billy Murdoch William Lloyd Murdoch (18 October 1854 – 18 February 1911) was an Australian cricketer who captained the Australian national side in 16 Test matches between 1880 and 1890. This included four tours of England, one of which, in 1882, gave ri ...

(captain) * George Alexander *

Jack Blackham John McCarthy Blackham (11 May 1854 – 28 December 1932) was a Test cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. A specialist wicket-keeper, Blackham played in the first Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1877 and the fam ...

* Harry Boyle * Tom Groube * Affie Jarvis *

Percy McDonnell Percy Stanislaus McDonnell (13 November 1858 – 24 September 1896
— ''

William Moule William Henry Moule (31 January 1858 – 24 August 1939) was an Australian lawyer, politician and cricketer. Cricket career Moule was a moderate batsman, useful bowler and excellent fieldsman.''The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket'', Oxf ...

Joey Palmer George Eugene Palmer (22 February 1859 – 22 August 1910) also known as Eugene Palmer and Joey Palmer, was an Australian cricketer who played in 17 Test matches between 1880 and 1886. After returning from the 1886 tour to England he damaged ...

Jim Slight James Slight (20 October 1855 – 9 December 1930) was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1880. Slight played first-class cricket as a batsman for Victoria from 1874 to 1888, but was never able to replicate at state level ...

Fred Spofforth Frederick Robert Spofforth (9 September 1853 – 4 June 1926), also known as "The Demon Bowler", was arguably the Australian cricket team's finest pace bowler of the nineteenth century. He was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets, and the fi ...

* William Tobin * J. White Only Murdoch, Blackham, Boyle and Spofforth had toured New Zealand with the Australians in 1877-78.

George Bonnor George John Bonnor (25 February 1855 – 27 June 1912) was an Australian cricketer, known for his big hitting, who played Test cricket between 1880 and 1888. Career Bonnor was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and made his international debut ...

was unable to tour owing to a leg injury, and

Alick Bannerman Alexander (usually "Alick"; also "Alec") Chalmers Bannerman (21 March 1854 – 19 September 1924) was an Australian cricketer who played in 28 Test matches between 1879 and 1893. Bannerman made his Test debut at Melbourne in 1879, joining brot ...

forwent the tour to be with his sick mother and sister in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. Moule missed the early matches owing to a hand injury he incurred in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

on the way over. Tobin played only four matches. White was a young player from the East Melbourne club who went on the tour as permanent twelfth man, but owing to injuries to the other players he ended up playing in eight matches. He batted last in all of them, never reached double figures, and did not bowl.

The matches

* Southland v Australians, the cricket ground,

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

, 17, 18 January 1881.

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

XXII 43 and 74; Australians 200. Australians won by an innings and 83 runs. Despite arriving in

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

from Australia on the morning of the match, the Australians were in good form. Spofforth (10 for 19) and Palmer (9 for 21) dispatched Southland in the first innings, and Boyle (11 for 45) and Alexander (7 for 25) in the second. Murdoch was the Australians' highest scorer with 40; no Southland player exceeded 15. As with the 1877–78 match, the newspapers referred to the local team as Invercargill, not Southland. * Otago v Australians,

Caledonian Ground The Caledonian Ground, often simply known as "The Caley", is a major sports venue in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is primarily used for football (soccer) and athletics, and has a capacity of 7,500. Location The Caledonian Ground is curren ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, 20, 21, 22 January 1881. Australians 112 and 105;

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

XXII 83 and 90. Australians won by 44 runs.

Hugh MacNeil Hugh MacNeil (26 October 1860 – 14 September 1924) was a New Zealand cricketer, golfer and businessman. Life and business career Hugh MacNeil was born in Glasgow in 1860, his parents' second son. The family migrated to Dunedin in 1865. He at ...

, who had made the highest score by either side with 28 when the Australians played Otago in 1877–78, repeated the feat this time with 44 in the second innings, and added 5 for 28 with the ball in the Australians' first innings. He received a trophy valued at ten guineas. Murdoch was the Australians' top scorer with 25 in the first innings. Spofforth and Palmer bowled unchanged, Spofforth taking 8 for 47 and 8 for 37, Palmer 12 for 33 and 11 for 39. The Australians scored slowly: just under one run per four-ball over. * Oamaru v Australians, Northern Ground,

Oamaru Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway ...

, 24, 25 January 1881. Oamaru XXII 54 and 88; Australians 118 and 18 for 0. Drawn. The Australians' train from Dunedin was delayed on the morning of the match, and consequently play did not begin that day until a quarter to two. Groube was the highest scorer on either side with 30. Again Spofforth and Palmer did all the Australians' bowling, Spofforth taking 13 for 13 and 7 for 39, Palmer 7 for 28 and 11 for 35. Rain interrupted play on the second day, depriving the Australians of the chance of victory. * South Canterbury v Australians, South Canterbury Athletic Club Ground,

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

, 26, 27 January 1881. Australians 218;

South Canterbury South Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River (the border with the Otago Region) to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the Souther ...

XXII 43 and 67. Australians won by an innings and 108 runs. The Australians arrived by train from Oamaru in the morning, and play began at one o'clock. The first day was declared a half-holiday in Timaru. Boyle top-scored for the Australians with 48. Spofforth took 11 for 11 in the first innings, including the first four wickets before South Canterbury had scored; Boyle took 11 for 37 in the second. * Canterbury v Australians,

Hagley Oval Hagley Oval is a cricket ground in Hagley Park in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1867, when Canterbury cricket team hosted Otago cricket team. Canterbury used the ground infrequentl ...

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, 29, 30, 31 January 1881. Canterbury XV 90 and 133; Australians 323. Australians won by an innings and 100 runs. Canterbury had inflicted the only defeat on the 1877–78 Australians. This time, when Canterbury were dismissed for 90 in their first innings, Murdoch wagered he would beat their total on his own; he made 111. Five other Australian batsmen made between 31 and 48. Henry Secretan was Canterbury's top-scorer with 30 not out in the first innings, batting at number six. Spofforth (12 wickets) and Palmer (14) did all the Australian bowling, sending down 141.3 four-ball overs between them. A fill-in match was played afterwards, in which the Australians made 65 for 3 and the Canterbury XV did not bat. * Wellington v Australians,

Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve (commonly known as "The Basin") is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand. It has been used for Test matches, and is the main home ground for the Wellington Firebirds first-class team. The Basin Reserve is the only cricke ...

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, 5, 7 February 1881.

XXII 82 and 68; Australians 171. Australians won by an innings and 21 runs. Again Spofforth and Palmer did all the bowling, this time sending down 117 overs. Slight was the match's top-scorer with 40; James Blacklock was Wellington's best, with 26 in the second innings. The scoring was slow: 321 runs off 267 four-ball overs. A fill-in match was played afterwards, in which a Wellington XII made 18 all out and the Australians replied in the time available with 8 for 0. * Nelson v Australians, Victory Square,

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, 9, 10 February 1881.

XXII 83 and 77; Australians 72. Drawn. Gales in

Cook Strait Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A H, ...

delayed the Australians' arrival in Nelson, and the match did not start until two o'clock on the first day. Samuel Fowler, the Nelson opener, made 30 in the first innings; no one else on either side exceeded 16. * Wanganui v Australians, Racecourse Ground,

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

, 11, 12 February 1881. Australians 49 and 83; Wanganui XXII 48 and 86 for 11. Wanganui won by 10 wickets. Blackham was injured, and the Australians played with only ten men; they were allowed a substitute to make up 11 in the field. The pitch was hard and bumpy, and the Wanganui selectors had made sure they selected the district's best fieldsmen. With 22 of them on the field at once, "their numbers and agility were too much for the Australians". Wanganui also had William Barton, who was considered the best batsman in New Zealand at the time; he scored 44 of the 85 runs Wanganui required to win. * Hawke's Bay v Australians, Nelson Cricket Ground,

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

, 16, 17, 18 February 1881.

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...

XXII 79 and 74; Australians 154. Australians won by an innings and one run. McDonnell was easily the top scorer in the match with 66. Hawke's Bay's 153 runs included 42 extras. The Australians played only ten men, as Blackham was unavailable; the locals gave them a substitute fieldsman. * Auckland v Australians,

Auckland Domain The Auckland Domain, also known as Pukekawa / Auckland Domain, is a large park in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the oldest park in the city, and at is one of the largest. Located in the central suburb of Grafton, the park land is the remains o ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, 22, 23 February 1881. Australians 144 and 117;

XXII 90 and 7 for 5. Drawn.

Dan Lynch Daniel Lynch (born June 21, 1962) is a former college and professional American football offensive guard; he attended Washington State University; he was inducted to their athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Lynch went on to a career in the venture ca ...

, who had taken 5 for 67 against the 1877-78 Australians, this time took 7 for 46 in the second innings. Slight made 51; no one else in the match exceeded 30. Palmer took 16 for 35 in the match.

Leading players

Spofforth took 148 wickets and Palmer 141. Murdoch was the top scorer and had the best average: 317 runs at 24.5. Slight made 212 runs, Boyle 203, and Spofforth 202. Hugh MacNeil's 44 for Otago and William Barton's 44 for Wanganui were the highest scores made against the Australians on their two tours of New Zealand.

References

External links

Australia in New Zealand 1880-81
at CricketArchive {{DEFAULTSORT:Australian cricket team in New Zealand in 1880-81 1881 in Australian cricket 1881 in New Zealand cricket 1881 International cricket competitions from 1844 to 1888 New Zealand cricket seasons from 1863–64 to 1889–90