The Parsi tour of England in 1886 was the first

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

tour of England by a team from India. While the tour was singularly unsuccessful for the Parsis in terms of results, it paved the way for another trip by them two years later and more tours by English teams to India in the next decade.

Background

The

Parsis Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim co ...

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

were probably the earliest local community in India to take up cricket.

Vasant Raiji Vasant Naisadrai Raiji (26 January 1920 – 13 June 2020) was an Indian first-class cricketer and cricket historian. He featured in nine first class matches between 1939 and 1950. Life and career Raiji was born in Baroda. Representing a Crick ...

recounts that Parsi schoolboys were being coached in 1839 and, when they grew up, they formed the

Oriental Cricket Club The Oriental Cricket Club was a cricket club established by the Parsi community in Bombay in 1848. The origins of Indian Cricket, that is, cricket played by Indians are to be found in Bombay and the first Indian community to start playing the game ...

in 1848. In 1876, the prominent Parsi player A. B. Patel formed the Parsee Cricket Club. In 1877, the Parsis played their first match against

Bombay Gymkhana The Bombay Gymkhana, established in 1875, is one of the premiere gentlemen clubs in the city of Mumbai, India. Bombay Gymkhana Rugby Club (rugby union) are tenants. It is located in the Fort area of South Mumbai area and was originally built a ...

. The earliest plan at a tour of England by a Parsi team was made by A. B. Patel in 1878. It fell through when Patel got involved in a libel suit and was unable to proceed with the plans. A few years later, Patel, with the help of B. B. Baria and Dr Dhunjishaw Patel, made another attempt to organise the tour.

C. W. Alcock Charles William Alcock (2 December 1842 – 26 February 1907) was an English sportsman, administrator, author and editor. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of ...

, the Secretary of the Surrey Cricket Club served as the agent for the team in England. Robert Henderson, a Surrey professional, acted as the coach.

The team

The members of the team were : * Dr D. H. Patel (captain) * B. P. Balla * M. P. Banaji * B. B. Baria * S. Bejonji * S. N. Bhedwar * P. D. Dastur * M. Framji * S. H. Harvar * D. D. Khambatta * A. R. Limboowala * A. C. Major * P. C. Major * J. M. Morenas * J. Pochkhanavala

The tour

The Parsi team was essentially made up of enthusiasts who were willing to pay their own expenses for the tour. Dhunjishaw Patel, a fast underarm bowler and decent batsman, captained the side. In terms of results, the team made little impression. Of the twenty-eight matches, they won only one and lost 19. After a three-week voyage, the Parsis played their first match on May 24 against the Lord Sheffield's XI. The second match of the tour was against

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

(MCC) for whom

W. G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English Amateur status in first-class cricket, amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played ...

played at the request of the tourists. Parsis went on to lose by an innings and 224 runs, Grace scored 65 and took 11 wickets for 44 runs in the match. Most of the matches were similarly one-sided. The Parsis crossed 200 only once and scored only four fifties among them. Two notable performances in bowling were Shapurjee Bhedwar's

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

and 6 for 27 against Chiswick and Ashton. The only victory was on first innings against Normanhurst in a one-day game. The last match of the tour at Cumberland Lodge against Prince Christian Victor's XII was arranged on the express desire of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. Prince Victor and his brother Prince Albert took part in the game. At the end of the match a garden party was held in honour of the guests. The team left England on August 24.

Match scores

1. May 24–25 at Sheffield Park : Lord Sheffield XI 142 Parsis 46 and 53/4 :Match drawn 2. May 27–28 at Lord's : MCC 313 Parsis 23 and 66 :MCC won by an innings and 224 runs 3. May 31 - June 1 at The Oval : Surrey Cricket Club and Ground 314 Parsis 35 and 115 :Surrey Cricket Club and Ground won by an innings and 164 runs 4. June 2–3 at Battersea : Prince's XI 71 and 229 Parsis 146 and 78 :Prince's XI won by 76 runs 5. June 4–5 at Chiswick Park : Parsis 74 and 87 Chiswick Park 95 and 71 for 3 :Chiswick Park won by seven wickets 6. June 7–8 at Leyton : Parsis 69 and 109 Essex Club and Ground 514 :Essex Club and Ground won by an innings and 339 runs 7. June 9–10 at Harrogate : Harrogate 211 Parsis 85 and 103 :Harrogate won by an innings and 13 runs 8. June 11–12 at Ashton-under-Lyne : Parsis 71 and 71 Ashton-under-Lyne 176 :Ashton-under-Lyne won by an innings and 34 runs 9. June 14–15 at Derby : Derbyshire Cricket Club and Ground 342 Parsis 62 and 12 for 3 :Match drawn 10. June 16–17 at Leicester : Parsis 59 and 156 Gentlemen of Leicestershire 239 :Gentlemen of Leicestershire won by an innings and 24 runs 11. June 18–19 at Elland : Elland 162 and 125 Parsis 109 and 7 for 3 :Match drawn 12. June 21–22 at Hull : Parsis 56 and 107 Hull 129 and 35 for 3 :Hull won by seven wickets 13. June 23–24 at Middlesbrough : North Riding of Yorkshire 583 Parsis 212 :Match drawn 14. June 25–26 at Scarborough : Parsis 145 Scarborough 497 :Match drawn 15. June 28–29 at Edinburgh : Parsis 89 and 61 Gentlemen of Scotland 173 :Gentlemen of Scotland won by an innings and 23 runs 16. July 2–3 at Oldham : Parsis 93 and 19 Werneth CC 190 :Werneth won by an innings and 80 runs 17. July 5–6 at Liverpool : Parsis 89 and 157 Liverpool Club and Ground 482 :Liverpool Club and Ground won by an innings and 236 runs 18. July 7–8 at Edgbaston : Parsis 64 and 109 Warwickshire Club and Ground 333 :Warwickshire Club and Ground won by an innings and 160 runs 19. July 9–10 at Huddersfield : Huddesrfield 302 Parsis 75 and 59 for 2 :Match drawn 20. July 12–13 at Nottingham : Gentlemen of Nottinghamshire 248 Parsis 105 and 71 for 4 :Match drawn 21. July 14–15 at Southampton : Hampshire Club and Ground 288 Parsis 107 and 145 :Hampshire Club and Ground won by an innings and 36 runs 22. July 16–17 at Portsmouth : United Services 377 Parsis 212 :Match drawn 23. July 19–20 at Hastings : Hastings 234 Parsis 96 and 115 :Hastings won by an innings and 23 runs 24. July 22 at Catsfield : Parsis 126 and 29 for 6 Normanhurst 81 :Parsis won by 45 runs on first innings 25. July 23–24 at Gravesend : Gentlemen of North Kent 340 Parsis 133 and 132 :Gentlemen of North Kent won by an innings and 75 runs 26. July 30–31 at Northampton : Gentlemen of Northamptonshire 263 Parsis 25 and 176 :Gentlemen of Northamptonshire won by an innings and 62 runs 27. August 2–3 at Brighton : Sussex CCC 360 Parsis 94 and 97 :Sussex CCC won by an innings and 169 runs 28. August 7 at Cumberland Lodge : Prince Christian Victor's XII 90 and 95 for 2 Parsis XII 33 :Prince Christian Victor's XII won by 37 runs on first innings.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * {{International cricket tours of England 1886 in English cricket 1886 in Indian cricket 1886 in sports Parsi 1886 International cricket competitions from 1844 to 1888 May 1886 events June 1886 sports events July 1886 events August 1886 events