The
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. From 1930 ...
toured Australia in February 1899, playing two
first-class matches against state teams and two other matches. It was New Zealand's first overseas tour.
The team
Alfred Holdship, who probably would have captained the team,
George Burnes,
Wally Pearce,
Charles Richardson and
Arnold Williams were selected but were unable to make the trip.
, a former Australian player, was selected, but the
New Zealand Cricket Council
New Zealand Cricket, formerly the New Zealand Cricket Council, is the governing body for professional cricket in New Zealand. Cricket is the most popular and highest profile summer sport in New Zealand.
New Zealand Cricket operates the New Z ...
vetoed his participation on "moral" grounds.
Don Neely
Donald Owen Neely (21 December 1935 – 16 June 2022) was a New Zealand cricket historian, administrator and player. He served as president of New Zealand Cricket and wrote or co-wrote over 30 books on New Zealand cricket.
Early life
Neely wa ...
& Richard Payne, ''Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985'', Moa, Auckland, 1986, pp. 40–42.
The team that eventually toured was:
*
Thomas Cobcroft (captain)
*
Frank Ashbolt
*
James Baker
James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...
*
Charles Boxshall
*
Alexander Downes
*
Arthur Fisher
*
Stanley Frankish
*
Hugh Lusk
*
George Mills
*
Isaac Mills
*
Dan Reese
*
Arthur Sims
Sir Arthur Sims (27 July 1877 – 27 April 1969) was a New Zealand first-class cricketer, businessman and philanthropist.
Early life
Sims was born in 1877 in Lincolnshire, England, the second son of Samuel and Louisa Sims, who were farmers. In ...
*
Ernest Upham
Ernest Frederick Upham (24 March 1873 – 23 October 1935) was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Wellington from 1892 to 1910.
Cricket career
Ernie Upham bowled right-arm medium pace, batted right-handed in the lower or ...
The matches
The first two matches, in
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, were not first-class. The tourists drew an evenly matched game in Hobart against Southern Tasmania, and beat Northern Tasmania in
Launceston by 150 runs.
In the match against
Victoria at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern ...
the New Zealanders batted first and made 317, Reese top-scoring with 88. They then had Victoria 129 for 5 before a series of dropped catches and an innings of 224 by
Percy McAlister, batting at number seven, took Victoria to a total of 602. In their second innings the New Zealanders could make only 153, to lose by an innings and 132 runs.
[
At the ]Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and association f ...
against New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
the New Zealanders fared even worse. They were dismissed for 140 and took the first two New South Wales wickets cheaply, but again they dropped a series of catches, and Victor Trumper scored 253 in five and a half hours out of a New South Wales total of 588. New Zealand were then dismissed for 64, Tom McKibbin bowling unchanged through the innings to take 7 for 30.[
Baker was the highest scorer in the two first-class matches with 109 runs at an average of 27.25. Downes was the top wicket-taker with six wickets at 38.33.][
;First match
;Second match
;Third match
;Fourth match
]
References
External links
New Zealand in Australia 1898-99
at CricketArchive
Other sources
* Don Neely
Donald Owen Neely (21 December 1935 – 16 June 2022) was a New Zealand cricket historian, administrator and player. He served as president of New Zealand Cricket and wrote or co-wrote over 30 books on New Zealand cricket.
Early life
Neely wa ...
& Richard Payne, ''Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985'', Moa, Auckland, 1986, pp. 40–42.
* Dan Reese, ''Was It All Cricket?'', George Allen & Unwin, London, 1948, pp. 35–55.
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand cricket team in Australia in 1898-99
1899 in New Zealand cricket
1899 in Australian cricket
New Zealand cricket tours of Australia
Australian cricket seasons from 1890–91 to 1917–18
International cricket competitions from 1888–89 to 1918