First-class match

Before 1895

Before 1895, "first-class" was a common adjective applied to cricket matches in England, used loosely to suggest that a match had a high standard; adjectives like "great", "important" and "major" were also loosely applied to such matches, but there tended to be differences of opinion. According to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (Wisden): "the term 'first-class' did not become established until about 1880". In the inaugural issue of Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game on 10 May 1882, the term is used twice on page 2 in reference to the recently completed tour of Australia and New Zealand by Alfred Shaw's XI. The report says it is "taking" the first-class matches to be one against Sydney (sic); two each against Victoria, the Combined team, and the Australian Eleven; and another against South Australia. In the fourth issue on 1 June 1882, James Lillywhite refers to first-class matches on the tour, but gives a different list.