The Strangers Who Came Home: The First Australian Cricket Tour of EnglandA compelling and beautifully drawn social history of the first Australian cricket tour of England 'An excellent, bustling account of the first Australian cricket XI to tour England' Independent 'A fascinating story, well told' Choice The Ashes cricket series, played out between England and Australia, is the oldest - and undoubtedly the most keenly-contested - rivalry in international sport. And yet the majority of the first representative Australian cricket team to tour England in 1878 in fact regarded themselves as Englishmen. In May of that year the SS City of Berlin docked at Liverpool, and the Australians stepped onto English ground to begin the inaugural first-class cricket tour of England by a representative overseas team. As they made their way south towards Lord's to play MCC in the second match of the tour, the intrepid tourists - or 'the strangers' as they were referred to in the press - encountered arrogance and ignorance, cheating umpires and miserable weather. But by defeating a powerful MCC side which included W.G. Grace himself in a single afternoon's play, they turned English cricket on its head. The Lord's crowd, having begun by openly laughing at the tourists, were soon wildly celebrating a victory that has been described as 'arguably the most momentous six hours in cricket history' and claiming the Australians as their own. The Strangers Who Came Home is a compelling social history which brings that momentous summer to life, telling the story of these extraordinary men who travelled thousands of miles, risking life and limb, playing 43 matches in England (as well as several in Philadelphia, America, on their return journey) during a demanding but ultimately triumphant homecoming. It reveals how their glorious achievements on the field of play threw open the doors to international sports touring, and how these men from the colonies provided the stimulus for Australian nationhood through their sporting success and brought unprecedented vitality to international cricket. |
Contents
April 187728 March 1878 | 14 |
March13 May 1878 | 31 |
Five 2427 May 1878 | 61 |
Six 2829 May 1878 | 88 |
Eight 518 June 1878 | 109 |
Nine 1923 June 1878 | 122 |
Eleven 821 July 1878 | 146 |
August7 September 1878 | 175 |
Fourteen 917 September 1878 | 190 |
September19 November 1878 | 206 |
November 187810 February 1879 | 228 |
Epilogue | 251 |
269 | |
Other editions - View all
The Strangers who Came Home: The First Australian Cricket Tour of England John Lazenby No preview available - 2015 |
The Strangers Who Came Home: The First Australian Cricket Tour of England John Lazenby No preview available - 2016 |
The Strangers Who Came Home: The First Australian Cricket Tour of England John Lazenby No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Alec Bannerman all-rounder Allan amateur appeared arrived Australian cricket Australian Eleven Australians Bailey ball batsman Billy Midwinter Billy Murdoch bowled Bramall Lane captain caught Charles Bannerman cheers claimed colonies Cricket Club Cricket Ground crowd David Gregory defeat Demon dismissed eighteen Emmett England English cricket Englishmen fast bowler field first-class four Fred Spofforth Garrett George Gloucestershire Gregory Gregory’s Horan recorded Horan wrote Hornby Hotel Jack Blackham Jack Conway James Lillywhite journey later left-arm Lillywhite’s London Lord Harris Lord’s Melbourne Cricket Middlesex Midwinter Midwinter’s miles morning Murdoch newspaper Nottingham Nottinghamshire o’clock Oval pavilion pitch play players Prince’s professionals reported runs score seven Shaw South Wales spectators Spofforth and Boyle Sporting Gazette streets struck stumps Surrey Sydney Test took tour tourists train Trent Bridge Ulyett umpire victory W. G. Grace wicketkeeper wickets Wisden Yorkshire