English cricket team in Australia in 1897–98

An England cricket team toured Australia in the 1897–98 season to play a five-match Test series against the Australia national cricket team. The team was captained by Andrew Stoddart and, except in the Test matches when it was called England, it was generally known as A. E. Stoddart's XI.

Stoddart only played in the third and fourth Test matches; Archie MacLaren captained England in the first, second and fifth Tests. England won the first Test comfortably by nine wickets but were emphatically defeated in each of the other four. Australia, captained by Harry Trott, therefore regained The Ashes. Australia were well served in batting by Joe Darling (he scored 537 runs, including three centuries), Clem Hill and Charlie McLeod; and in bowling by Ernie Jones, Monty Noble and Hugh Trumble. J. T. Hearne and Tom Richardson were England's most successful bowlers but the team was largely let down by its batting, with only MacLaren and Ranjitsinhji earning any distinction.

The English team played a total of 23 matches on tour: five Tests; seven first-class matches against state teams; and eleven minor matches against local teams. In the state matches, Stoddart's XI won three, drew three and lost one.[1]

Players

The English party consisted of thirteen players, twelve of whom played for England in the Test series:[2][3][4][5]

The following players represented Australia in the Test series:[6][7]

Test series summary

Australia won the Test series 4–1.

First Test

13–17 December 1897
Scorecard
v
551 (175 overs)
KS Ranjitsinhji 175
CE McLeod 3/80 (28 overs)
237 (100.1 overs)
H Trumble 70
JT Hearne 5/42 (20.1 overs)
96/1 (28 overs)
AC MacLaren 50*
TR McKibbin 1/22 (5 overs)
408 (f/o) (121 overs)
J Darling 101
JT Hearne 4/99 (38 overs)
England won by 9 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: C Bannerman and J Phillips

Second Test

1–5 January 1898
Scorecard
v
520 (185 overs)
CE McLeod 112
J Briggs 3/96 (40 overs)
315 (119.5 overs)
KS Ranjitsinhji 71
H Trumble 4/54 (26.5 overs)
150 (f/o) (65.4 overs)
AC MacLaren 38
MA Noble 6/49 (17 overs)
Australia won by an innings and 55 runs
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: C Bannerman and J Phillips
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 2 January was taken as a rest day.
  • MA Noble (AUS) made his Test debut.

Third Test

14–19 January 1898
Scorecard
v
573 (214.2 overs)
J Darling 178
T Richardson 4/164 (56 overs)
278 (126.5 overs)
GH Hirst 85
WP Howell 4/70 (54 overs)
282 (f/o) (144 overs)
AC MacLaren 124
CE McLeod 5/65 (48 overs)
Australia won by an innings and 13 runs
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: C Bannerman and J Phillips
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 16 January was taken as a rest day
  • WP Howell (AUS) made his Test debut.

Fourth Test

29 January–2 February 1898
Scorecard
v
323 (101.4 overs)
C Hill 188
JT Hearne 6/98 (35.4 overs)
174 (61.1 overs)
JR Mason 30
E Jones 4/56 (12 overs)
115/2 (39.4 overs)
CE McLeod 64*
TW Hayward 2/24 (10 overs)
263 (f/o) (114.2 overs)
KS Ranjitsinhji 55
CE McLeod 2/11 (8.2 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: C Bannerman and J Phillips
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 30 January was taken as a rest day.

Fifth Test

26 February–2 March 1898
Scorecard
v
335 (129.2 overs)
AC MacLaren 65
E Jones 6/82 (26.2 overs)
239 (100.1 overs)
CE McLeod 64
T Richardson 8/94 (36.1 overs)
178 (78.1 overs)
TW Hayward 43
H Trumble 4/37 (24 overs)
276/4 (62.4 overs)
J Darling 160
T Richardson 2/110 (21.4 overs)
Australia won by 6 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: C Bannerman and J Phillips
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 27 February was taken as a rest day

References

  1. ↑ CricketArchive – tour itinerary.
  2. ↑ CricketArchive – A. E. Stoddart's XI tour batting and fielding
  3. ↑ CricketArchive – A. E. Stoddart's XI tour bowling
  4. ↑ CricketArchive – England Test batting and fielding
  5. ↑ CricketArchive – England Test bowling
  6. ↑ CricketArchive – Australia Test batting and fielding
  7. ↑ CricketArchive – Australia Test bowling

Annual reviews

Further reading

  • Bill Frindall, The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877–1978, Wisden, 1979
  • Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993
  • Ray Robinson, On Top Down Under, Cassell, 1975
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