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Australian cricketers visited Calderdale

The Aussies come to Elland

Perhaps it didn’t quite have the flavour of the Ashes, but there was an international buzz to Calderdale cricket when an Australian touring team came to play Elland and District on June 6-8, 1878.

The Australians were even then more than a match for their regular opponents, and to even things up a bit local teams were allowed to augment their numbers, and some opponents in their home country had even fielded 22 players, without being able to win! Elland and District fielded 18 men.

Play each day started at about 12 noon and ended at 6 pm, with a break for lunch around 2 pm.

The local team won the toss and put the Australians in to bat; they set the local team a challenging total of 90. Elland and District, in reply, piled up 29, with the Elland professional, Derbyshire man G. Hay, top scoring with 9. Aussie bowler Boyle had the enviable figures of 11 wickets for 12 runs; seven of those were taken in eight balls, which included two hat-tricks! Top bowler for Elland and District was Osborne, with figures of 6-40 and 6-33.

The Australian second innings added 83 to their combined score, but the total proved too much for the Calderdale men and the match was yet another in a winning series for the Australians.

A note for cricket enthusiasts – there is a Heritage Lottery Funded Cricket Project currently under way concentrating on cricket clubs in the Calderdale and Kirklees areas. Check out the Cricket History of Calderdale and Kirklees|  website.

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