English cricket team in Australia in 1884–85

File:Ashes 3rd test Sydney 1885.jpg as the most exciting match ever played in Australia.]]

The England cricket team in Australia in 1884–85 was generally known as Alfred Shaw's XI after its main organiser. The team played 8 first-class matches, including the five matches in the Test series, winning 6 and losing 2.

Squads

The party comprised 13 players, all of them professionals: Arthur Shrewsbury, Billy Barnes, William Attewell, William Scotton, Wilfred Flowers and Alfred Shaw (all Nottinghamshire); Billy Bates, Joe Hunter, Bobby Peel and George Ulyett (all Yorkshire); Johnny Briggs (Lancashire); Maurice Read (Surrey); and James Lillywhite (Sussex).

Australia's team for the second Test showed eleven changes as a result of the 1884 touring team (who had contested the 1st Test) demanding fifty per cent of the gate money for this match. This ended Jack Blackham's run as a player in each of Australia's first 17 Test matches.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto"
style="width:50%" \| {{cr\|ENG}} ! style="width:50%" \| {{cr\|AUS\|colonial}}
style="vertical-align:top" \| Arthur Shrewsbury(c) Billy Barnes William Attewell William Scotton Wilfred Flowers Alfred Shaw Billy Bates Joe Hunter (wk) Bobby Peel George Ulyett Johnny Briggs Maurice Read James Lillywhite \| William Murdoch(c) Alec Bannerman Percy McDonnell Henry Scott Jack Blackham (wk) George Giffen George Bonnor George Palmer Harry Boyle George Alexander William Cooper Sammy Jones Sam Morris Tom Horan (c) Billy Trumble Affie Jarvis (wk) Roland Pope Percy Marr Harry Musgrove Jack Worrall William Bruce William Robertson Hugh Massie (c) Edwin Evans Frank Walters

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto"

style="width:50%" | {{cr|ENG}}

! style="width:50%" | {{cr|AUS|colonial}}

style="vertical-align:top"

Matches

=First Test=

{{Test match

| date = 12–16 December 1884
(Timeless Test)

| team1 = {{cr-rt|AUS|colonial}}

| team2 = {{cr|ENG}}

| score-team1-inns1 = 243 (149.1 overs)

| runs-team1-inns1 = Percy McDonnell 124

| wickets-team1-inns1 = Billy Bates 5/31 (24.1 overs)

| score-team2-inns1 = 369 (243.2 overs)

| runs-team2-inns1 = Billy Barnes 134

| wickets-team2-inns1 = Eugene Palmer 5/81 (73 overs)

| score-team1-inns2 = 191 (116.1 overs)

| runs-team1-inns2 = Percy McDonnell 83

| wickets-team1-inns2 = Bobby Peel 5/51 (40.1 overs)

| score-team2-inns2 = 67/2 (31 overs)

| runs-team2-inns2 = Billy Barnes 28

| wickets-team2-inns2 = Harry Boyle 1/21 (9 overs)

| result = England won by 8 wickets

| venue = Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

| umpires = Tom Cole (Aus) and Isaac Fisher (Aus)

| motm =

| report = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2912.html Scorecard]

| toss = Australia won the toss and elected to bat

| rain = 14 December was taken as a rest day

| notes = 4 balls per over

}}

=Second Test=

{{Test match

| date = 1–5 January 1885
(Timeless Test)

| team1 = {{cr-rt|ENG}}

| team2 = {{cr|AUS|colonial}}

| score-team1-inns1 = 401 (216.2 overs)

| runs-team1-inns1 = Johnny Briggs 121

| wickets-team1-inns1 = Sammy Jones 4/47 (25.2 overs)

| score-team2-inns1 = 279 (274.1 overs)

| runs-team2-inns1 = Affie Jarvis 82

| wickets-team2-inns1 = Billy Barnes 3/50 (50 overs)

| score-team1-inns2 = 7/0 (1.1 overs)

| runs-team1-inns2 = William Scotton 7*

| wickets-team1-inns2 = Alfred Marr 0/3 (1 over)

| score-team2-inns2 = 126 (114.3 overs) (f/o)

| runs-team2-inns2 = William Bruce 45

| wickets-team2-inns2 = Billy Barnes 6/31 (38.3 overs)

| result = England won by 10 wickets

| venue =Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

| umpires = Edward Elliott (Aus) and James Lillywhite (Eng)

| motm =

| report =[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2917.html Scorecard]

| toss = England won the toss and elected to bat

| rain = 4 January was taken as a rest day

| notes = 4 balls per over

}}

=Third Test=

{{Test match

| date = 20–24 February 1885
(Timeless Test)

| team1 = {{cr-rt|AUS|colonial}}

| team2 = {{cr|ENG}}

| score-team1-inns1 = 181 (167.2 overs)

| runs-team1-inns1 = Tom Garrett 51

| wickets-team1-inns1 = Wilfred Flowers 5/46 (46 overs)

| score-team2-inns1 = 133 (95.1 overs)

| runs-team2-inns1 = Wilfred Flowers 24

| wickets-team2-inns1 = Tom Horan 6/40 (37.1 overs)

| score-team1-inns2 = 165 (157 overs)

| runs-team1-inns2 = Tom Horan 36

| wickets-team1-inns2 = Billy Bates 5/24 (20 overs)

| score-team2-inns2 = 207 (111.1 overs)

| runs-team2-inns2 = Wilfred Flowers, Maurice Read 56

| wickets-team2-inns2 = Fred Spofforth 6/90 (48.1 overs)

| result = Australia won by 6 runs

| venue = Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

| umpires = Edward Elliott (Aus) and John Payne (Aus)

| motm =

| report = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2924.html Scorecard]

| toss = Australia won the toss and elected to bat

| rain = 22 February was taken as a rest day

| notes = 4 balls per over

}}

=Fourth Test=

{{Test match

| date = 14–17 March 1885
(Timeless Test)

| team1 = {{cr-rt|ENG}}

| team2 = {{cr|AUS|colonial}}

| score-team1-inns1 = 269 (126 overs)

| runs-team1-inns1 = Billy Bates 64

| wickets-team1-inns1 = George Giffen 7/117 (52 overs)

| score-team2-inns1 = 309 (169.3 overs)

| runs-team2-inns1 = George Bonnor 128

| wickets-team2-inns1 = Billy Barnes 4/61 (35.3 overs)

| score-team1-inns2 = 77 (39.1 overs)

| runs-team1-inns2 = Billy Barnes 20

| wickets-team1-inns2 = Fred Spofforth 5/30 (20 overs)

| score-team2-inns2 = 38/2 (24.3 overs)

| runs-team2-inns2 = Sammy Jones 15*

| wickets-team2-inns2 = Billy Barnes 1/15 (9 overs)

| result = Australia won by 8 wickets

| venue = Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

| umpires = Edward Elliott (Aus) and Patrick McShane (Aus)

| motm =

| report = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2926.html Scorecard]

| toss = England won the toss and elected to bat

| rain = 15 March was taken as a rest day

| notes = 4 balls per over

The match was played on two different pitches, with each team having the choice of which pitch to use for their second innings.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/anantha-narayanan-indias-36-all-out-and-other-dramatic-finishes-to-tests-1314541 |title=India's 36 all out, and other dramatic finishes to Tests |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=15 May 2022}}

}}