43-656: The Colombo Cricket Club ( CCC ) is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka . It is the oldest in the country, having been formed in 1863, and is headquartered at 31 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7, close to the headquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket . The idea of a gentlemen's team for British colonists in Ceylon was first mooted among the patrons of the Colombo Club- a social club for the British upper class then located at
86-415: A Europeans-only club until 1962, and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013. Players with international caps are listed in bold . Updated as on 31 July 2022 First-class cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms First-class cricket , along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket ,
129-608: A contemporary report (i.e., termed "a great match" in this case) and to have been played for a large sum of money was one in Sussex between two unnamed eleven-a-side teams contesting "fifty guineas apiece" in June 1697, a match of enormous historical significance but with no statistical data recorded. English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881%E2%80%9382 An England cricket team toured Australia, New Zealand and
172-728: A first-class match, that the ICC clearly stipulates that its match type list "is not exhaustive and is merely indicative of the matches which would fall into the first-class definition". For example, the list includes matches of recognised first-class teams versus international touring teams; and the leading domestic championships (using their then-current names) such as the County Championship , Sheffield Shield , Ranji Trophy , etc. The absence of any ICC ruling about matches played before 1947 (or before 1895 in Great Britain)
215-617: A line between what was important historically and what should form part of the statistical record. Hence, for pre-1895 (i.e., in Great Britain) cricket matches, "first-class" is essentially a statistical concept while the historical concept is broader and takes account of historical significance. Webber's rationale was that cricket was "generally weak before 1864" (there was a greater and increasingly more organised effort to promote county cricket from about that time) and match details were largely incomplete, especially bowling analyses, which hindered compilation of records. According to Webber's view,
258-628: A social club while at the same time administering a number of different sports clubs- the CCC included (alongside the CH&;FC for rugby and hockey in 1892 and the Queen's Club for tennis and squash in 1899). The CCC is thought to have been formally named with its current name sometime in 1863, and moved to Galle Face Green sometime during this period as well. In 1894, the club moved again, this time to its present address at Maitland Crescent. It remained
301-634: 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. The earliest known match scorecards date from 1744 but few have been found before 1772. The cards for three 1772 matches have survived and scorecards became increasingly common thereafter. At
344-399: Is a fairly comprehensive store of data about 19th century matches, certainly since 1825. Subsequently, Webber's view was challenged by Bill Frindall who believed that 1815 should be the startpoint to encompass the entire roundarm bowling phase of cricket's history, although roundarm did not begin in earnest until 1827. In Frindall's view, the inaugural first-class match should have been
387-438: Is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket . A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adjudged to be worthy of the status by virtue of the standard of the competing teams. Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each, although in practice a team might play only one innings or none at all. The etymology of "first-class cricket"
430-457: Is problematic for those cricket statisticians who wish to categorise earlier matches in the same way. They have responded by compiling their own match lists and allocating a strictly unofficial first-class status to the matches they consider to have been of a high standard. It is therefore a matter of opinion only with no official support. Inevitable differences have arisen and there are variations in published cricket statistics . In November 2021,
473-484: Is unknown, but the term was used loosely before it acquired official status in 1895, following a meeting of leading English clubs. At a meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) in 1947, it was formally defined on a global basis. A significant omission of the ICC ruling was any attempt to define first-class cricket retrospectively. That has left historians, and especially statisticians, with
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#1732787606249516-461: Is worth no man's while to buy or sell a match; and we may trust that the colonial vice ( sic ) will never take firm root at Lord's or at the Oval". No details of the expected scandal were given at that time. The affair dragged on for a few weeks and Lord Harris , first among the class of gentlemen of leisure, became involved by writing a letter to The Times in which he demanded "public refutation" of
559-658: The Galle Face Green (not to be confused with the 1871 club of the same name and location). The beginnings of the club proper can then be traced back to a notice in the Colombo Journal of 5 September 1832, which called for " ...gentlemen who may be inclined towards forming a Cricket Club... " to " ...meet at the Library (located in the Pettah ) at 2 o'clock precisely on the 8th instant ". Sources then differ as to
602-596: The ACS had published its Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles, 1709–1863 in which it listed all the known matches during that period which it considered to have historical importance. The ACS did stipulate that they had taken a more lenient view of importance regarding matches played in the 18th century than they did of matches played in the 19th century. As they explained, surviving details of 18th century matches are typically incomplete while there
645-464: The ACS' Important Matches guide, which have left no scorecard and for which only a brief announcement or report exists, must be based on other factors. Contemporary importance was often measured by the amount of money at stake and the fact that a match was deemed notable enough to be reported in the press. The 18th century matches in the ACS list were primarily compiled to assist historians. The earliest match known to have been accorded superior status in
688-529: The Game , published on 10 May 1882. The editor's first words were: "The new cricket season will probably begin with a scandal". He went on to bemoan his perception that, in Australia, "large sums are betted on matches" but admitted the same was true of England until about fifty years previously. After paying his respects to "the class of gentlemen of leisure" who run cricket in England, he concluded by saying that "it
731-419: The ICC and the application of ICC conditions when the match is played. In 2010, the ICC published its Classification of Official Cricket which includes the criteria with which a match must comply to achieve a desired categorisation. In the section on first-class cricket, there is a list of the types of match that should qualify. It is important to note, given the differences in opinion about what constitutes
774-463: The ICC retrospectively applied first-class status to women's cricket , aligning it with the men's game. A key issue for the statisticians is when first-class cricket for their purpose is deemed to have begun. Writing in 1951, Roy Webber argued that the majority of matches prior to 1864 (i.e., the year in which overarm bowling was legalised) "cannot be regarded as first-class" and their records are used "for their historical associations". This drew
817-463: The United States between September 1881 and March 1882. The tour was privately organised by the professional players James Lillywhite, junior , Alfred Shaw and Arthur Shrewsbury . In all matches other than Tests , the team was called A. Shaw's XI. In Australia, the tour itinerary consisted of seven first-class matches, including a four-match Test series against Australia . The Test series
860-697: The answers. In 1880, the Cricket Reporting Agency was founded. It acquired influence through the decade especially by association with Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ( Wisden ) and the press came to generally rely on its information and opinions. The term acquired official status, though limited to matches in Great Britain, following a meeting at Lord's in May 1894 between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) committee and
903-400: The beginning of the 1860s, there were only four formally constituted county clubs. Sussex was the oldest, formed in 1839, and it had been followed by Kent , Nottinghamshire and Surrey . In the early 1860s, several more county clubs were founded, and questions began to be raised in the sporting press about which should be categorised as first-class, but there was considerable disagreement in
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#1732787606249946-431: The country's highest playing standard. Later ICC rulings make it possible for international teams from associate members of the ICC to achieve first-class status but it is dependent on the status of their opponents in a given match. According to the ICC definition, a match may be adjudged first-class if: A Test match is a first-class match played between two ICC full member countries, subject to their current status at
989-643: The eventual CCC and a team fielded by the 97th Regiment of the British Army stationed in Ceylon at the time, in November 1832. The club soon became a hub for cricketing activity in the country, becoming the de facto governing body for cricket in Ceylon. The Colombo Club went through an expansion phase in 1863, becoming the Colombo Gymkhana Club , a parent/umbrella organisation that acted as
1032-604: The exact date of the formation of the club, some citing 8 September, October, or November of the same year, with all sources agreeing that a cricket club was formed sometime in 1832. The newly formed club was located in Slave Island , on the land that later became the Rifle Green (now the site of the Defence Services School ). The first officially recorded game of cricket in the country was that between
1075-627: The first Test at the turn of the year, the team went to New Zealand for seven matches before returning to Australia in February and playing the last three Tests. The tour ended on 18 March. Besides the four Tests, two matches against Victoria and one match against New South Wales have been recognised as first-class. The tour became the subject of a potential betting scandal after certain English players were implicated in rumours about receiving money to participate in match-fixing. The match in question
1118-577: The inaugural first-class match was the opening game of the 1864 season between Cambridge University and MCC at Fenner's on 12 and 13 May, Cambridge winning by 6 wickets. When the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) published its Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles in 1982, it tentatively agreed with Webber's 1864 start date by saying that "the line between first-class and other matches becomes more easily discernible about that date". A year earlier,
1161-435: The inaugural first-class match was the opening game of the 1895 season between MCC and Nottinghamshire at Lord's on 1 and 2 May, MCC winning by 37 runs. " Test match " was another loosely applied term at the time but the first list of matches considered to be "Tests" was conceived and published by South Australian journalist Clarence P. Moody in his 1894 book, Australian Cricket and Cricketers, 1856 to 1893–94 . His proposal
1204-717: The internet, the CricketArchive (CA) and ESPN Cricinfo (CI) databases both say the earliest first-class match was Hampshire v England at Broadhalfpenny Down on 24 and 25 June 1772. At that time, cricket matches were played with a two-stump wicket and exclusively underarm bowling , although other features of the modern game had been introduced. The opinion of these databases has been repudiated by both Wisden and Playfair Cricket Annual . Wisden agrees with Frindall by commencing its first-class records in 1815. Playfair supports Webber and begins its records in 1864. The status of earlier matches, including many in
1247-528: The match against Victoria in December when it was alleged that certain English players had agreed to take part in a betting scam and attempt to throw the match. Team captain Alfred Shaw suspected there was a conspiracy but his team won by 18 runs and, as he later said: "Whatever the scheme actually was, it failed". The issue became the opening topic in the inaugural issue of Cricket: A Weekly Record of
1290-527: The opening game of the 1815 season between MCC and Middlesex at Lord's on 31 May and 1 June, Middlesex winning by 16 runs. Notwithstanding Frindall's reputation, Webber's view has been revived and reinforced in recent times. For example, the Kent researcher Derek Carlaw began his study of Kent cricketers since 1806 by stating: "Part One is confined to players who appeared for Kent in important matches from 1806 to 1863 and first-class matches from 1864 to 1914". On
1333-590: The problem of how to categorise earlier matches, especially those played in Great Britain before 1895. The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) has published a list of early matches which are believed to have been of a high standard. Test cricket , the highest standard of cricket, is statistically a form of first-class cricket, though the term "first-class" is mainly used to refer to domestic competition. A player's first-class statistics include any performances in Test matches. Before 1894 "first-class"
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1376-573: The rumours became public. There were later reports of two fights on ship-board, both apparently involving Selby. In one of these, Selby allegedly assaulted Midwinter because he had refused to participate in the scam, but Midwinter got the better of him and Ulyett intervened. It is not clear if Ulyett attacked Midwinter or if he stopped the fight. The second fight allegedly involved William Scotton who had taken exception to something, and this may also have involved Selby. However, Scotton had known marital issues and his fight may well have been about that. In
1419-468: The rumours. According to Shaw, he was told that Billy Midwinter had been approached by George Ulyett and John Selby , who wanted Midwinter to take part in the scam. Victoria were in a strong position but the weather was against them and there was the strong probability that they would need to bat on a " sticky wicket " in their final innings. That is what happened and Shaw's XI surprisingly won by 18 runs after being obliged to follow on . Even so, Shaw
1462-486: The secretaries of the clubs involved in the official County Championship , which had begun in 1890. As a result, those clubs became first-class from 1895 along with MCC, Cambridge University , Oxford University , senior cricket touring teams (i.e., Australia and South Africa at that time) and other teams designated as such by MCC (e.g., North v South , Gentlemen v Players and occasional "elevens" which consisted of recognised first-class players). Officially, therefore,
1505-617: The status of teams. For example, MCC was authorised to determine the status of matches played in Great Britain. To all intents and purposes, the 1947 ICC definition confirmed the 1894 MCC definition, and gave it international recognition and usage. Hence, official judgment of status is the responsibility of the governing body in each country that is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The governing body grants first-class status to international teams and to domestic teams that are representative of
1548-459: Was Test cricket's first ever draw. Whilst this match was designated as a timeless Test, the tourists were due to depart Melbourne on the evening on 14 March in order to play a two-day match in Dunolly the following day. With rain washing out the entire fourth day's play, this resulted in Test cricket's second ever draw and Australia taking out the series 2–0. A potential scandal arose following
1591-491: 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. 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
1634-533: Was against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground , played 16–20 December 1881. In the end, nothing could be proven and the matter was eventually dropped, but not until after a degree of public discussion in English cricket. Australia and England played four Tests between 31 December 1881 and 14 March 1882. Australia won the series 2–0 with two matches drawn: Throughout the series, overs consisted of four deliveries each. Whilst this match
1677-418: Was aware that "most extravagant odds" were being offered on Victoria to win and, although he was sceptical about the allegation, he refused to let either Midwinter or Ulyett bowl. He relied mainly on Ted Peate , who was the match-winner with a return of 6/30, and used four other bowlers in support: himself, Billy Bates , Tom Emmett and Dick Barlow . The tour had ended and the players were sailing home when
1720-411: Was designated as a timeless Test , the ship that was due to take the tourists to New Zealand was set to depart on the morning of 4 January. The authorities pushed back the ship's departure time to 3:45 pm in the hope that the match would yield a result. However, it was all in vain as after 55 overs in the fourth innings Australia were still 156 runs short of their target with three wickets down. The result
1763-540: Was formally defined by the then Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) on 19 May 1947. It was made clear that the definition "will not have retrospective effect". The definition is as follows: A match of three or more days' duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class, shall be regarded as a first-class fixture. Matches in which either team have more than eleven players or which are scheduled for less than three days shall not be regarded as first-class. The Governing body in each country shall decide
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1806-534: Was widely accepted after a list of 39 matches was reproduced in the 28 December 1894 issue of Cricket magazine. The list began with the Melbourne Cricket Ground match played 15–17 March 1877 and ended with a recent match at the Association Ground, Sydney played 14–20 December 1894. All of Moody's matches, plus four additional ones, were retrospectively recognised as Test matches and also, thereby, as first-class matches. The term "first-class cricket"
1849-529: Was won 2–0 by Australia with two matches drawn. The Ashes , which began later in 1882, were not at stake. None of the matches in either New Zealand or the United States have been ascribed first-class status. The team left England in September 1881 and sailed across the Atlantic first to play five matches in the United States during October. Their first match in Australia began on 23 November. After completing
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