English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1878–79 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1878–79 An English cricket team captained by Lord Harris toured Australia and New Zealand in 1878–79 in a private tour organised by the Melbourne Cricket Club. The team's match against Australia in January 1879 was retrospectively given Test match status, making it the third Test ever and the third between Australia and England, though it was not part of The Ashes which began in 1882. Harris' tour party arrived in Australia just two months after the touring Australians had returned from England. They were scheduled to play five tour matches, two
Ron Hamence with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948 stumped for 99, his highest score for the season. According to Bradman, Hamence "fell to what everyone said was the best ball all day". Nevertheless, Australia won by an innings and 374 runs. In the following match against the South of England, Hamence made seven as Australia declared at 7/522. The match was washed out; Hamence bowled three overs without success in the hosts' only innings. Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches was the fixture against Leveson-Gower's XI. During the last tour in 1938, this team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted that