English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881–82 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881–82 The 1881–82 Australia v England Test series was part of a first-class cricket tour of Australia, New Zealand and the United States by an England team led by Alfred Shaw. The four matches between Australia and the England team were later classified as Test matches, but are included in The Ashes which began later in 1882. The English tourists also played three other first-class matches in Australia. The team travelled across the Atlantic first and played five matches in the USA during October. Their first match in Australia began on
United South of England Eleven series when the USEE played against the official North of England cricket team on 6 & 7 September 1880. The North's team in this match at Rotherham bore little resemblance to the UNEE but, nevertheless, the official North hammered another nail into the coffin of the unofficial USEE with a 53 run victory. The USEE had earlier played in two other first-class matches. These were in June 1874, when they played Yorkshire in Bradford; and May 1876 when they played the All-England Eleven (AEE) at Lord's. The USEE lost both these matches. Yorkshire beat them by 26 runs. They lost