Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanacks,
Football & Sporting Memorabilia

Held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
22nd, 23rd & 24th March 2024

Australian Aboriginals tour to England 1868. Very rare early original scorecard from the first ever tour of an overseas team to England. The scorecard with complete printed scores for the ‘Grand Cricket Match between the Australian Eleven and the Nottingham Commercial Club’, 3rd & 4th August 1868. Nottingham elected to bat first and made 91, Charles Lawrence taking 5/57 for the Australians who replied with 76, Cuzens top scorer with 43. Nottingham then compiled an impressive second innings total of 372, George Royle with 100no, Robert Tolley 51, Cuzens taking 5/82. The Australians then ended 57/4 and the match was drawn. Printed on the ground by George Richards of Nottingham. 4.75”x6.5”. Loss to top right corner, other odd nicks and age toning, otherwise in good/ very good condition. A scorecard from this inaugural tour has not previously been sold by the auctioneer.
The first Australian cricket team to tour England were the Aboriginal team of 1868. Captained by Charles Lawrence, a former Surrey player, they were otherwise comprised entirely of thirteen Aborigines who played under the nicknames of Mullagh, Cuzens, Bullocky, Red Cap, Twopenny, King Cole, Tiger, Dick-a-Dick, Peter, Charley, Mosquito, Jim Crow and Sundown. They boarded the ship, Paramatta, at Sydney on the 8th February 1868 and sailed for England arriving at Gravesend on the 13th May 1868. Whilst in England they played forty seven matches in twenty two weeks winning fourteen, drawing eighteen and losing fifteen of the matches played. Apart from playing the cricket matches they gave exhibitions of spear and boomerang throwing and other sports. Their matches proved very popular, with 5,000 spectators attending the more important games. According to Haygarth it was a very lucrative speculation.

Back to top