Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia

To be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
31st October, 1st & 2nd November 2025

England XI v Australians 1882. Very early large sheet signed in ink by the England XI team who played the Australians at St. George’s Park, Harrogate on the 23rd to the 26th September 1882. The sheet with the ink signature of William Evans Midwinter. Victoria, Gloucestershire, Australia & England 1874-1887 to the top of the sheet and ten signatures of the England XI team below this. The signatures are William Eyton Roller (Surrey 1881-1890), Martin Bladen Hawke (Yorkshire 1881-1911), Gerald Arthur Buxton Leatham (Yorkshire 1874-1886), John Maurice Read (Surrey 1880-1895), Edward Mills Grace (Gloucestershire 1870-1896), Ephraim Lockwood (Yorkshire 1868-1884), Thomas Emmett (Yorkshire 1866-1888), George Ulyett (Yorkshire 1873-1893), Walter Raleigh Gilbert (Gloucestershire 1876-1886) and Edmund Peate (Yorkshire 1879-1887). Only lacking Martin Riley of Yorkshire (1878-1882) from the full eleven who played in the tour match. The sheet has a smaller sheet laid down to the back, some old staining, browning and age toning to the sheet otherwise in good condition. A truly wonderful rare sheet containing some very early signatures
This was the final match of the Australian tour of 1882 and the Australians won it by four wickets. The England XI batting first were bowled out for 72, Spofforth with four and Boyle with five wickets causing the damage, Emmett top scored for England with 23no. The Australians made 134 in their first innings with Bonnor top scoring with 27, Garnett 24no, Peate taking four wickets. The England XI made a better fist of their second innings and totalled 165 with Gilbert and Emmett making 36, Hawke 31, Garrett to five, Spofforth and Boyle two wickets. Australia won the match by making 195, losing six wickets, Peate taking four of them, Giffen top scored with 31. This match was played just under a month after England and Australia had played their second Test match in England at the Oval, the only Test of the series and the beginning of the ‘Ashes’ legend. Billy Midwinter, although not a member of the Australian touring party lived and played in England during the summers and played in five tour matches for various teams against the Australians, two for Gloucestershire, two for Alfred Shaw’s XI and one for the United Eleven

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