The Australia national cricket team toured New Zealand from February to April 1910 and played seven first-class matches including two against the New Zealand national cricket team. New Zealand at this time had not been elevated to Test status.

Australia won five of the seven first-class matches by comfortable margins, including the two against New Zealand. The match against Canterbury was a close draw, and the last match, against Hawke's Bay, was abandoned without any play taking place.

Background In late 1908, The New Zealand Cricket Council asked the Australian Board of Control of Cricket to consider a proposal that the Australian team selected for the 1909 Ashes tour play a series of matches in New Zealand prior to departing for England, as had been the case for the previous tour in 1904/05. The Australian Board declined this proposal and offered to send a Second Eleven team instead. The New Zealand authorities rejected this proposal on the grounds that a second-string team would not make the tour a financial success and asked the Australian Board on what terms would the Australian side visit New Zealand on their return journey from England. Again, this proposal was rejected by the Australian Board and the arrangements for the tour were pushed back to the 1909/10 season.

Team

On 14 Jan 1910 the Australian Board of Control of Cricket met and appointed a selection committee of Clem Hill, Frank Iredale and Peter McAlister to choose the touring squad and appointed Alick Mackenzie as the tour manager and Australian Board representative. The appointment of Mackenzie to this role was seen as a reward for his services to Australian cricket after a long career. The 1909/10 season was his last in competitive cricket. It was his second tour of New Zealand having previously toured with the New South Wales side in 1893/94.

The Australian Board of Control asked each state representative on the board to nominate a set number of players from their state for selection. New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia were asked to nominate six players each, while Queensland and Tasmania were asked to nominate two each. From this pool of 22 players the selectors would choose a final touring squad of 13.

Of the players initially selected, Gar Waddy and Stanley Hill were unavailable to make the tour. They were replaced in the team by Tom Warne and Charles Simpson respectively.

+Australian touring party to New Zealand 1909/10NameAgeRoleBatting StyleBowling StyleFirst-Class TeamNotesAlick Mackenzie (Manager)39Team managerRight-handed - New South WalesWarwick Armstrong (Captain)30All-rounderRight-handedRight-arm legspin VictoriaWarren Bardsley (Vice-captain)27BatterLeft-handed - New South WalesNorman Dodds33BatterRight-handed - TasmaniaSid Emery24BowlerRight-handedLegbreak googly New South WalesAshley Facy24BowlerRight-handedRight-arm fast TasmaniaCharles Gorry31Wicket-keeperRight-handed - New South WalesStanley Hill24BatterRight-handed- South AustraliaReplaced by Charles SimpsonBert Hopkins35All-rounderRight-handedRight-arm fast-medium New South WalesCharles Kelleway23All-rounderRight-handedRight-arm fast-medium New South WalesEdgar Mayne27BatterRight-handed - South AustraliaCharles Simpson27BatterRight-handedRight-arm off-spin QueenslandDave Smith25BatsmanRight-handed - VictoriaTom Warne40All-rounderRight-handedRight-arm leg-spin VictoriaGar Waddy30Wicket-keeperRight-handed New South WalesReplaced by Tom WarneBill Whitty23BowlerRight-handedLeft-arm fast-medium South Australia

The touring party was not a full-strength Australian team. Of the selected players, only Armstrong, Bardsley, Hopkins and Whitty had previously played Test cricket and no other players outside of those four had toured with the 1909 Australian team in England. Outside those four, Emery, Kelleway, Mayne and Smith went on to play Tests.

The tour The touring party left Australia on 5 February 1910, departing Sydney on the steamship Moeraki, and arrived in New Zealand at Wellington on 9 February. On the evening of their arrival the touring party were officially welcomed to Wellington at a function in the town hall hosted by Dr. Alfred Newman.

Tour itinerary DateOpponentVenueMatch typeResultNotes11-14 Feb 1910WellingtonBasin Reserve, WellingtonFirst-ClassAustralians won by 6 wickets3-day match; rest day on 13 Feb.18-21 Feb 1910AucklandAuckland Domain, AucklandFirst-ClassAustralians won by an innings and 128 runs3-day match; rest day on 20 Feb.25-28 Feb 1910CanterburyLancaster Park, ChristchurchFirst-ClassDraw3-day match; rest day on 27 Feb.5-8 Mar 1910OtagoCarisbrook, DunedinFirst-ClassAustralians won by 10 wickets3-day match; rest day on 6 Mar.11-14 Mar 1910New ZealandLancaster Park, ChristchurchFirst-ClassAustralia won by 9 wickets3-day match; rest day on 13 Mar.16-17 Mar 1910Manawatu XIIISports Ground, Palmerston NorthMinorAustralians won by an innings and 104 runs2-day match18-19 Mar 1910WanganuiCooks Gardens, WanganuiMinorAustralians won by six wickets2-day match22-23 Mar 1910Taranaki XVPukekura Park (Recreation Ground), New PlymouthMinorDraw2-day match26-29 Mar 1910New ZealandBasin Reserve, WellingtonFirst-ClassAustralia won by 162 runs3-day match; rest day on 27 Mar.1-4 Apr 1910Hawke's BayRecreation Ground, NapierFirst-ClassMatch abandoned due to rain3-day match; rest day on 3 Apr.

Match summaries

Australia v Wellington

Australia v Auckland

Australia v Canterbury

Australia v Otago

1st Unofficial Test Australia v New Zealand

Australia v Manawatu XIII

2nd Unofficial Test Australia v New Zealand

First-class statistics

Batting +NameMatchesInningsNot Outs100s50sH.S.RunsAverageEdgar Mayne61122313653259.11Warwick Armstrong68112149*39356.14Warren Bardsley6112039737541.67Dave Smith6911010220625.75Charles Kelleway681015118726.71Charles Simpson581015115522.14Sid Emery6820150*11419.00Tom Warne452015411237.33Norman Dodds35001538416.80Bill Whitty6710014538.83Charles Gorry5530011*2512.5Ashley Facy341007*175.67Bert Hopkins450008163.20

Bowling +NameMatchesBalls BowledMaidensRunsWicketsBest BowlingAverageStrike rateEconomy RateBill Whitty6131269510428/2712.1431.242.33Sid Emery655215355225/2016.1425.093.86Warwick Armstrong674527367164/5622.9446.562.96Ashley Facy336612178117/7116.1833.272.92Bert Hopkins43751716394/3418.1141.672.61Tom Warne4210615475/3722.0030.004.40Charles Kelleway62761011652/123.2055.202.52Charles Simpson5232115211/552.00232.001.34

References

External links Australia in New Zealand 1909-10 at CricHQ