The England cricket team represented England, Scotland and Wales in Test cricket. England played Australia in the first ever Test match, which took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1877. Although four touring parties of English players had visited Australia prior to 1877, the Australian team had not previously been considered strong enough to play on equal terms. The two matches between the English cricketers and the Australians were retrospectively granted Test status.

Between 1877 and 1914, when competitive cricket was interrupted by the First World War, England played 123 Test matches, resulting in 59 victories, 22 draws and 42 defeats. For much of this period, England and Australia were the only Test playing countries and played each other every year or two. In 1888–89, England toured South Africa and played two matches subsequently deemed to be Test matches. Subsequently, the sides played each other sporadically and from 1906 fixtures were played as frequently as the Ashes series. In 1912, the three sides competed in a Triangular Tournament, which was deemed a failure, partly due to a damp English summer and in part because of the perceived complexity of the tournament.

Overall, by 1914, England had played 94 Test matches against Australia and 29 versus South Africa. England won 19 matches by an innings, with their largest victory being by an innings and 230 runs against Australia during the 1891–92 Ashes series, their eighth-best innings win of all time. Their largest victory by runs alone during this period was in 1896 against South Africa, when they won by 288 runs, while they won by 10 wickets on four occasions. England's victories by one wicket during this period are two of the three occasions that England have won by this margin in Test cricket, while their 10-run win over Australia during the 1894–95 Ashes series is their third-narrowest win by runs. In the first match of the 1886–87 Ashes series, England scored their lowest ever innings score in Test cricket, 45 runs. Despite that low score, they won the match by 13 runs.

Key + Key Symbol Meaning No. (Eng.) Match number for England (i.e. 123 was England's 123rd Test match) No. (Ove.) Match number overall (i.e. 122 was the 123rd Test match) Opposition The team England was playing against Venue The cricket ground where the match was played (H) Home ground (A) Away ground Start date Starting date of the Test match Result Result of the match for England Series (result) What series the match was part of, with the result listed in brackets;England's tally first (i.e. (2–1) means that England won two matches, and their opponents won one match)

Matches + England Test cricket results between 1877 and 1914 No.(Eng.) No.(Ove.) Opposition Venue Start date Result Series (result) 1 1 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 15 March 1877 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77 (1–1) 2 2 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 31 March 1877 3 3 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 2 January 1879 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1878–79 (0–1) 4 4 The Oval, London (H) 6 September 1880 Australian cricket team in England in 1880 (1–0) 5 5 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 31 December 1881 English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1881–82 (0–2) 6 6 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 17 February 1882 7 7 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 3 March 1882 8 8 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 10 March 1882 9 9 The Oval, London (H) 28 August 1882 Australian cricket team in England in 1882 (0–1) 10 10 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 30 December 1882 1882–83 Ashes series (1–2) 11 11 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 19 January 1883 12 12 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 26 January 1883 13 13 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 17 February 1883 English cricket team in Australia in 1882–83 (0–1) 14 14 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 10 July 1884 1884 Ashes series (1–0) 15 15 Lord's, London (H) 21 July 1884 16 16 The Oval, London (H) 11 August 1884 17 17 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 12 December 1884 1884–85 Ashes series (3–2) 18 18 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1885 19 19 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 20 February 1885 20 20 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 14 March 1885 21 21 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 21 March 1885 22 22 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 5 July 1886 1886 Ashes series (3–0) 23 23 Lord's, London (H) 19 July 1886 24 24 The Oval, London (H) 12 August 1886 25 25 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 28 January 1887 1886–87 Ashes series (2–0) 26 26 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 25 February 1887 27 27 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 10 February 1888 1887–88 Ashes series (1–0) 28 28 Lord's, London (H) 16 July 1888 1888 Ashes series (2–1) 29 29 The Oval, London (H) 13 August 1888 30 30 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 30 August 1888 31 31 St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth (A) 12 March 1889 English cricket team in South Africa in 1888–89 (2–0) 32 32 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 25 March 1889 33 33 Lord's, London (H) 21 July 1890 1890 Ashes series (2–0) 34 34 The Oval, London (H) 11 August 1890 35 35 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1892 1891–92 Ashes series (1–2) 36 36 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 29 January 1892 37 37 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 19 March 1892 English cricket team in South Africa in 1891–92 (1–0) 38 38 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 24 March 1892 1891–92 Ashes series (1–2) 39 39 Lord's, London (H) 17 July 1893 1893 Ashes series (1–0) 40 40 The Oval, London (H) 14 August 1893 41 41 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 24 August 1893 42 42 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 14 December 1894 1894–95 Ashes series (3–2) 43 43 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 29 December 1894 44 44 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 11 January 1895 45 45 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 1 February 1895 46 46 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 March 1895 47 47 St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth (A) 13 February 1896 English cricket team in South Africa in 1895–96 (3–0) 48 48 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 2 March 1896 49 49 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 21 March 1896 50 50 Lord's, London (H) 22 June 1896 1896 Ashes series (2–1) 51 51 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 16 July 1896 52 52 The Oval, London (H) 10 August 1896 53 53 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 13 December 1897 1897–98 Ashes series (1–4) 54 54 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1898 55 55 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 14 January 1898 56 56 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 29 January 1898 57 57 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 26 February 1898 58 58 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 14 February 1899 English cricket team in South Africa in 1898–99 (2–0) 59 59 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 1 April 1899 60 60 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 1 June 1899 1899 Ashes series (0–1) 61 61 Lord's, London (H) 15 June 1899 62 62 Headingley, Leeds (H) 29 June 1899 63 63 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 17 July 1899 64 64 The Oval, London (H) 14 August 1899 65 65 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 13 December 1901 1901–02 Ashes series (1–4) 66 66 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1902 67 67 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 17 January 1902 68 68 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 14 February 1902 69 69 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 28 February 1902 70 70 Edgbaston, Birmingham (H) 29 May 1902 1902 Ashes series (1–2) 71 71 Lord's, London (H) 12 June 1902 72 72 Bramall Lane, Sheffield (H) 3 July 1902 73 73 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 24 July 1902 74 74 The Oval, London (H) 11 August 1902 75 78 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 11 December 1903 1903–04 Ashes series (3–2) 76 79 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1904 77 80 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 15 January 1904 78 81 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 26 February 1904 79 82 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 5 March 1904 80 83 Trent Bridge, Nottingham (H) 29 May 1905 1905 Ashes series (2–0) 81 84 Lord's, London (H) 15 June 1905 82 85 Headingley, Leeds (H) 3 July 1905 83 86 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 24 July 1905 84 87 The Oval, London (H) 14 August 1905 85 88 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 2 January 1906 English cricket team in South Africa in 1905–06 (1–4) 86 89 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 6 March 1906 87 90 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 10 March 1906 88 91 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 24 March 1906 89 92 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 30 March 1906 90 93 Lord's, London (H) 1 July 1907 South African cricket team in England in 1907 (1–0) 91 94 Headingley, Leeds (H) 29 July 1907 92 95 The Oval, London (H) 19 August 1907 93 96 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 13 December 1907 1907–08 Ashes series (1–4) 94 97 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 1 January 1908 95 98 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 10 January 1908 96 99 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 7 February 1908 97 100 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 21 February 1908 98 101 Edgbaston, Birmingham (H) 27 May 1909 1909 Ashes series (1–2) 99 102 Lord's, London (H) 14 June 1909 100 103 Headingley, Leeds (H) 1 July 1909 101 104 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 26 July 1909 102 105 The Oval, London (H) 9 August 1909 103 106 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 1 January 1910 English cricket team in South Africa in 1909–10 (2–3) 104 107 Kingsmead, Durban (A) 21 January 1910 105 108 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 26 February 1910 106 109 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 7 March 1910 107 110 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (A) 11 March 1910 108 116 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 15 December 1911 1911–12 Ashes series (4–1) 109 117 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 30 December 1911 110 118 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (A) 12 January 1912 111 119 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (A) 9 February 1912 112 120 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (A) 23 February 1912 113 122 Lord's, London (H) 10 June 1912 1912 Triangular Tournament (4–0) 114 123 Lord's, London (H) 24 June 1912 115 124 Headingley, Leeds (H) 8 July 1912 116 126 Old Trafford, Manchester (H) 29 July 1912 117 128 The Oval, London (H) 12 August 1912 118 129 The Oval, London (H) 19 August 1912 119 130 Kingsmead, Durban (A) 13 December 1913 English cricket team in South Africa in 1913–14 (4–0) 120 131 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 26 December 1913 121 132 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg (A) 1 January 1914 122 133 Kingsmead, Durban (A) 14 February 1914 123 134 St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth (A) 27 February 1914

Summary Team Total matches Home matches Away matches Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Mat Won Lost Draw W/L Australia 94 40 35 19 1.142 42 17 8 17 2.125 52 23 27 2 0.851 South Africa 29 19 7 3 2.714 6 4 0 2 – 23 15 7 1 2.142 Total 123 59 42 22 1.404 48 21 8 19 2.625 75 38 34 3 1.117

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References