{
    "id": "24730",
    "author": "13",
    "cnmid": "0",
    "title": "Cricket celebrates 140th anniversary of first Test match",
    "lang": "en",
    "series": "20",
    "cup_year": "2017",
    "article_type": "General",
    "excerpt": "",
    "subtype": "",
    "editor1": "<p>Melbourne, March 15 (CRICKETNMORE): A day before India take on Australia in what has been one of the most fiercely contested rivalries over the years, Test cricket celebrated its 140th anniversary.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/gujarat-lions-squad-schedule-in-ipl-2017--24718\">IPL 2017: Gujarat Lions Squad &amp; Schedule<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The first ever Test match was played on March 15, 1877 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia won the four-day affair, which ended on March 19, by 45 runs. The fourth day, March 18, was a rest day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Australian opener Charles Bannerman was the scorer of the first run and subsequently the first hundred in the longest and most intriguing version of the gentleman&#39;s game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>It was a well-oiled English team that took on a relatively raw Australian squad who defied odds to turn the tables on their more accomplished counterparts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The match began on 1:05 PM on a Thursday with the hosts batting first. The first ball was bowled by Alfred Shaw to Bannerman, who scored the first run in the history of the game with a single before retiring hurt for 165. He had sustained an injury to the index finger of his right hand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Aussies posted a first innings total of 245 as their other batsmen collapsed around Bannerman whose score was the highest of the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For England, Shaw and James Southerton returned best bowling figures of 3\/51 and 3\/61, respectively. Southerton is still the oldest Test debutant at 49 years and 119 days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In reply, England failed to live up to their billing, managing only 196 with Billy Midwinter (5\/78) running through their batting line-up. Opener Harry Jupp top-scored for the visitors with a 241-ball 63.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Taking a 49-run lead, the Aussies struggled in the second innings and were dismissed for a meagre 104. England&#39;s Shaw turned on the heat with innings figures of 5\/38.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Chasing a target of 153, England took the Aussie route in their second essay, bundling out for just 108. Australian bowler Tom Kendall returned best figures of the match with 7\/55.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This match saw attendance surging to nearly 12,000.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In the second Test, England came back to level the series. Later this rivalry between England and Australia came to be known as the Ashes with the competition beginning 1882.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>There is previous history of cricket too involving USA, Canada and New Zealand but the contest between USA and Canada was never considered an official Test match.<\/p>\r\n",
    "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bat2.jpg",
    "alt_img": "Cricket",
    "alt_title": "Cricket celebrates 140th anniversary of first Test match",
    "image1": "",
    "video": "",
    "seo_title": "Cricket celebrates 140th anniversary of first Test match",
    "seo_desc": "Cricket celebrates 140th anniversary of first Test matchMelbourne, March 15 (CRICKETNMORE): A day before India take on Australia in what has been one of the mos",
    "seo_keywords": "Test Cricket, England Cricket Team",
    "tag": "",
    "tagging": "",
    "status": "1",
    "img_rpt": "0",
    "google": "0",
    "standout": "0",
    "edapps": "0",
    "pulse": "0",
    "no_index": "0",
    "feed": "0",
    "fixture": "0",
    "slug": "cricket-celebrates-140th-anniversary-of-first-test-match",
    "user_id": "0",
    "read_count": "0",
    "ians_date": "0000-00-00",
    "ians_time": "00:00:00",
    "server_time": "0000-00-00 00:00:00",
    "trash": "0",
    "view_count": "1901",
    "page_break": "0",
    "instant_articles": "0",
    "auto_link": "0",
    "created": "2017-03-15 17:45:00",
    "updated": "2017-03-15 17:45:00",
    "img_from": "",
    "img_source": "",
    "schedule_publish": "0000-00-00 00:00:00",
    "news_keywords": null,
    "livescore_text": null,
    "livescore_link": null,
    "btn_text": null,
    "resend_feed": "0",
    "google_feed": "0",
    "read_more": "0",
    "posted_by": "1",
    "jio_date": "2017-03-15 17:45:00",
    "scheduled": "0",
    "news_now": "1",
    "breaking_news": "0",
    "google_date": "2017-03-15 17:45:00",
    "featured": "0",
    "pred_match_id": null,
    "article_content_type": null,
    "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/cricket-celebrates-140th-anniversary-of-first-test-match-24730"
}