The History of Test cricket in the period from 1884 to 1889 was one of
English dominance over the Australians. England won every Test series
that was played. The period also saw the introduction of the word
"Test", a word coined by the Press in 1885, which has remained in
common usage ever since. In 1883 England had won the first Ashes
series by beating Australia 2-1 away, though they had lost a fourth
extra Test played at the end of their Australian tour. However, this
last Test proved to be a blip as English dominance remained for the
rest of the 1880s. Of the 17 England-Australia Tests played in the
period from 1884 to 1889, England won 14, Australia 3, with 2 draws.
1889 saw the first English tour to South Africa. England won both
representative matches easily. But, although it was only recognised as
a Test nation later, after 13 years, cricket had a third Test-playing
team.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Test_cricket_%281884_to_1889%29
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1879:
Zulu forces of King Cetshwayo routed British forces at the Battle of
Isandlwana.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana)
1901:
After holding the title Prince of Wales for six decades, King Edward
VII became the second oldest man to ascend to the throne in British
history.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VII_of_the_United_Kingdom)
1905:
Russian Revolution: Peaceful demonstrators led by Father Gapon were
massacred outside the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on Bloody
Sunday.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281905%29)
1973:
Roe v. Wade: The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark legal
decision on abortion.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade)
1980:
Andrei Sakharov, a key architect of the Soviet hydrogen bomb and
winner of the 1975 Nobel Peace Prize, was arrested in Moscow and
exiled to Gorki.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know
they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general
thing." -- Robert E. Howard
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard)