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Early Cricket History - how it is supposed to have got its name etc.  
The Ashes story:  Notts professional bowler Alfred Shaw bowled the first ball
bowled in test cricket at 1:05pm on March 15th 1877, Charles Bannerman faced it
for Australia. The first run was scored off the second ball by Bannerman.
Bannerman then went on to score the first century in Test cricket, and the only one
of his career. Australia's batting was unimpressive and when Bannerman retired hurt
he had scored 165 from a total of 240 and final total of 245. England were then
dismissed for 196, William Midwinter taking 5 for 78.
Bannerman's innings is remarkable in that he scored 67.3% of his sides total, a
record that still stands today. In the second innings, things looked better for the
touring side after bowling Australia out for 104 runs, leaving England to score 153
to win the match. However England's batting failed and Australia won the first ever
test match by 45 runs.
It wasn't until 5 years later that the most famous of all cricketing competitions
sprung into life after England's early dominance of the sport wavered and Australia
won its first Test series - The Ashes were born    Gradually other countries entered
the Test arena, including Pakistan, West Indies, India and Pakistan and today's new
boys Bangladesh.

Early Cricket History - how it is supposed to have got its name etc.  
The Ashes story:  Notts professional bowler Alfred Shaw bowled the first ball
bowled in test cricket at 1:05pm on March 15th 1877, Charles Bannerman faced it
for Australia. The first run was scored off the second ball by Bannerman.
Bannerman then went on to score the first century in Test cricket, and the only one
of his career. Australia's batting was unimpressive and when Bannerman retired hurt
he had scored 165 from a total of 240 and final total of 245. England were then
dismissed for 196, William Midwinter taking 5 for 78.
Bannerman's innings is remarkable in that he scored 67.3% of his sides total, a
record that still stands today. In the second innings, things looked better for the
touring side after bowling Australia out for 104 runs, leaving England to score 153
to win the match. However England's batting failed and Australia won the first ever
test match by 45 runs. It wasn't until 5 years later that the most famous of all
cricketing competitions sprung into life after England's early dominance of the
sport wavered and Australia won its first Test series - The Ashes were born    
Gradually other countries entered the Test arena, including Pakistan, West Indies,
India and Pakistan and today's new boys Bangladesh.