When was the first Test match played?

Test cricket is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the sport. Controlling sessions and surviving tricky phases of play to emerge victorious after a drawn-out five-day battle is what makes Test cricket a fascinating prospect.

Over the years, fans have experienced some of the best cricketing moments during Test matches. The game has evolved over centuries to become the format that we see today.

It all started more than 140 years ago, when Australia and England took part in the first Test match in the game’s history.

#OnThisDay in 1877, the first ever Test began. Australia's Charles Bannerman faced the 1st ball from England's Alfred Shaw at the @MCG. pic.twitter.com/oSgprlhNvI

— ICC (@ICC) March 15, 2017

The first Test match was played between Australia and England in Melbourne in 1877. It was Australia who won the game on that occasion, beating England by 45 runs.

Batting first, the Australians put up 245 on the board, with Charles Bannerman scoring almost all of his side’s runs with a gritty 165. A clinical bowling performance restricted England to 196, with medium-pacer Billy Midwinter picking up five wickets while bowling a mammoth 54 overs.

Australia could only manage 104 in the second innings. But it proved to be enough as England were bundled out for 108 to hand the first-ever Test victory to Australia.

A few standouts from the first-ever Test match

Birth of Test Cricket#OnThisDay in 1877, Australia and England played the first ever test match at the MCG in Melbourne.First Ball Bowled: Alfred ShawFirst Ball Faced: Charles BannermanFirst Run: Charles BannermanFirst Wicket: Allan HillFirst Hundred: Charles Bannerman pic.twitter.com/DqUyrKFT9r

— Cricketopia (@Cricketopia_) March 15, 2021

The first Test match is a fascinating event to look back on, with numerous pieces of trivia still loved by cricket fans from across the globe.

Charles Bannerman became the first Test centurion in the game’s history but ultimately had to retire with a split index finger. However, he still managed to come out to bat in the second innings.

Billy Midwinter, the man to pick up the first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, went on to play Tests for both Australia and England. He was also famously kidnapped by WG Grace in 1878, when he was due to play for Australia against Middlesex but was instead taken to play for Gloucestershire against Surrey at The Oval.

The first Test match also featured James Southerton, who made his debut at 49 years and 119 days old. That record still stands, with Southerton the oldest Test debutant in the history of the game.