1881-82 Australian cricket season

This article describes the history of Australian cricket from the 1876–77 season until 1890.

An England cricket team toured Australia and New Zealand in the winter of 1876–77 and, in March 1877, took part with Australia in the first two matches to be designated as Tests.

The 1876–77 Australian cricket season focused on the touring England team and featured no first-class matches between the colonies. New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania were unable to arrange fixtures as in previous seasons. Club cricket matches were played in most of the colonies.

In 1877–78, South Australia in its inaugural first-class match defeated Tasmania by an innings and 13 runs at the Adelaide Oval, this being the initial first-class match at that famous venue. New South Wales defeated Victoria twice. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, NSW won by an innings and 6 runs. Then, in the initial first-class match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW won by 1 wicket.

The colonies continued to arrange matches against each other on an ad hoc basis through the 1880s. For details of the matches, see: Intercolonial cricket in Australia and List of Australian intercolonial cricket matches.

The lists below give the leading first-class runscorers and wicket-takers in each domestic season.

For information about the first Australian tour of England, see : Australian cricket team in England and North America in 1878

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