History of cricket in New Zealand to 1890

This article describes the history of New Zealand cricket to 1890.

European colonisation of New Zealand, particularly by British settlers, began in earnest after 1800. It may safely be assumed that cricket was first played there soon after the English arrived.

The earliest definite reference to cricket in New Zealand appears in 1832 in the diary of Archdeacon Henry Williams. Three years later, HMS Beagle visited the Bay of Islands on its voyage round the globe. Charles Darwin watched a game of cricket at Waimate North being played by freed Maori slaves and the son of a missionary. In The Voyage of the Beagle he wrote: "Several young men redeemed by the missionaires from slavery were employed on the farm. In the evening I saw a party of them at cricket."

The first recorded formal game of cricket in New Zealand took place in Wellington on 28 December 1842. The Wellington Spectator reported the game, played between a “Red” team and a “Blue” team from the Wellington Club. In March 1844 the Examiner in Nelson reported a match between the Surveyors of the Land Company and Nelson.

In March 1860, the first inter-provincial match was played between teams representing Wellington and Auckland. Other games soon followed but they were all one-day matches that are not considered to have been first-class.

The inaugural first-class match in New Zealand was Otago v Canterbury at the South Dunedin Recreation Ground on 27–29 January 1864. It was arranged as a 3-day match with 4-ball overs. Canterbury won the toss and decided to field but Otago won by 76 runs.

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