United North of England Eleven
Encyclopedia
The United North of England Eleven (UNEE) was an itinerant cricket
team founded in 1869 by George Freeman
and Roger Iddison
with the backing of Lord Londesborough
who became the team's president. As its name suggests, its purpose was to bring together the best players of England's northern counties and play against all-comers. The team was thus one of several spinoffs from William Clarke's original All-England Eleven
(AEE).
Unfortunately for the team, it was founded at a time when the demand for exhibition matches was in decline. This was due to an excess of supply as there had been several predecessors and there was a greater interest in county cricket, which had developed in the 1860s. Another factor was competition, particularly from the United South of England Eleven
(USEE) which featured cricket's main attraction W G Grace. The UNEE had a short existence and it folded in 1881.
in July 1870 by an innings and 70 runs. The team was:
In the next match at Bramall Lane
, Sheffield, the UNEE won by an innings and 5 runs. The Graces did not play in this game. The UNEE team differed slightly with John Smith and Elisha Rawlinson
replacing Coward and Wootton. The teams met again at The Oval in August and this match was drawn, the USEE needing 33 more to win with eight wickets standing and W G Grace still in with 51 not out. Wootton and Alfred Shaw
replaced Atkinson and Rawlinson in the UNEE side.
In 1871, the UNEE did not play the USEE but did have one match against the AEE at Bolton
in July. Although the UNEE had been reinforced by the addition of A N Hornby and Fred Morley
, they were well beaten by an innings and 21 runs.
The UNEE's rivalry with the USEE was renewed in 1872 when four matches were arranged although the last one at Leeds in September was cancelled. The first match at Bishop's Stortford
in June was drawn. Robert Carpenter
, William Oscroft
, John Hicks
and James Shaw
made first appearances for the UNEE. In August, the UNEE won by 8 wickets at Hunslet
, Arnold Rylott making his first appearance. In September, the tide turned and the USEE recorded its first win over the UNEE by 8 wickets despite the addition of Thomas Hayward
and Richard Daft
to the UNEE team.
The elevens did not meet in 1873 and there were two matches in 1874 at Todmorden
and Wellingborough
. William Mycroft
made his UNEE debut at Todmorden in July, when the USEE won convincingly by an innings and 30 runs, largely due to a century by Henry Charlwood
and ten wickets taken by W G Grace. The USEE won by 9 wickets at Wellingborough in September after the UNEE followed on. Tom Emmett and Robert Smith
joined the UNEE for this match.
There were no matches in 1875 and then the UNEE reasserted itself in 1876 with a win and a draw from two matches against the USEE. The first at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield was won by 7 wickets after Andrew Greenwood
scored 111. George Ulyett
was playing for the UNEE by now and the team at Huddersfield included three newcomers in David Eastwood
, Joseph Blackburn
and Robert Clayton
. In the second match at the Town Cricket Club Ground
in Hull
, the UNEE was saved by an innings of 108 not out by Ephraim Lockwood
but the highlight of the match was W G Grace's innings of 126 in a USEE total of only 159. William Oscroft
and Arthur Shrewsbury
made their UNEE debuts and, with Alfred Shaw
and Fred Morley
returning, there was a strong Nottinghamshire contingent. Robert Butler and John Tye
also made first appearances.
That was the last time the UNEE played the USEE although there was a curious footnote to the series when the USEE played against the official North of England cricket team
in 1880. The North's team in this match at Rotherham
bore little resemblance to the UNEE with only Shrewsbury and Mycroft involved. Nevertheless, the official North hammered another nail into the coffin of the unofficial USEE with a 53 run victory.
's XI at Holbeck
was a first-class
match. The UNEE team was:
In 1871, the UNEE played seven matches, followed by seven in 1872; seven in 1873; two in 1874 and then just one match in 1875, although this one was a first-class fixture against Derbyshire
at Saltergate in Chesterfield
. The UNEE defeated Derbyshire by 90 runs with an all-Yorkshire team:
With interest fading, the team struggled on and played one odds match at Saltaire
in 1876. There were no matches at all in 1877 and then something of a revival in 1878 when they played eight, followed by nine in 1879. The last of the UNEE's first-class matches was played in June 1879 against a London United Eleven at Birmingham. The UNEE team in this match was very strong:
They easily defeated their weaker opponents by 160 runs, but public interest was on the wane as county and, after the 1878 Australian team had toured England, international cricket were greater attractions. The UNEE continued to play odds matches for another two seasons only. There were just two in 1880 and one in 1881, which was the UNEE's final recorded match at Skipton
in June.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team founded in 1869 by George Freeman
George Freeman (cricketer)
George Freeman was an English first-class cricketer. He made thirty two appearance for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1865 to 1880...
and Roger Iddison
Roger Iddison
Roger Iddison was an English cricketer, and the original captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He made seventy two first-class appearances for Yorkshire between 1855 and 1876, scoring 1,916 runs at an average of 20.60, and taking 102 wickets at 15.09.Born in Bedale, Yorkshire to Roger and Jane...
with the backing of Lord Londesborough
William Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough
William Henry Forester Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough , known as The Lord Londesborough from 1860 to 1887, was a British peer and Liberal politician. He was also one of the main founders of Scarborough FC....
who became the team's president. As its name suggests, its purpose was to bring together the best players of England's northern counties and play against all-comers. The team was thus one of several spinoffs from William Clarke's original All-England Eleven
William Clarke's All-England Eleven
The All-England Eleven was an itinerant all-professional first-class cricket team created in 1846 by Nottinghamshire cricketer William Clarke. Widely known by its acronym AEE, it took advantage of opportunities offered by the newly developed railways to play against local teams throughout Great...
(AEE).
Unfortunately for the team, it was founded at a time when the demand for exhibition matches was in decline. This was due to an excess of supply as there had been several predecessors and there was a greater interest in county cricket, which had developed in the 1860s. Another factor was competition, particularly from the United South of England Eleven
United South of England Eleven
The United South of England Eleven was an itinerant cricket team founded in November 1864 by Edgar Willsher, as secretary, and John Lillywhite, as treasurer....
(USEE) which featured cricket's main attraction W G Grace. The UNEE had a short existence and it folded in 1881.
UNEE matches against the AEE and the USEE
As soon as it was founded, the UNEE established a regional rivalry with the USEE and the two teams met three times in 1870, the UNEE's first season. The UNEE got off to a flying start when they easily beat the USEE, including the Graces, at Lord'sLord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
in July 1870 by an innings and 70 runs. The team was:
- Roger IddisonRoger IddisonRoger Iddison was an English cricketer, and the original captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He made seventy two first-class appearances for Yorkshire between 1855 and 1876, scoring 1,916 runs at an average of 20.60, and taking 102 wickets at 15.09.Born in Bedale, Yorkshire to Roger and Jane...
(captain), George FreemanGeorge Freeman (cricketer)George Freeman was an English first-class cricketer. He made thirty two appearance for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1865 to 1880...
, Ephraim LockwoodEphraim LockwoodEphraim Lockwood was an English first-class cricketer, and captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1876 and 1877 seasons.-Life and career:...
, Thomas BignallThomas BignallThomas Bignall was an English cricketer who played first-class matches for Nottinghamshire between 1863 and 1878 as a right-handed batsman and very occasional fast bowler....
, George AtkinsonGeorge Atkinson (cricketer)George Robert Atkinson was an English cricketer, best known for playing in 62 matches of first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1863 and 1870.-Career:...
, Joseph RowbothamJoseph RowbothamJoseph Rowbotham was an English first-class cricketer, who played six matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, in their pre-county incarnation from 1861 and 1862, and 94 for them as a full county club from 1863 to 1876...
, George Howitt, Luke GreenwoodLuke GreenwoodLuke Greenwood was an English first-class cricketer, who played 48 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1861 to 1874...
, Thomas Plumb, Cornelius CowardCornelius CowardCornelius Coward was an English cricketer. A talented fielder and right-handed batsman, popularly known as Kerr, Coward played 49 first class matches for Lancashire Cricket Club between 1865 and 1876...
, George WoottonGeorge WoottonGeorge Wootton was an English cricketer. He was born in Nottingham and played first class cricket for the county of his birth from 1861 to 1871. He also represented MCC from 1862 to 1873 and played several first class games in other matches. A prolific left-arm fast bowler, he took 983 wickets...
.
In the next match at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, Sheffield, the UNEE won by an innings and 5 runs. The Graces did not play in this game. The UNEE team differed slightly with John Smith and Elisha Rawlinson
Elisha Rawlinson
Elisha Barker Rawlinson was an English first-class cricketer, who played one first-class match for Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1867, thirty seven for Yorkshire between 1867 and 1875, six for the United North of England Eleven from 1870 to 1874, plus one game for the North of England in 1875...
replacing Coward and Wootton. The teams met again at The Oval in August and this match was drawn, the USEE needing 33 more to win with eight wickets standing and W G Grace still in with 51 not out. Wootton and Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw was an eminent Victorian cricketer and rugby footballer, who bowled the first ball in Test cricket and was the first to take five wickets in a Test innings . He who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888...
replaced Atkinson and Rawlinson in the UNEE side.
In 1871, the UNEE did not play the USEE but did have one match against the AEE at Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
in July. Although the UNEE had been reinforced by the addition of A N Hornby and Fred Morley
Fred Morley
Frederick Morley was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime...
, they were well beaten by an innings and 21 runs.
The UNEE's rivalry with the USEE was renewed in 1872 when four matches were arranged although the last one at Leeds in September was cancelled. The first match at Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire in England. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway, on the county boundary with Essex and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport and part of the...
in June was drawn. Robert Carpenter
Robert Carpenter (cricketer)
Robert Pearson Carpenter was a noted English cricketer and umpire.A right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper, he played for Cambridgeshire during its brief period as a first-class county in the 1850s and 1860s, as well as for the United All-England Eleven...
, William Oscroft
William Oscroft
William Oscroft was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1864 to 1882...
, John Hicks
John Hicks (cricketer)
John Hicks was an English first-class cricketer, who played fifteen games for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1872 and 1876...
and James Shaw
James Shaw (cricketer)
James Shaw was an English first-class cricketer, who played three matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1896 and 1897....
made first appearances for the UNEE. In August, the UNEE won by 8 wickets at Hunslet
Hunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
, Arnold Rylott making his first appearance. In September, the tide turned and the USEE recorded its first win over the UNEE by 8 wickets despite the addition of Thomas Hayward
Thomas Hayward (cricketer)
Thomas Hayward was a Cambridgeshire and All-England Eleven cricketer who was generally reckoned to be one of the outstanding batsmen of the 1850s and 1860s. In the early 1860s, he and Robert Carpenter, his Cambridgeshire colleague, were rated as the two finest batsmen in England...
and Richard Daft
Richard Daft
Richard Daft was an English cricketer. He was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his first-class career being the 1860s and early 1870s...
to the UNEE team.
The elevens did not meet in 1873 and there were two matches in 1874 at Todmorden
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
and Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
. William Mycroft
William Mycroft
William Mycroft was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire and MCC between 1873 and 1886. He was a left-arm fast bowler with a great deal of spin and a dangerous yorker that was often believed to be unfair - which may explain why he was not considered for the earliest...
made his UNEE debut at Todmorden in July, when the USEE won convincingly by an innings and 30 runs, largely due to a century by Henry Charlwood
Henry Charlwood
Henry Rupert James Charlwood played cricket professionally for England in the first two Test matches ever played, which were against Australia in 1877. Charlwood was a top order batsman and occasional lob bowler.-References:**-External links:*...
and ten wickets taken by W G Grace. The USEE won by 9 wickets at Wellingborough in September after the UNEE followed on. Tom Emmett and Robert Smith
Robert Smith (cricketer)
Robert Posnett Smith , later known as Robert Posnett Stevens, was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire between 1871 and 1884 and was captain of the side from 1876 to 1883...
joined the UNEE for this match.
There were no matches in 1875 and then the UNEE reasserted itself in 1876 with a win and a draw from two matches against the USEE. The first at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield was won by 7 wickets after Andrew Greenwood
Andrew Greenwood
Andrew Greenwood was an English cricketer, who played in the first two cricket Tests. Greenwood was small in height, but a gutsy batsman, who was also noted for his fielding in the deep....
scored 111. George Ulyett
George Ulyett
George Ulyett was an English all-round cricketer, noted particularly for his very-aggressive batsmanship. A well-liked man , Ulyett was popularly known as "Happy Jack", once musing memorably that Yorkshire played him only for his good behaviour and his whistling...
was playing for the UNEE by now and the team at Huddersfield included three newcomers in David Eastwood
David Eastwood (cricketer)
David Eastwood was an English first-class cricketer, who played twenty nine matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1870 and 1877....
, Joseph Blackburn
Joseph Blackburn (cricketer)
Joseph Scott Blackburn was an English first-class cricketer. A right arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman, he played for Yorkshire, in six matches in 1876 and 1877...
and Robert Clayton
Robert Clayton (cricketer)
Robert Owen Clayton was a Welsh first-class cricketer.Born Penygroes, Caernarvonshire, Clayton was a right arm fast bowler, he played 70 matches for Yorkshire between 1870 and 1879, and 121 in all, with 33 appearances for the MCC between 1872 and 1881, plus appearances for the North of England ,...
. In the second match at the Town Cricket Club Ground
Town Cricket Club Ground
The Town Cricket Club Ground on Argyle Street in Hull, England hosted four first class matches from 1875 to 1879.North and South England XIs clashed on three occasions while Yorkshire CCC played Surrey CCC in a county fixture in the last match held there....
in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, the UNEE was saved by an innings of 108 not out by Ephraim Lockwood
Ephraim Lockwood
Ephraim Lockwood was an English first-class cricketer, and captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1876 and 1877 seasons.-Life and career:...
but the highlight of the match was W G Grace's innings of 126 in a USEE total of only 159. William Oscroft
William Oscroft
William Oscroft was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1864 to 1882...
and Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...
made their UNEE debuts and, with Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw was an eminent Victorian cricketer and rugby footballer, who bowled the first ball in Test cricket and was the first to take five wickets in a Test innings . He who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888...
and Fred Morley
Fred Morley
Frederick Morley was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime...
returning, there was a strong Nottinghamshire contingent. Robert Butler and John Tye
John Tye
John Tye was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1874 and 1875 and for Nottinghamshire from 1876 to 1881....
also made first appearances.
That was the last time the UNEE played the USEE although there was a curious footnote to the series when the USEE played against the official North of England cricket team
North of England cricket team
The North of England appeared in first-class cricket between 1836 and 1961, most often in the showcase North v. South matches against the South of England although there were also games against touring teams, MCC and others....
in 1880. The North's team in this match at Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
bore little resemblance to the UNEE with only Shrewsbury and Mycroft involved. Nevertheless, the official North hammered another nail into the coffin of the unofficial USEE with a 53 run victory.
Other matches
The team played 15 other matches in its first season, 1870, mostly in the north. The majority were minor matches played against odds while the last of the season, against Richard DaftRichard Daft
Richard Daft was an English cricketer. He was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his first-class career being the 1860s and early 1870s...
's XI at Holbeck
Holbeck
Holbeck is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 Leeds postcode area. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is the only motorway that passes through the area since...
was a first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match. The UNEE team was:
- Roger IddisonRoger IddisonRoger Iddison was an English cricketer, and the original captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He made seventy two first-class appearances for Yorkshire between 1855 and 1876, scoring 1,916 runs at an average of 20.60, and taking 102 wickets at 15.09.Born in Bedale, Yorkshire to Roger and Jane...
(captain), George FreemanGeorge Freeman (cricketer)George Freeman was an English first-class cricketer. He made thirty two appearance for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1865 to 1880...
, Ephraim LockwoodEphraim LockwoodEphraim Lockwood was an English first-class cricketer, and captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1876 and 1877 seasons.-Life and career:...
, George PinderGeorge Pinder (cricketer)George Pinder was an English first-class cricketer.His birth name was George Pinder Hattersley and he was born in Ecclesfield, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. A wicket-keeper, he played for Yorkshire from 1867 to 1880, and for the All-England Eleven from 1867 to 1871...
(wicket-keeper), John Smith, Thomas BignallThomas BignallThomas Bignall was an English cricketer who played first-class matches for Nottinghamshire between 1863 and 1878 as a right-handed batsman and very occasional fast bowler....
, George AtkinsonGeorge Atkinson (cricketer)George Robert Atkinson was an English cricketer, best known for playing in 62 matches of first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1863 and 1870.-Career:...
, Joseph RowbothamJoseph RowbothamJoseph Rowbotham was an English first-class cricketer, who played six matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, in their pre-county incarnation from 1861 and 1862, and 94 for them as a full county club from 1863 to 1876...
, Elisha RawlinsonElisha RawlinsonElisha Barker Rawlinson was an English first-class cricketer, who played one first-class match for Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1867, thirty seven for Yorkshire between 1867 and 1875, six for the United North of England Eleven from 1870 to 1874, plus one game for the North of England in 1875...
, Luke GreenwoodLuke GreenwoodLuke Greenwood was an English first-class cricketer, who played 48 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1861 to 1874...
, George Howitt.
In 1871, the UNEE played seven matches, followed by seven in 1872; seven in 1873; two in 1874 and then just one match in 1875, although this one was a first-class fixture against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
at Saltergate in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
. The UNEE defeated Derbyshire by 90 runs with an all-Yorkshire team:
- Joseph RowbothamJoseph RowbothamJoseph Rowbotham was an English first-class cricketer, who played six matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, in their pre-county incarnation from 1861 and 1862, and 94 for them as a full county club from 1863 to 1876...
(captain), John Thewlis seniorJohn Thewlis SeniorJohn Thewlis senior was an English first-class cricketer, who played in forty four matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and fifty six first-class matches in all between 1862 and 1875...
, Charles UllathorneCharles UllathorneCharles Edward Ullathorne was an English first-class cricketer, who played twenty seven matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1868 to 1875, three for the United North of England Eleven from 1872 to 1875, and once for the North of England in 1875.Ullathorne was born in Kingston upon Hull,...
, George PinderGeorge Pinder (cricketer)George Pinder was an English first-class cricketer.His birth name was George Pinder Hattersley and he was born in Ecclesfield, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. A wicket-keeper, he played for Yorkshire from 1867 to 1880, and for the All-England Eleven from 1867 to 1871...
(wicket-keeper), Ephraim LockwoodEphraim LockwoodEphraim Lockwood was an English first-class cricketer, and captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1876 and 1877 seasons.-Life and career:...
, Luke GreenwoodLuke GreenwoodLuke Greenwood was an English first-class cricketer, who played 48 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1861 to 1874...
, George UlyettGeorge UlyettGeorge Ulyett was an English all-round cricketer, noted particularly for his very-aggressive batsmanship. A well-liked man , Ulyett was popularly known as "Happy Jack", once musing memorably that Yorkshire played him only for his good behaviour and his whistling...
, Tom Emmett, Andrew GreenwoodAndrew GreenwoodAndrew Greenwood was an English cricketer, who played in the first two cricket Tests. Greenwood was small in height, but a gutsy batsman, who was also noted for his fielding in the deep....
, Tom ArmitageTom ArmitageThomas Armitage was an English cricketer, who played in two Tests for England. He holds the distinction, alphabetically sorted, of being the first capped England player.-Life and career:...
, Allen HillAllen HillAllen Hill played in the first-ever cricket Test, taking the first wicket. Hill also went on to umpire in the Test match played at Lord's in 1890....
.
With interest fading, the team struggled on and played one odds match at Saltaire
Saltaire
Saltaire is a Victorian model village within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...
in 1876. There were no matches at all in 1877 and then something of a revival in 1878 when they played eight, followed by nine in 1879. The last of the UNEE's first-class matches was played in June 1879 against a London United Eleven at Birmingham. The UNEE team in this match was very strong:
- George PinderGeorge Pinder (cricketer)George Pinder was an English first-class cricketer.His birth name was George Pinder Hattersley and he was born in Ecclesfield, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. A wicket-keeper, he played for Yorkshire from 1867 to 1880, and for the All-England Eleven from 1867 to 1871...
(captain; wicket-keeper), George UlyettGeorge UlyettGeorge Ulyett was an English all-round cricketer, noted particularly for his very-aggressive batsmanship. A well-liked man , Ulyett was popularly known as "Happy Jack", once musing memorably that Yorkshire played him only for his good behaviour and his whistling...
, Ephraim LockwoodEphraim LockwoodEphraim Lockwood was an English first-class cricketer, and captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1876 and 1877 seasons.-Life and career:...
, William OscroftWilliam OscroftWilliam Oscroft was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1864 to 1882...
, John SelbyJohn SelbyJohn Selby played cricket professionally for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club between 1870 and 1887...
, Arthur ShrewsburyArthur ShrewsburyArthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...
, Billy BatesBilly BatesWillie Bates, known as Billy was an English all-round cricketer. Excellent with both bat and ball, Bates scored over 10,000 first-class runs, took more than 870 wickets and was always reliable in the field...
, Tom Emmett, Andrew GreenwoodAndrew GreenwoodAndrew Greenwood was an English cricketer, who played in the first two cricket Tests. Greenwood was small in height, but a gutsy batsman, who was also noted for his fielding in the deep....
, Tom ArmitageTom ArmitageThomas Armitage was an English cricketer, who played in two Tests for England. He holds the distinction, alphabetically sorted, of being the first capped England player.-Life and career:...
, Allen HillAllen HillAllen Hill played in the first-ever cricket Test, taking the first wicket. Hill also went on to umpire in the Test match played at Lord's in 1890....
.
They easily defeated their weaker opponents by 160 runs, but public interest was on the wane as county and, after the 1878 Australian team had toured England, international cricket were greater attractions. The UNEE continued to play odds matches for another two seasons only. There were just two in 1880 and one in 1881, which was the UNEE's final recorded match at Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
in June.
Further reading
- H S AlthamHarry AlthamHarry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962 - Derek BirleyDerek BirleySir Derek Birley was an English educator and writer who had a strong interest in sport, especially cricket.He was educated at grammar school in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, and at Queens' College, Cambridge University....
, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999 - Rowland BowenRowland BowenMajor Rowland Francis Bowen was a cricket researcher, historian and writer....
, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970