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Sydney Riot of 1879

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General history

   The Sydney Riot of 1879 was one of the earliest riots at an
   international cricket match. It occurred at the Association Ground,
   Moore Park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (now known as the
   Sydney Cricket Ground) during a game between a touring English team
   captained by Lord Harris and a team from the New South Wales Cricket
   Association led by Dave Gregory. The riot was sparked by a
   controversial umpiring decision, when star Australian batsman Billy
   Murdoch was given out by George Coulthard. The dismissal caused an
   uproar among the crowd, many of whom surged onto the pitch, where some
   players were assaulted. It was alleged that gamblers in the New South
   Wales pavilion encouraged Gregory to make a stand so as to disrupt the
   game.

   In the immediate aftermath of the riot the England team cancelled the
   remaining games which were scheduled to be played in Sydney. The
   incident also caused much press comment in England and Sydney. A letter
   by Lord Harris about the incident was later published in English
   newspapers, and caused fresh outrage in New South Wales when it was
   reprinted by the colonial press. The response by the New South Wales
   Cricket Association further damaged relations. The riot led to a
   breakdown of goodwill that threatened the future of England- Australia
   cricket tours. However, friction between the cricketing authorities
   finally eased when Lord Harris agreed to lead an England representative
   side at the Oval in London more than one year later.

Background

   England cricket tours to Australia had started in 1861, and while
   successful, were still in their infancy in 1879. The teams were
   sometimes strong, sometimes not so, because, whilst the promoters
   sought out the best cricketers, they still had to agree terms with
   them. Not only that, many could not afford the time for the 48-day or
   so long boat trip to Australia, the tour itself, and the 48-day trip
   back.

   Other than a minor tour by an Australian Aboriginal team in 1868, Dave
   Gregory led the first major Australian tour to England in 1878. This
   tour was generally rated as a success, with the Australians famously
   beating a very strong side put out by the Marylebone Cricket Club,
   which included the legendary W. G. Grace. Keen to make the most of this
   success, the Melbourne Cricket Club invited Lord Harris, a leading
   amateur cricketer of the time, to take a team to Australia. Originally
   the team was only to contain amateurs, but in the event two
   professional Yorkshire bowlers, George Ulyett and Tom Emmett, joined
   the tour team. However, despite the titles, the main distinction
   between amateurs and professionals was social status: although amateurs
   did not get paid for playing, they did receive generous "expenses".

   Soon after Dave Gregory's 1878 Australian team was back in Australia,
   Lord Harris's English team arrived. Australia won the first match,
   played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, by 10 wickets. NSW's "Demon
   bowler" Fred Spofforth took 13 wickets in the match, as well as the
   first ever Test hat-trick, since subsequently this game was recognised
   as the third Test match. The next tour match was against New South
   Wales and started on January 24 at the Association Ground in Sydney.
   New South Wales won by 5 wickets despite the absence of Spofforth who
   withdrew from the home side after spraining his wrist the night before
   the start of the match.

The game

   George Coulthard, whose decision to give out Billy Murdoch led to the
   riot.
   Enlarge
   George Coulthard, whose decision to give out Billy Murdoch led to the
   riot.
   Edmund Barton, who later became the first Australian Prime Minister,
   umpired the game and helped to defuse the riot.
   Enlarge
   Edmund Barton, who later became the first Australian Prime Minister,
   umpired the game and helped to defuse the riot.
   George Ulyett, the Yorkshire professional scored 55 and took 5 for 57
   in the game.
   Enlarge
   George Ulyett, the Yorkshire professional scored 55 and took 5 for 57
   in the game.

   A second game between the English XI (captained by Lord Harris) and the
   New South Wales XI (captained by Dave Gregory]) commenced on Friday 7
   February at the Association Ground. It was usual for each side to
   select one of the two umpires for a match. The English side selected as
   its umpire George Coulthard, a 22-year-old Victorian, who had been
   employed by the tourists on a recommendation from the Melbourne Cricket
   Club. (He had accompanied them from Melbourne following the Test.) New
   South Wales selected as their umpire Edmund Barton (who later became
   the first Prime Minister of Australia). As both Gregory and Spofforth
   were playing for New South Wales this time, bookmakers were offering
   attractive odds against an English win, and New South Wales were
   heavily backed.

   Lord Harris won the coin toss and chose to bat. Hornby and Lucas
   started the England innings at about 12.10pm in front of approximately
   4,000 spectators. They put on 125 together, before Spofforth bowled
   Lucas for 51 and Hornby soon after for 67. Ulyett got 55 and Harris 41.
   However, Spofforth so cut up the wicket with his feet that it became
   very difficult to play, with Edwin Evans pitching nearly every ball
   into the marks. Eventually England were all out for 267. Evans took 5
   for 62; Spofforth took 5 for 93. At close on the first day, NSW were 53
   for 2.

   The match continued at noon the next day, Saturday 8 February. Ten
   thousand were in attendance, and New South Wales did well, getting to
   130 for 3 at lunch. However, wickets tumbled thereafter, and New South
   Wales were all out for 177, with star batsman Billy Murdoch having
   batted through the innings for 82 not out, making him the hero of the
   innings for Australia. The professional Tom Emmett was top performer
   for the Englishmen with 8 for 47. New South Wales had to bat again, 90
   runs behind, and they started their second innings around 4 o'clock.
   Then, when the New South Wales second innings score was 19, Murdoch was
   adjudged run out by George Coulthard.

The riot

   Many in the crowd disagreed with the decision and took exception to it
   being made by an umpire paid for by the Englishmen. That Coulthard was
   a Victorian no doubt added to the emotions, and there were unfounded
   rumours that Coulthard had placed a large bet on an English victory.
   The crowd would have already been suspicious of Coulthard's competence,
   as it had been questioned in the press; the Sydney Morning Herald, in
   reference to Coulthard's refusal of an appeal for a catch that would
   have dismissed Lord Harris on that Friday had written "The decision was
   admittedly a mistake". The pavilion is at an angle to the crease, so
   the members there could not have known how accurate the decision was.
   Nevertheless, directly after the decision was made against Murdoch, an
   uproar started in the pavilion. No batsman came out to replace Murdoch,
   so Harris walked towards the pavilion and met the NSW captain, Gregory,
   at the pavilion gate, at which point Gregory asked Harris to change his
   umpire. Harris refused as the English team considered the decision a
   good one.

   It was while Harris was remonstrating with Gregory that " larrikins" in
   the crowd surged onto the pitch. A young Banjo Paterson, who later went
   on to write the patriotic Australian song Waltzing Matilda, was in the
   crowd. In total up to 2,000 swarmed onto the pitch and started to
   attack Coulthard. Lord Harris, who had gone back onto the field to
   support Coulthard, was struck by a whip or stick, but he was not hurt.
   Monkey Hornby, a keen amateur boxer, who had been offered the English
   captaincy before stepping aside in Harris's favour, grabbed the man who
   struck Harris and "conveyed his prisoner to the pavilion in triumph".
   Hornby was also attacked and almost lost the shirt off his back. Emmett
   and Ulyett each took a stump and escorted Harris off, assisted by some
   members. The other umpire, Edmund Barton, helped to defuse the
   situation, a feat which benefited his publicity campaign when he stood
   for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly later that year.

   Independent witnesses said Coulthard's decision was close but fair.

   When the ground was finally cleared Gregory insisted, according to
   Harris, that Coulthard be replaced. When Harris would not agree,
   Gregory said, "Then the game is at an end". Barton was asked by Harris
   whether he could claim the match. Barton replied "I will give it to you
   in two minutes if the batsmen don't return". Harris then asked Barton
   to speak with Gregory and ascertain what Gregory would do. When Barton
   came out he announced that Alick Bannerman and Nat Thomson would resume
   the NSW innings. They reached the stumps, but before they could receive
   a ball, the crowd invaded the pitch for a third time, and remained
   there until stumps. According to the Sydney Mail approximately 90
   minutes' play had been lost. The game resumed on the next scheduled
   day, Monday February 10, but rain had fallen and New South Wales made
   only 49 in their second innings, with Emmett and Ulyett taking the
   wickets. The match was completed with the English Eleven winning by an
   innings and 41 runs.

Reaction to the riot

   There were allegations that the riot was started by bookmakers, or at
   least encouraged by the widespread betting that was known to be
   occurring at the match. That was certainly Lord Harris's view, and also
   the view of some of his team. Vernon Royle, a member of Lord Harris's
   team, wrote in his diary that "It was a most disgraceful affair and
   took its origin from some of the 'better' class in the Pavilion".

   The Australian press and cricket officials immediately condemned the
   riot, and cricket took over the front pages of the NSW press, even
   though that same weekend bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang had raided
   Jerilderie. The Sydney Morning Herald called the riot “a national
   humiliation”, a disgrace that "would remain a blot upon the colony for
   some years to come". However, they also suggested that some of the
   blame should be appropriated to one of the English professionals, who
   "made use of a grossly insulting remark to the crowd about their being
   nothing but 'sons of convicts'". The Australasian asked, "What will
   they say in England?"

Lord Harris's letter

   The New South Wales Cricket Association appealed to Lord Harris, and in
   reply he said he "did not place any blame on the Association, or on the
   cricketers of Sydney, but it was an occurrence it was impossible he
   could forget". On 11 February 1879, one day after the conclusion of the
   match and three days after the riot, Harris wrote a letter to one of
   his friends about the disturbance. It was clear that he intended that
   the letter would be printed in the press, and, indeed, the letter
   appeared in full in The Daily Telegraph, a London newspaper on 1 April,
   and in other London newspapers, where it caused a furore. Wisden's
   Cricketers Almanack considered the incident of such significance that
   it found space for the whole correspondence too. The letter, which
   gives a detailed contemporary account of what Lord Harris thought about
   the riot, read as follows:

   I am not certain whether you will be astonished or not at what I have
   to tell you, but I know you will be distressed that your friends, a
   party of gentlemen travelling through these Colonies for the purpose of
   playing a few friendly games of cricket, should have been insulted and
   subjected to indignities it distresses us to look back upon. We began
   the return match with the NSW Eleven on Friday, February 7, scored 267,
   and got our opponents out for 177 by 3.30 on the Saturday afternoon.
   Murdoch, who had carried his bat out in the first, and A. Bannerman
   went to the wickets to commence the second innings. At 19 on the
   telegraph the former was run out. Before he got back to the pavilion I
   heard shouts of "not out", "go back", etc., arise from that quarter,
   and saw the occupants of it rise almost en masse. I at once saw what
   was the matter, and instead of waiting for D. Gregory (the captain) to
   come out to me, perhaps unwisely walked to the pavilion to meet him at
   the gate. He, I found, in the name of the NSW Eleven, objected to
   Coulthard, the umpire.

   I must here diverge to explain certain facts connected with the
   Colonies which are not known or understood at home. Contrary to our
   custom, it is here the exception to employ professional umpires. This I
   was not told until after the disturbance. As you know, we brought no
   umpire, and on arrival at Adelaide I asked the representatives of the
   Melbourne CC if they could recommend anyone to us whom we could take
   about with us throughout our tour. They mentioned this man Coulthard, a
   professional on their ground, whom they had constantly tried and found
   competent, and added that if we on trial also considered him competent,
   the MCC would be very glad to give him leave of absence so long as we
   wanted his services. I considered him on trial a good and trustworthy
   umpire, and arranged with the MCC that he should accompany us to NSW.
   Had we known on our arrival that a feeling existed in these Colonies
   against the employment of professional umpires, it is possible we might
   have acted differently; but, understand, at the same time, that I have
   seen no reason as yet to change my opinion of Coulthard's qualities, or
   to regret his engagement, in which opinion I am joined by the whole
   team.

   To resume my account of the disturbance on the ground on the Saturday.
   I asked Gregory on what grounds the objection was raised, and he said
   at first general incompetence, but afterwards admitted that the
   objection was raised on account of the decision in Murdoch's case. I
   implored Gregory, as a friend, and for the sake of the NSW Cricket
   Association, which I warned him would be the sufferer by it, not to
   raise the objection, but he refused to take my view of the case.
   Looking back in the midst of this conversation, I found the ground had
   been rushed by the mob, and our team was being surrounded. I at once
   returned to the wickets, and in defending Coulthard from being attacked
   was struck by some 'larrikin' with a stick. Hornby immediately seized
   this fellow, and in taking him to the pavilion was struck in the face
   by a would-be deliverer of the 'larrikin', and had his shirt nearly
   torn off his back. He, however, conveyed his prisoner to the pavilion
   in triumph.

   For some thirty minutes or so I was surrounded by a howling mob,
   resisting the entreaties of partisans and friends to return to the
   pavilion until the field was cleared, on the grounds that if our side
   left the field the other eleven could claim the match. I don't suppose
   that they would have done so, but I determined to obey the laws of
   cricket, and may add that for one hour and a half I never left the
   ground, surrounded during the whole time, with two short intervals, by
   some hundreds of people. At about five o'clock the crowd was cleared
   off somehow. I then took the opinion of the Eleven as to changing the
   umpire, and it was decided nem. con. that there were no grounds for the
   objection, and that we should decline to change him. I informed Gregory
   of the decision, whereupon he said, 'Then the game is at end'. On
   Coulthard appearing from the pavilion groans arose from the crowd, and
   at the same moment it began to break the ring again. The two batsmen
   who had been standing at the wickets returned to the pavilion,
   re-called, I afterwards found, by Gregory, but at the time I thought
   possibly because of the threatened irruption of the crowd. I turned to
   Mr Barton, the NSW Eleven umpire, and asked if I could not claim the
   match according to the laws of cricket. His answer was, 'I shall give
   it you in two minutes' time if the batsmen do not return'. I said to
   him, 'I won't claim it yet. I'll give the other side every chance of
   reconsidering a decision arrived at, I believe, unadvisedly, and in a
   moment of passion. Please ask Gregory what he means to do.' On
   returning Mr Barton informed me that Gregory would send two men to the
   wickets - a curiously sudden change of mind I think you will allow.
   However, before the batsmen could appear the crowd had covered the
   ground for the second time. After some twenty minutes it was cleared
   for the second time also. A. Bannerman and Thompson then took their
   places at the wickets, but before a ball could be bowled the crowd
   broke in for the third and last time. I remained on the ground until
   the time for drawing the stumps, surrounded as before. Beyond slyly
   kicking me once or twice the mob behaved very well, their one cry
   being, 'Change your umpire'. And now for the cause of this disturbance,
   not unexpected, I may say, by us, for we have heard accounts of former
   matches played by English teams.

   It was started and fomented by professional betting men in the
   pavilion, members of the association. The disgraceful part of the
   business is that other members of the association - one a member of the
   legislative assembly - aided and abetted the bookmakers in raising the
   cry. I blame the NSW Eleven for not objecting to Coulthard before the
   match began, if they had reason to suppose him incompetent to fulfil
   his duties. I blame the members of the association (many, of course,
   must be excepted) for their discourtesy and uncricket like behaviour to
   their guests; and I blame the committee and others of the association
   for ever permitting betting, but this last does not, of course, apply
   to our match only. I am bound to say they did all in their power to
   quell the disturbance. I don't think anything would have happened if A.
   Bannerman had been run out instead of Murdoch, but the latter, besides
   being a great favourite, deservedly I think, was the popular idol of
   the moment through having carried his bat out in the first innings.

   As a contrast to the reception the Australian Eleven met with after
   beating the MCC at Lord's, I may say that when we won the match on
   Monday, hardly a cheer was given us by the ring. The occupants of the
   pavilion acknowledged our victory. They are capital winners out here,
   but I am afraid I can't apply the same adjective to them as losers. To
   conclude, I cannot describe to you the horror we felt that such an
   insult should have been passed on us, and that the game we love so
   well, and wish to see honoured, supported, and played in an honest and
   manly way everywhere, should receive such desecration. I can use no
   milder word. The game was finished on Monday without interruption.
   Coulthard had made two mistakes in our first innings, one favouring us,
   the other the opposite. Murdoch's decision was considered by
   cover-point and point to be a good one, and I repeat that the NSW
   Eleven had no grounds whatever for raising an objection. We never
   expect to see such a scene of disorder again - we can never forget this
   one.

   I remain, Yours sincerely

   February 11 - HARRIS

Reply by the New South Wales Cricket Association

   The New South Wales Cricket Association were outraged by Lord Harris's
   letter and got their honorary secretary, a Mr JM Gibson, to write to
   the Daily Telegraph in reply:
   Richard Driver, President of the New South Wales Cricket Association
   Enlarge
   Richard Driver, President of the New South Wales Cricket Association

   A few days ago a letter from Lord Harris, published in your issue of
   April 1, appeared in the Colonial Press. That letter dilated upon a
   lamentable disturbance which occurred at Moore Park, near this city,
   during a match played between his lordship's eleven and an eleven of
   New South Wales, on February 7, 8, and 10 last. Upon the appearance of
   the letter in our newspapers a feeling of indignation was generally
   expressed, and within a few hours a requisition influentially signed
   was presented, calling on me to convene a special general meeting of
   the New South Wales Cricket Association for the purpose of considering
   the letter and comments made upon it in some of the London papers. A
   meeting was accordingly convened, and took place this evening. The
   President, Mr Richard Driver, MP, occupied the chair, in the presence
   of an unusually large attendance of members. The letter referred to
   having been read, and the President, Sir George Innes, MLC, Mr M. H.
   Stephen, QC, Mr G. H. Reid, and Mr Richard Teece having addressed the
   meeting, it was unanimously resolved that I should ask you to publish
   the following statement, in correction of the account transmitted by
   Lord Harris, which, principally upon the following grounds, is
   universally regarded here as both inaccurate and ungenerous.

   When Lord Harris prepared his letter of February 11, he was fully aware
   of the following facts:

          1. That on the previous day a deputation from the association,
          consisting of our president, some of the vice-presidents,
          officers, and members waited upon him, and expressed profound
          sorrow and regret for the conduct of the unruly portion of the
          crowd, and Lord Harris was pleased to assure the deputation that
          he did not hold the association in any way responsible for what
          had occurred.

          2. That immediately after the disorder on the cricket ground the
          public and the press were loud in their indignation at the
          occurrence, and assured our visitors of their utmost sympathy;
          and the team received similar marks of good feeling from all
          quarters.

          3. That betting on cricket matches is strictly prohibited by the
          trustees of the ground, so far as it can be so prohibited, and
          large placards to that effect have always been kept posted
          throughout the pavilion and its inclosures.

   Lord Harris, by what we feel to be a most ungenerous suppression of
   these facts and others, has led the British public to suppose that in
   New South Wales, to quote his own words, 'a party of gentlemen
   travelling through these colonies for the purpose of playing a few
   friendly games of cricket should have been insulted and subjected to
   indignities', whilst the press and inhabitants of Sydney neither showed
   surprise, indignation, nor regret. We cannot allow a libel upon the
   people of New South Wales so utterly unfounded as this to pass without
   challenge. The country upon which such a reproach could be fastened
   would be unworthy of a place among civilised communities, and in the
   imputation is especially odious to Australians, who claim to have
   maintained the manly, generous, and hospitable characteristics of the
   British race.

   Having shown that for what actually occurred the fullest
   acknowledgments were made, it is now right to point out that the
   misconduct of those who took possession of the wickets has been
   exaggerated. So popular amongst our people is the game of cricket that
   multitudes of all ages and classes flock to a great match. They watch
   these contests with an interest as intense as any felt in England over
   a great political question. Lord Harris is, we believe, the first
   English cricketer who failed to observe that they applaud good cricket
   on either side, and, so far from our crowds being the bad losers he
   represents, the English Elevens who have visited New South Wales were
   never made more of than when they defeated the local team. Previous
   decisions of the professional brought from Melbourne to act as umpire
   for the English Eleven had created real, though suppressed
   dissatisfaction, and one, giving Lord Harris a second 'life', was
   openly admitted by his lordship to be a mistake; and when Mr Murdoch,
   the hero of the hour, who had carried his bat through in the first
   innings, was at the crisis of the game given ' run out' by what a large
   proportion of the spectators, both in the pavilion and round the
   inclosure, as well as the batsman himself, whether rightly or wrongly,
   took to be a most unfair decision, the excitement and indignation of a
   section of the spectators, led by the juvenile element, unhappily broke
   through restraint. Only once before in New South Wales was a cricket
   ground rushed, and then, as in the present instance, the crowd was
   seized with a conviction of foul play. But the present demonstration
   was entirely against the umpire, whom Lord Harris still considers
   competent, whilst admitting 'he had made two mistakes in our innings'.
   It certainly was not against our gallant visitors. The only cry was
   'Change your umpire!' and the mob voluntarily left the ground more than
   once in the hope that that would be done. The betting men to whom Lord
   Harris alludes, and of whom only one or two were present, were not
   members of this association at all, and it is completely unjust to
   assign the demonstration to any such agency. Bad as it was, it sprang
   from no mercenary motive.

   Sydney, June 4th.

Spofforth's view

   Fred Spofforth, Australia's Demon bowler, did comment on it years later
   in an 1891 cricket magazine interview, but with a different slant on
   the cause. His view was that the English team were unfortunate victims
   of intercolonial rivalry:

   Then the crowd could stand it no longer and rushed on to the field,
   refusing to budge until the umpire was removed. I have no wish to dwell
   on this painful occurrence, but I should like to point out that the
   feeling aroused was almost entirely due to the spirit of the rivalry
   between the Colonies ... The umpire was Victorian, and the party spirit
   in the crowd was too strong, "Let an Englishman stand umpire," they
   cried; "we don't mind any of them. We won't have a Victorian." There
   was not the slightest animosity against Lord Harris or any of his team;
   the whole disturbance was based on the fact that the offender was a
   Victorian. But Lord Harris stood by his umpire; and as a result, the
   match had to be abandoned till the following day.

Aftermath of the riot

   Immediately after the game, Lord Harris took his side away from Sydney,
   cancelling the planned return match against a representative Australian
   side that would have become the fourth-ever Test match. However, there
   was a farewell dinner during which Lord Harris made a placating speech.
   The New South Wales Cricket Association pressed charges against two men
   who were charged with "having participated in the disorder". Richard
   Driver who appeared for the prosecution told the court that "the
   inmates of the Pavilion who had initiated the disturbance, including a
   well-known bookmaker of Victoria who was at the time ejected, had had
   their fees of membership returned to them, and they would never again
   be admitted to the ground". The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the
   two men "expressed regret for what had occurred, and pleaded guilty"
   and "the Bench fined them 40 shillings, and to pay 21 shillings
   professional costs of the court".

Impact on later tours

   An Australian side captained by Billy Murdoch toured England in 1880;
   it was guaranteed to get a frosty welcome, and it found it difficult to
   find good opponents, with most county sides turning them down, although
   Yorkshire played two unofficial matches against them. There was a lot
   of bad will, which was exacerbated by them coming to England at short
   notice, and to some extent, unexpectedly. In his autobiography Lord
   Harris wrote, "They asked no-one's goodwill in the matter, and it was
   felt this was a discourteous way of bursting in on our arrangements;
   and the result was they played scarcely any counties and were not
   generally recognised. We felt we had to make a protest against too
   frequent visits". An attempt to arrange a game against an English XI
   for the Cricketers' Fund was turned down, and WG Grace's attempt to
   arrange a game with them at Lord's was rebuffed by the Marylebone
   Cricket Club.

   Despite it being Murdoch's wicket that started the riot, the English
   public were more sympathetic towards him than Gregory, and although the
   Australians played against weak opposition, including many XVIIIs, they
   attracted big crowds. Eventually Lord Harris was asked by the secretary
   of Surrey, CA Alcock to put together a representative side to play the
   Australians. Although Lord Harris was generous in agreeing to lead the
   side, three cricketers who played in the infamous Sydney game, Monkey
   Hornby, Emmett and Ulyett, refused to play. But Harris assembled a
   strong team, which included the three Grace brothers. Australia, who
   had not faced strong opposition and were without star bowler Fred
   Spofforth went down by five wickets. 45,000 watched the match. This
   game, now recognised as the Fourth Test is more important than its
   result, as the custom of cricket tours between England and Australia
   was cemented.

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