Flashback: The first winning captain in international cricket

A captain always wants to lead his side to victory in any particular format. A skipper always wants to lead his troops to win every possible match and then the series/tournament. Dave Gregory was one such man who became the first captain to win an international match.

The first-ever international match was played between Australia and England when both teams competed in a Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne in March 1877. The Aussies and the English side were led by the late Dave Gregory and late James Lillywhite Jnr respectively.

The hosts batted first and posted 245 on the board in 169.3 overs thanks to a solid century from Charles Bannerman. Skipper Gregory remained not out on a solitary run. In reply, the visitors got bundled out for 196 in 136.1 overs with Billy Midwinter taking five wickets.

With a lead of 49 runs, the Aussies got dismissed for 104 runs setting a target of 153 for their opponents. Tom Kendall wreaked havoc for the English side as he picked up seven wickets for 55 runs in 33.1 overs, which also included 12 maidens. The tourists got bowled out cheaply for 108 as the team from down under won the match by 45 runs.

With this victory, Gregory became the first winning captain in international cricket. Born on April 15, 1845, in New South Wales, Gregory played only three Test matches for Australia, scoring 60 runs at an average of 20.00. He captained all three games with two wins and one loss to his name. He also appeared in 41 FC matches, amassing 889 runs at an average of 14.57 with five half-centuries and the highest score of 85. On August 04, 1919, he passed away aged 74y 111d.