Flashback: The bowler who took the first-ever wicket in Test cricket

Test cricket first came into the picture in the year 1877, when Australia and England locked horns at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. It was truly a historic moment in the sport of cricket as it was the first-ever official international match. England’s Allen Hill made the occasion more special for himself when he snared the first-ever wicket in Tests.

the first-ever Test match against Australia at the MCG in March 1877, Hill picked up the wicket of Australia’s Nat Thomson for just one run. The hosts Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. Nat Thomson opened the innings with Charles Bannerman and he became the first victim in Test cricket.

Hill bowled him for just a solitary run while Bannerman struck a magnificent 165. Australia managed to post 245 in 169.3 overs in their first innings. Hill finished his spell with figures of 1/42 in 23 overs, which also included ten maidens. Alfred Shaw and James Southerton took three wickets a piece.

England got bowled out for just 196 in 136.1 overs courtesy of a five-wicket haul from Billy Midwinter. The Aussies then got dismissed for just 104 in their second innings, setting a target of 154 for the English side. Shaw was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors as he took 5/38 in 34 overs.

Tom Kendall dismantled the English batting line-up as he took seven wickets for 55 runs in 33.1 overs to script a 45-run victory for his team. Born on November 14, 1843, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire in England, Hill played just two Test matches for his side in which he snared seven scalps at an average of 18.57 with best figures of 4/27.

Hill featured in 193 First-Class matches in which he took 749 wickets at an average of 14.26 and a strike rate of 40.0 with the best bowling figures of 8/48. On August 28, 1910, Allen took his last breath as he died aged 66y 287d in Lancashire.