Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

72 despite being extended and the tourists’ steamer for New Zealand being postponed to allow time for a result. The side arrived in Dunedin on 11 January 1882, where they played an Otago side the following day. Emmett did not bowl in that or the next game, having been taken ill. There was some controversy at Timaru, where the home captain took his side off early to the annoyance of the crowd. In Canterbury, Emmett took 6-30 and three of the six wickets to fall in the second innings. The team then travelled overnight to Wellington aboard a coasting steamer, where they were met by the mayor and leading cricketers, before going straight into a match with Twenty-Two of Wellington. In the second innings, Emmett and Bates opened the bowling, the former taking 6-17. They then had a very uncomfortable voyage to Auckland on a crowded steamer, followed by a special train to Cambridge to play Waikato. The match attracted the largest crowd for an event in the area, with some people reportedly riding 50 miles on horseback to attend. On a very primitive wicket, Emmett took 7-25 in the second innings, but the tourists were unable to secure victory in a one-day game. They travelled back to Australia on 7 February, arriving in Sydney four days later, where the second Test began shortly afterwards. The Sydney ground had just witnessed New South Wales score 775 in over two days’ batting against Victoria (the then highest score in a first- class match), with Murdoch making 321, the largest innings ever made in Australia at that time. Two days later, Palmer and Evans bowled England out for 133 and then took a lead of 64. Emmett proved expensive with the ball and was only given six overs, while Bates bowled 72 and Peate 52. England made 232, but Australia scored the necessary runs to win by five wickets. The tourists returned to Sydney, where they were again beaten by Yorkshire Captain 1878-1883 A sketch of Emmett bowling during the 1881-82 Australian tour.