Today, 131 years ago, the first ever Test Match finished. Played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia won by 45 runs against James Lillywhite's touring Englishmen. The match began on Thursday 15 March and continued on the Friday and Saturday before a rest day on the Sunday. It finished on Monday 19 March, 1877.

Two Surrey men played important roles for England in that historic game. Harry Jupp opened the innings and finished with 63, which was the highest England score of either innings. Jupp was born at Dorking in November 1841 and died in April 1889. He played just two Tests, both in Australia in March, 1877, but appeared in 378 first class games, including 252 for Surrey.

For the Brown Caps, he totaled 11,452 runs at an average of 26.8 and took 148 catches and six stumpings. His highest first class score of 165 came for Surrey against Lancashire at the Brit Oval in July 1866. The other Surrey player in the team was James Southerton, who was a round arm, right arm slow bowler. Southerton, who was born at Petworth in Sussex in November 1827, only played the same two Tests as Jupp. He took three wickets for 61 in Australia's first innings from 37 overs, including 17 maidens, but did not bowl in the second innings.

In the second Test, also at Melbourne 16 days later, he picked up another four wickets to finish with seven Test wickets at 15.2 each. In his 152 matches for Surrey, Southerton bowled an incredible 42,103 balls taking 995 wickets at 13.9 runs each. His best figures were eight wickets for 34 at Lords against the MCC in May, 1868. He took five wickets in an innings on 115 occasions and 10 victims in a match 29 times. He was 49 when he played in the first Test, and sadly died just three years later at Mitcham.

England's first choice wicketkeeper on that tour was Edward Pooley, who was also a Surrey player. He should have played in this first Test but was still in New Zealand, out on bail, while waiting to face an assault charge. Pooley loved to drink and gamble and in 1873 was suspended by Surrey for taking a bet on a match in which he played at Bramall Lane.

In Christchurch, he bet on a match with a local, Ralph Donkin, about the number of ducks scored. Pooley was umpiring in this game and when he won nine pounds or so, the local refused to pay, although there was no indication that the umpiring had any bearing on the dismissals. On 6 April, three weeks after the first Test began, Pooley was found not guilty of assault and damage to property. Pooley played 256 matches for Surrey, scoring 6,642 runs at 16 and taking 357 catches and 250 stumpings.

The England team, led by James Lillywhite from Sussex, had departed from England in late 1876 and played several matches in New Zealand before moving on to Australia. The term Test Match was not used until the mid 1880s and the two teams that took the field in Melbourne were far from their nations' best.

Gloucestershire were the County Champions of 1876 but they had none of their players in the team. W. G. Grace was at his best for Gloucestershire at that time but did not tour.

Australia too missed some of the best men. Great fast bowler Fred " the Demon " Spofforth refused to play because New South Wales wicketkeeper, Bill Murdoch, was not in the side.

Australia, which was really a combined New South Wales and Victorian team, was captained by Dave Gregory, who was born at Fairy Meadow, 50 miles south of Sydney. The Aussies batted first and finished with 245, thanks to their Kent-born, opening batsman Charles Bannerman, who tallied 165. Bannerman faced the first ball ever bowled in Test cricket, by Nottingham's Alfred Shaw. His 165 retired hurt, is still a record for a Test debut innings.

England replied with 196 in which Jupp contributed 63. Australia managed just 104 in their second innings with Shaw taking five for 38 runs and Bannerman only getting four before being bowled by Yorkshire's Ceorge Ulyett. Needing just 154 to win, England lost their first wicket, Allen Hill from Yorkshire for a duck. Victorian slow bowler Tom Kendall took this first wicket and finished with seven wickets for 55 to set up the victory.

A crowd of more than 12,000 watched play on the Saturday, while 3,000 or so were on hand for the Australian win. Ironically in the Centenary Test, played 100 years later also in Melbourne, from 12 to 17 March 1977, Australia won by the same margin, 45 runs. Surrey had only one of their players in this game. He was television commentator, Bob Willis, who played 34 matches for the Brown Caps from 1969 to 1971, taking 96 wickets at 25.3 each.

He took two Australian wickets in the Centenary Test, Rick McKosker and Doug Walters. The scores were Australia 138 for nine declared and 419 beat England 95 and 417. Dennis Lillee had match figures of 11 wickets for 165, while Nottingham's Derek Randall scored 174 for England and Rod Marsh 110 not out for Australia.

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