# English cricket team in Australia in 1903–04

The English cricket team's tour to Australia in 1903–04 was the first time the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) took over responsibility for sponsoring and arranging an overseas tour representing England. England had not won the Ashes since the 1896 series in England. The MCC appointed Plum Warner to put together and captain a team, which was very much seen as the underdogs against Australia. Warner and his team, however, pulled off the upset the English were looking for and won the five-Test series 3–2. In the first Test at Sydney, R.E. "Tip" Foster scored 287 to set the world record for the highest individual Test innings; the innings remains the highest by a Test debutant.

## Test series
### First Test

* 11–17 December 1903 (Timeless Test) Scorecard
* England won by 5 wickets Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: RM Crockett and AC Jones
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 13 December was taken as a rest day
* EG Arnold, RE Foster, BJT Bosanquet and AE Relf (all ENG) made their Test debuts.

### Second Test

* 1–5 January 1904 (Timeless Test) Scorecard
* England won by 185 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: P Argall and RM Crockett
* England won the toss and elected to bat.
* 3 January was taken as a rest day
* AE Knight and A Fielder (both ENG) made their Test debuts.

### Third Test

* 15–20 January 1904 (Timeless Test) Scorecard
* Australia won by 216 runs Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: P Argall and RM Crockett
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 17 January was taken as a rest day

### Fourth Test

* 26 February – 3 March 1904 (Timeless Test) Scorecard
* England won by 157 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: P Argall and RM Crockett
* England won the toss and elected to bat.
* 28 February was taken as a rest day.
* There was no play on the third day
* PA McAlister and A Cotter (both AUS) made their Test debuts.

### Fifth Test

* 5–8 March 1904 (Timeless Test) Scorecard
* Australia won by 218 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: P Argall and RM Crockett
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 6 March was taken as a rest day
* DRA Gehrs (AUS) made his Test debut.

## Tour matches
### South Australia v M.C.C.

* 7–11 November 1903 (4-day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: P Argall and GE Downs
* MCC won the toss and elected to bat.
* 8 November was taken as a rest day
* Total attendance was about 19,000.

### Victoria v M.C.C.

* 13–16 November 1903 (4-day match) Scorecard
* MCC won by an innings and 71 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: E Barrass and RM Crockett
* Victoria won the toss and elected to field.
* 15 November was taken as a rest day
* The match was scheduled for four days but was completed in three.
* Total attendance was about 23,500.

### New South Wales v M.C.C.

* 20–23 November 1903 Scorecard
* MCC won by an innings and 10 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: R Callaway and AC Jones
* MCC won the toss and elected to field.
* 22 November was taken as a rest day
* The match was scheduled for four days but was completed in three.
* Total attendance was 40,589.

### Queensland v M.C.C.

* 27–30 November 1903 Scorecard
* MCC won by 6 wickets Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane Umpires: T Muir and JP Orr
* Queensland won the toss and elected to bat.
* 29 November was taken as a rest day.
* Total attendance was about 19,000.

### Northern District XVIII v M.C.C.

* 2, 3 December 1903 (2-day match) scorecard
| Northern Districts XVIII 283 (86.1 overs) & 241/6 (53.3 overs) | v | MCC 453 |
* Match drawn Albion Ground, West Maitland, New South Wales

### Newcastle XV v M.C.C.

* 4, 5 December 1903 (2-day match) scorecard
| MCC 306 (76 overs) & 381/8 (82 overs) | v | Newcastle, XV 203 (80 overs) |
* Match drawn Number 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle, New South Wales

### Melbourne Colts XVIII v M.C.C.

* 19, 21, 22 December 1903 (3-day match) scorecard
| MCC 416 (121 overs) | v | Melbourne Juniors XVIII 124 (67.5 overs) & 193 (f/o) (77.5 overs) |
* MCC won by an innings and 99 runs Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

### Bendigo and District XVIII v M.C.C.

* 26, 28 December 1903 (2-day match) scorecard
| Bendigo XVIII 94 (46.4 overs) & 64/7 (28.4 overs) | v | MCC 273/5d |
* Match drawn Upper Reserve, Bendigo, Victoria

### Ballarat XVIII v M.C.C.

* 8, 9 January 1904 (2-day match) scorecard
| MCC XVII 326 (104 overs) & 226 (55 overs) | v | Ballarat XVIII 197 (72 overs) |
* Match drawn Eastern Oval, Ballarat, Victoria

### Tasmania v M.C.C.

* 25–26 January 1904 (2-day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn TCA Ground, Hobart, Tasmania Umpires: C McAllen and J Watt
* MCC won the toss and elected to bat.

### Tasmania v M.C.C.

* 29–30 January 1904 (2-day match) Scorecard
* Match drawn NTCA Ground, Launceston, Tasmania Umpires: W Lawrence and J Masterton
* Tasmania won the toss and elected to bat.
* Total attendance was about 5,000.

### Victoria v M.C.C.

* 5–9 February 1904 Scorecard
* MCC won by 8 wickets Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Umpires: E Barrass and RM Crockett
* Victoria won the toss and elected to field.
* 7 February was taken as a rest day
* There was no play on the second day.
* Total attendance was about 6,100.

### New South Wales v M.C.C.

* 12–15 February 1904 Scorecard
* MCC won by 278 runs Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Umpires: WG Curran and JJ Giltinan
* MCC won the toss and elected to bat.
* 14 February was taken as a rest day.
* The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
* Total attendance was 28,296.

### Western District XV v M.C.C.

* 19, 20 February 1904 (2-day match) scorecard
| Bathurst XV 248 (74.4 overs) & 151/3d | v | MCC XVII 176 & 115/5 |
* Match drawn Sports Ground, Bathurst, New South Wales

### South Australia v M.C.C.

* 12–15 March 1904 (timeless match) Scorecard
* MCC won by 9 wickets Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Umpires: P Argall and GA Watson
* South Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
* 13 March was taken as a rest day.
* Total attendance was about 7,500.