TheAustralian cricket team in England in 1888 played 37first-class matches including threeTests. England won the series 2–1, after losing the first Test. The next time England would come back from one down to win a three match Test series at home was in July 2020, after theybeat the West Indies 2–1.^[1]

AustraliancaptainPercy McDonnell won the toss and chose to bat first. The visitors scored 116 runs in their innings, during which onlyPercy McDonnell,Jack Blackham and Test debutantJack Edwards scored 20 runs or more. The English bowlers, led byBobby Peel, who claimed four wickets andJohnny Briggs, who took three, ran through the Australian batting line-up. At the close of play on the opening day, England had scored eighteen runs for the loss of three wickets (18/3).

Resuming at 11.30 on day two, the score was lifted to 22, on which score England lostWalter Read,W. G. Grace (failing to add to his overnight ten), andTim O'Brien. When Steel fell four runs later, England were seven wickets down and still eleven runs short of avoiding thefollow-on. Thanks to Briggs, who top-scored for England with seventeen runs, the hosts managed to reach 53 from exactly fifty overs, after 55 minutes of play on the second day. The famous combination ofJohn Ferris andCharlie Turner took eight of the wickets to fall, Turner picking up a five-for.

When Ferris and Turner arrived at the wicket in Australia's second innings, they found their side on eighteen for seven, with Lohmann and Peel demolishing the top- and middle-order. Turner scored a dozen and Ferris twelve, butThe Daily Telegraph remarked that "it has to be said that never in the annals of cricket has such a fortunate innings as that of Ferris been compiled".

England needed 124 to win, but it managed to get only halfway. Of the home team's second innings of 62, Grace scored 24, "far and away the best batting display of the match," said theDaily Telegraph. Allan Steel, the captain, also chipped in with an unbeaten ten, but he was the only other batsman to reach double figures. Turner and Ferris claimed five wickets each, making for match figures of ten for 63 and eight for 45 respectively. The aforementioned newspaper, however, believed that Peel's first innings' four for 36 was a far better performance, as the wicket had been easier than at any other stage of the match.

This win was Australia's first over England since that at Sydney three years earlier. After that, the Antipodeans had been defeated on seven successive occasions. In the eight years since the 1880 visit, this was only Australia's second win in England, the other being the famous Test at the Oval in 1882.^[2]

16 – 17 July Scorecard

Australia	v	England
116 (71.2 overs) Percy McDonnell &Jack Blackham 22 Bobby Peel 4/36		53 (50 overs) Johnny Briggs 17 Charlie Turner 5/27
60 (29.2 overs) John Ferris 20* Bobby Peel 4/14		62 (47 overs) W. G. Grace 24 John Ferris 5/26

Australia won by 61 runs Lord's,London Umpires:Frank Farrands andCharles Pullin

• Australia won the toss and decided to bat.

13 – 14 August Scorecard

Australia	v	England
80 (90.3 overs) Jack Edwards 26 Johnny Briggs 5/25		317 (138.2 overs) Bobby Abel 70 Charlie Turner 6/112
100 (69.2 overs) Percy McDonnell 32 Billy Barnes 5/32

England won by an innings and 137 runs The Oval,London Umpires:Robert Carpenter andFrank Farrands

• Australia won the toss and decided to bat.

30 – 31 August Scorecard

England	v	Australia
172 (113.1 overs) W. G. Grace 38 Charlie Turner 5/86		81 (52.2 overs) John Lyons 22 Bobby Peel 7/31
		70 (31.1 overs) John Lyons 32 Bobby Peel 4/37

England won by an innings and 21 runs Old Trafford,Manchester Umpires:Frank Farrands andCharles Pullin

• England won the toss and decided to bat.

• 1888 in Australian cricket
• 1888 in English cricket
• Australian cricket tours of England
• English cricket seasons in the 19th century
• International cricket competitions from 1844 to 1888
• The Ashes

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