When did each Test playing nation get their first ever innings victory?
Test cricket, the traditional form of cricket, is now played by 12 nations, with Afghanistan and Ireland being the newest entrants. Barring the two newbies who have played a single Test each, all other Test playing nations have achieved innings victories, with Bangladesh being the latest to achieve the feat. England were the first to register an innings victory, followed by Australia and South Africa. Pakistan have been the fastest to achieve the feat while New Zealand are the slowest.
Here we look at the first ever innings victory for each nation:
England - 11th Test (Melbourne, 1882-83)
The first team to register an innings victory, England achieved the feat in their 11th Test at Melbourne. It was the second Test of the first ever Ashes series. England scored 294 in the first innings, with the help of 3 fifties. In reply, Australia got bowled out for 114 and were asked to follow on. Billy Bates, who scored a fifty with the bat, picked up 7 wickets.
In the second innings, Bates ran through the Australian line up again, picking up 7 more wickets as England won the game by an innings and 27 runs, thus recording the first ever innings victory in the history of the game.
Australia - 42nd Test (Sydney, 1894-95)
During the fourth Test of the Ashes in 1894-95 in Sydney, Australia became the second team to register an innings victory, beating England by an innings and 147 runs. On the first morning, Australia were 51/6, but Harry Graham's 105 and Albert Trott's 85 stabilized the innings as Australia finished with 284 on the board.
England had a miserable first innings, and were all out for 65. In the second innings, George Giffen with 5 wickets and Charlie Turner with 4 wickets wreaked havoc on the English side, bundling them out for a paltry 72.