Australia and England play the first-ever Test match
March 15, 1877 - Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne, Victoria
Age-old rivalries have to begin somewhere, and for the Australian and English cricketing teams, theirs began long before bails were burned and packed inside a terracotta urn.
However, in direct opposition the the highly-anticipated, on-Broadway Ashes series of today, the first meeting of these trans-equatorial enemies was not even considered a legitimate Test.
Originally billed as 'All England vs Combined NSW and Victoria XI', in the century and change to come, this contest at the 'G would come to be known as the first-ever Test match played.
Many of the best players, however, did not take part, including the bearded maestro W.G. Grace or the demon-paced Fred Spofforth.
Surrey's Ted Pooley was also unavailable after being arrested in New Zealand for his role in a gambling scam
In this trio's absence, the match would come to be known as Charles Bannerman's Test, with the Australian facing the first ball, scoring the first run and, eventually, the first-ever Test century.
Bannerman eventually ended his stay at the crease with 165 runs to his name, accountingย for 67.3 per cent of Australia's 245 runs - a record that still stands to this day.
Australia, as they would eventually be recognised in the history books, won the game by 45 runs โ the same margin Australia would win the Centenary Test against the English at the same ground in 1977.
As Mark Twain is said to have uttered, history may not repeat itself, but it can certainly rhyme.
