Start date 1902 | ||
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The 1902 English cricket season saw the first Ashes series in England since 1899, when Australia had won a series in England for the first time since 1882. Australia won again, this time 2–1, with the first two Tests rained off. The final three matches were full of drama, with Victor Trumper making a hundred before lunch in the third Test, Australia winning the fourth by just 3 runs and England winning the fifth by one wicket following a hundred in 75 minutes by Gilbert Jessop.It was the 21st test series between the two sides.
Contents
Yorkshire won their third consecutive County Championship title as they, as in 1901, went through the season with only one defeat from more than 25 games. Again as in 1901, it was Somerset who were the only side to defeat them.
Honours
Final table
The final County Championship table is shown below. One point was awarded for a win, none for a draw, and minus one for a loss. Positions were decided on percentage of points over completed games.
Points system:
Ashes tour
In the 1967 Wisden Cricketer's Almanack, A.A. Thomson described this series as "a rubber more exciting than any in history except the Australia v West Indies series in 1960–61". This description came despite the fact that Australia had secured the series after four of five matches, leading 2–0 before the final Test; the first two matches had been drawn due to rain, with the second match at Lord's yielding only 38 overs in three days.
The third Test, the only one ever to be played at Bramall Lane, saw Australia win by 143 runs, following a brilliant century by Victor Trumper before lunch on the first day. In the fourth Test Australia won by three runs, despite 11 wickets from recalled bowler Bill Lockwood. It came down to Fred Tate and Wilfred Rhodes needing to hit eight runs. Tate hit a four, but was bowled by Jack Saunders with the fourth ball of his over. England came back to win the final Test, conceding a first-innings deficit of 141, then going to 48 for five needing 263 to win, before Gilbert Jessop hit a hundred in 75 minutes and England won by one wicket.
Trumper made a great impression on those who saw him bat. Harry Altham wrote: "From start to finish of the season, on every sort of wicket, against every sort of bowling, Trumper entranced the eye, inspired his side, demoralized his enemies, and made run-getting appear the easiest thing in the world."