The 1868 English cricket season was the fifth since the legalisation of overarm bowling. It featured the first organised group of Australian sportspeople to travel overseas, being an all-Aboriginal cricket team.

Playing record (by county) County Played Won Lost Tied Drawn Cambridgeshire 2 1 1 0 0 Kent 8 5 3 0 0 Lancashire 5 1 4 0 0 Middlesex 8 4 3 1 0 Nottinghamshire 6 4 2 0 0 Surrey 12 5 6 1 0 Sussex 6 2 4 0 0 Yorkshire 7 4 3 0 0 Owing to an exceptionally hot and dry summer, and the absence of the forthcoming revolution of the heavy roller,Green, Benny; Wisden Anthology 1864–1900 p. 604 1868 was to be the last season in which every county match was finished outright. Wynne-Thomas, Peter; The Rigby A-Z of Cricket Records; p. 53

Leading batsmen (qualification 10 innings) 1868 English season leading batsmenFirst Class Batting in England in 1868 Name Team Matches Innings Not outs Runs Highest score Average 100s 50sW. G. Grace GentlemenSouth of England 7 11 2 588 134 not out 65.33 3 2Isaac Walker Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)Middlesex 13 24 5 661 165 34.78 1 3James Lillywhite Sussex 13 24 6 631 126 not out 30.04 1 4Henry Richardson Cambridge UniversityKentMiddlesex 10 16 1 431 143 28.73 1 3George Savile Cambridge UniversityYorkshire 7 11 0 294 105 26.72 1 2

Leading bowlers (qualification 800 balls) 1868 English season leading bowlersFirst Class Bowling in England in 1868 Name Team Balls bowled Runs conceded Wickets taken Average Best bowling 5 wicketsin innings 10 wicketsin matchThomas Hearne Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)Middlesex 957 279 33 8.45 5/20 1 0Tom Emmett Yorkshire 1628 528 60 8.80 9/34 5 1George Freeman Yorkshire 1560 454 46 9.86 8/11 6 2Edgar Willsher Kent 3999 1128 113 9.98 7/44 12 6George Howitt MiddlesexNottinghamshire 2262 734 71 10.33 6/17 6 2

Events A team of Aboriginal Australians was the first overseas team to tour England, under the auspices of Sydney publican/cricketer Charles Lawrence. They were not a first class team. 25–26 May: Edward Tylecote hits the first recorded score of 300 in any grade of cricket with 404 for Classicals against Moderns at Clifton CollegeWisden, John (editor); John Wisden’s Cricketers' Almanac; Eighth Edition (1871); pp. 148–149 20 June: C.A. Absolom became the first player to be given out obstructing the field when playing for Cambridge University v. Surrey at The Oval. 3–5 August: Playing for South of the Thames v North of the Thames at Canterbury, W.G. Grace became the second player to score two centuries in a match after William Lambert in 1817.Rae, Simon W. G. Grace: A Life; p. 77. . The Cattle Market Ground in Islington, the original home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, was sold by its owner for development following the season. The last game, on 5 and 6 October, was between "Gentlemen of Middlesex" and a 22 called "The Clowns".Gentlemen of Middlesex v The Clowns in 1868 Middlesex were not to have another home until the equally short-lived Prince's Cricket Ground opened.

Notes

References

Bibliography

Annual reviews John Lillywhite's Cricketer's Companion (Green Lilly), Lillywhite, 1869 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1869

Further reading