About: North v South

The North of England and South of England cricket teams appeared in first-class cricket between the 1836 and 1961 seasons, most often in matches against each other but also individually in games against touring teams, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and others. Until international cricket became firmly established towards the end of the 19th century, the North v South match was one of the major fixtures in the cricketing calendar along with Gentlemen v Players. Indeed it was really the major fixture because whereas the Gentlemen teams were often very weak, North v South could potentially showcase the best 22 players in the country. In all, the North played against the South 155 times in first-class matches.