History and Past Players

The MCC was formed in November 1838 and, after occupying three other sites, finally settled in 1853 on its present location, the now famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In January 1856, the MCC challenged any team in the Australian Colonies and a team from New South Wales accepted the challenge, which was played on the MCG.

This was really the forerunner of what eventually became the Sheffield Shield competition, after Lord Sheffield presented the trophy for inter-colonial competition.

Up until the turn of the century, visits to Australia for English teams and sides to England by Australians were sponsored by Melbourne CC with the exception of the first English visit in 1862 which was undertaken on the initiative of the club’s caterers.

As the Port Phillip District’s pioneer club, the MCC’s early role was administrative and promotional as well as competitive. We played a major role in guiding the game’s destiny until the then Victorian Cricket Association (VCA) took over the reins in 1906.

MCC was an inaugural member club in the Cricket Victoria Premier Cricket competition (formerly VCA District Cricket).  However, MCC initially did not accept the residential qualification rules and was not permitted to compete for the premiership until the 1914/15 season.

The MCC introduced women’s teams for the first time in season 2012/13, entering two sides into Victorian Premier Cricket. A third women's team was added in 2015.

The MCC has been home to many fine players who wore the baggy green cap: Fred Spofforth, Jack Blackham, Warwick Armstrong, Bert Ironmonger, Hugh Trumble, Vernon Ransford, Bill Ponsford, Keith Rigg, Colin McDonald, Lindsay Kline, Paul Sheahan, Max Walker, Dean Jones and Brad Hodge, to name but a few. Will Pucovski was the latest to add his name to this list in January 2021.

Among the many other fine cricketers to feature prominently at club level with the Demons include Percy Beames, Ian Huntington, Jeff Moss, Robert Templeton, Richard Herman, Peter King, Steven McCooke, Warren Ayres, David Broad, Michael Sholly, Bob Lloyd and fast bowling pair Jack ‘Dasher’ Daniel and Clive Fairbairn.

In 2016/17, Hayley Jensen became the first MCC female cricketer to earn State selection. Ella Hayward, Amy Vine, Rhiann O'Donnell, Hayleigh Brennan and Amy Yates have since followed in her footsteps as MCC Cricketers to have represented their State.

Clive Fairbairn's involvement as an administrator after his playing days were over is legendary. Such was his impact, the Club decided to recognise his achievements in 1991 by naming the Pavilion at its home ground - the Albert Ground - in his honour.

The Club has a long and proud tradition of providing members of Australian Test teams. Find out more: MCC Australian Test Players (as of 25/02/2022) (PDF).

A number of playing members of the MCC represented Victoria in either Sheffield Shield, Australian Domestic One-day or Twenty20 cricket. Find out more: MCC Victorian Cricket Representatives (as of 26/05/2022) (PDF).

Since 1956, the XXIX Club has been an avenue for members to engage in social cricket. Find out more: History of the XXIX Club (PDF).

A member of the MCC’s Special Interest Groups, the XXIX Club fosters connection through cricket, with mid-week and Sunday games and the ever-popular, XXIX Club Annual Dinner. The list of guest speakers over the years reads like a “who’s who” of Australian cricket. Find out more: List of Previous XXIX Club Guest Speakers (PDF).

Thanks to a couple of hardworking MCC Library volunteers in James Brear and Lesley Smith, the XXIX Club Committee is delighted to unveil a range of valuable statistical information and data that has been researched and collated, which dates way back to the formation of the XXIX Club in 1956 through to 2020.

The statistical lists include:

• Abbreviated scores of all matches from 1956 to 2020 (PDF) – all 1048 of them!
• Players to have played more than 100 games (PDF)
• Number of games played by all players (PDF)
• Players that have scored centuries (PDF)
• Players that have taken five wicket hauls (PDF)

We ask that you note the following when referencing this information:

• The extracted records are a true summation of what is recorded in the match reports
• There is, however, a wide variation in the quality, consistency and content of these reports
• In many reports no team list is provided. In these instances players have only been credited with a match if they were actually mentioned in the report
• This means that in most cases players will have played more matches than they have been given credit for, in some cases probably significantly more
• There may also be differences due to the miss-spelling of surnames, incorrect initials, and the use of nicknames
• Guests, invited players and visitors who played for the XXIX Club have all been included as in many instances their guest status was not recorded
• Wherever a ‘?’ appears means the information is missing in the match report

On behalf of all XXIX Club members, the Committee would like to express our sincere appreciation to James and Lesley for all the time, effort and attention to detail that they have put into this project for the benefit of all members and representatives of the XXIX Club over the years.