Victorian Bushrangers

The Victorian Bushrangers are an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The team competes in the first class competition the Pura Cup, which was formerly known as the Sheffield Shield, and in the limited overs ING Cup.

History

Victoria was the dominant force in the early days of Australian first class cricket, winning two of the first three Sheffield Shield tournaments and won most of their early domestic friendly games against the other states.

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Victoria has hosted a list of greats such as Warwick Armstrong, Bill Woodfull, Bill Ponsford, Chuck Fleetwood-Smith, Hugh Trumble, Lindsay Hassett, Dean Jones, Merv Hughes, Jack Ryder, Bill Lawry, Bob Cowper, Alan Connolly and Ian Redpath.

Related Topics:
Warwick Armstrong - Bill Woodfull - Bill Ponsford - Chuck Fleetwood-Smith - Hugh Trumble - Lindsay Hassett - Dean Jones - Merv Hughes - Jack Ryder - Bill Lawry - Bob Cowper - Alan Connolly - Ian Redpath

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The Bushrangers proud history dates back to the very start of Australian cricket when the Melbourne Cricket Club was formed in 1838 which was the largest sporting club in Australia at the time. In that same year the MCC played its first match against the Victorian Military but the first official interstate game was contested between Victoria and Tasmania in 1951 in Launceston.

Related Topics:
Melbourne Cricket Club - 1838 - Victoria - Tasmania - Launceston

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The first game between the great rivals of Victoria and New South Wales was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1856. Playing in that inaugural game was a man by the name of Tom Wills who was essentially the backbone in which the Bushrangers have built their proud history. Wills also had a strong hand in the founding of Australian Rules football. He captained the club for many years and his contributions set up the Victorian dominance in Australian first class cricket.

Related Topics:
New South Wales - Melbourne Cricket Ground - 1856 - Tom Wills - Australian Rules football

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The annual Sheffield Shield tournament first began in the season of 1892-93 between Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Victoria won this tournament by defeating both opponents twice each.

Related Topics:
1892 - 93 - South Australia

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The tradition of cricket on Boxing Day also featured Victoria when they played New South Wales in 1965.

Related Topics:
Boxing Day - 1965

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The Victorian Cricket Association was founded in 1895 and is now located in Melbourne across from the MCG.

Related Topics:
Victorian Cricket Association - 1895 - Melbourne

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During the history of the shield Victoria has won 25 titles, the most recent in season 2003-04. Victoria has always been a powerful force in Australian cricket and the Australian team is never short of Victorians in the line-up.

Related Topics:
2003 - 04

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