Cricinfo
October 31 2009

Icebergs, Snowstorms and ‘The Fair Sex’
When 12 English professionals set out on the first major overseas tour of all

In an era when cricketers spend as much time in airplanes as they do playing the game, travelling long distances has become an accepted part of the professionals’ life. One hundred and fifty years ago this month the first major overseas trip by a team of professional cricketers took place, and for them the travel was not so much inconvenient as life-threatening.

By the 1850s cricket in England was emerging into the national institution it was to become by the end of the century, with the expansion of the railways meaning top teams could easily travel the country to play. The game was also taking root in North America, and in 1844, USA and Canada had played cricket’s first international…

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