Wisden retrospectively recognises first-class cricket statistics from 1815

Background. The etymology of "first-class cricket" is unknown, but the term was used loosely before it acquired official status in 1895. A significant omission of the ICC ruling was any attempt to define first-class cricket retrospectively. For statisticians, a key issue is when first-class cricket is deemed to have begun. Before 1895, "first-class" was a common adjective applied to cricket matches in England, used loosely to suggest that a match had a high standard.

Statistical Debate. Writing in 1951, Roy Webber argued that the majority of matches prior to 1864 cannot be regarded as first-class. Subsequently, Webber's view was challenged by Bill Frindall who believed that 1815 should be the statistical startpoint, to encompass the entire roundarm bowling phase of cricket's history. Frindall's view was that the inaugural first-class match should have been the opening game of the 1815 season between MCC and Middlesex at Lord's.

Wisden Recognition. Wisden agreed with Frindall by commencing its first-class records in 1815. This decision contrasts with the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, which eventually shifted its position and adopted 1772 as its start point for first-class statistics. The term "first-class cricket" was formally defined by the International Cricket Council on 19 May 1947, but this definition was not to be applied retrospectively.