English cricket team in North America in 1859

[1] Together with Robert Waller from St George's Cricket Club, Pickering opened discussions for a possible tour in 1856 but financial problems meant that it was three years before the money could be raised.

[3] With George Parr as captain, the twelve players were effectively the cream of professional talent in the 1859 English cricket season that had just ended: Five matches were played, all against XXIIs, so none had first-class status.

Three exhibition games were also played in which the 12 England players divided and added five North Americans to each team to make up eleven-a-side matches.

There were excellent crowds for the first three matches but the weather in mid-October turned very cold and reduced the attendances at the last two.

[16] A product of the tour was a book by Fred Lillywhite, who travelled as scorer, entitled The English Cricketers' Trip to Canada and the United States and published in 1860.