Manchester matches are classified with first-class cricket between 1844 and 1858, after which it was superseded by the county club.
Manchester played mostly against opponents from the north of England and 13 of its matches between 1844 and 1858 have first-class status.
In 1856, Sir Humphrey de Trafford identified this land as being an ideal location for the planned Manchester Art and Treasures Exhibition and offered Manchester Cricket Club £500 in compensation for the remainder of their lease.
The club, however, insisted on a figure of £1,000 and agreed to vacate the site ahead of the 1857 season, moving to the ground which subsequently became Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the home of Lancashire cricket.
In 1865, the new club joined the County Championship and played its initial first-class match against Middlesex at Old Trafford on 20, 21 and 22 July.