The Australian state of Tasmania has one of the longest traditions of cricket-playing in the southern hemisphere.
[citation needed] Cricket is recorded as having first been played in Tasmania very shortly after the arrival of British settlers on the island on 12 September 1803, however it wasn't until nearly fifty years later that First-class cricket was to be played there.
Despite the long wait since the foundation of the colony, Tasmania played in the first ever first-class cricket match in Australia, which was played on 11 February and 12 February 1851, against Victoria, with Tasmania emerging victorious by 3 wickets.
Following that first ever First-class match Tasmania endured a long period of isolation, in which the island's cricketers had to content themselves with occasional First-class matches against other colonies, primarily Victoria, and touring or representative sides.
Australia's elite First-class cricket competition, the Sheffield Shield was established in 1892, however Tasmania was not invited to participate in that elite competition until 1977, and even then, their first four seasons were on a limited fixture list.