ABSTRACT
During the 1890s cricket reached the peak of its influence within New Zealand sport and took its greatest steps towards unity. There were more interprovincial matches and more touring teams than ever before; the first representative New Zealand team took the field in 1894 and embarked on its first tour of Australia in 1899; numerous local and regional cricket associations were formed beyond the four main centres; and associations also emerged to cater for the mid—week and social cricketer. Most importantly, though, a meeting in Christchurch on 27 December 1894 established the New Zealand Cricket Council as a central administrative body. At the end of the century cricket was a national game—perhaps the national game.
