52 runs in a day for the South against the North on a sticky wicket on 17 May 1875. Test debut and later career Although Southerton declined somewhat in the 1876 season with 28 fewer wickets than the previous year, he toured Australia as part of James Lillywhite's side the following winter. This led to him playing in the first-ever Test matches. Southerton was 49 years 119 days old when he made his Test debut, making him the oldest ever Test debutant. Southerton made his Test debut on 15 March 1877, breaking the dominant partnership of Charles Bannerman and Bransby Cooper. Age was clearly catching up with Southerton, and the following season saw him fail to reach 100 first-class wickets for the first time since 1866. He played his final matches in 1879 and became the first Test cricketer to die when he succumbed after a short attack of pleurisy just ten months after he had retired from cricket. Outside of cricket, Southerton was the landlord of the Cricketers Hotel at Mitcham Cricket Green, southwest London. Bibliography Gault, Adrian. James Southerton: The Man of Many Counties. London: Mitcham Cricket Club, 2020. References External links 1827 births 1880 deaths England Test cricketers English cricketers Hampshire cricketers Surrey cricketers Sussex cricketers Players cricketers North v South cricketers United South of England Eleven cricketers People from Petworth Surrey Club cricketers Married v Single cricketers Players of the South cricketers New All England Eleven cricketers