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 The Marylebone Club opened the season of 1867 with a match on the continent. It sent twelve of its members across the Channel to play a friendly game against twelve of the Paris Club, on the new ground in the Bois de Boulogne, in the hope, no doubt, of spreading a knowledge of the game. It was the first time the M.C.C. had played out of the United Kingdom, and judging by the names of the players who represented Paris, it might have been a contest between two English elevens. The M.C.C. won very easily, defeating their opponents by an innings and 135 runs; Mr. A. Lubbock scoring 102 in brilliant form. The match took place on the 22nd and 23rd April, and on the two succeeding days the I Zingari played on the same ground, against the same club, and won just as easily; Mr. A. Lubbock again being the top scorer with 72 not out. History does not report that the French nation was stirred or excited over the visit of two such important clubs, nor does it say that cricket clubs were formed and flourished on account of it.

A month later, on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th May, the All-England and United All-England Elevens met at Manchester for the benefit of the Cricketers' Fund. The match had been played on Whit-Monday at Lord's since 1857; but as both elevens were now composed entirely of Northern men, and the schism which had raged for years between North and South was still active, very little surprise was felt when the fixture was announced to take place on the old Trafford Ground. The M.C.C. realising that the two elevens meant to travel their own way respecting that march, as they had done in the North v. South matches, met in the early part of the season and passed the following resolution: