1861 in sports

1861 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. Baseball National championship National Association of Base Ball Players champion – Brooklyn Atlantics Events The National Association establishes the December annual meeting, a change from March, meeting twice during calendar 1860. Membership slips from 59 to 55 clubs and then the outbreak of the American Civil War in the spring sharply cuts both inter-city travel and the number of matches played in greater New York City. Some clubs practically disband. Boxing Events 18 June — Jem Mace defeats Sam Hurst in eight rounds at Medway Island to win the Heavyweight Championship of England. Hurst retires from boxing. John C. Heenan retains the Championship of America but there is no record of any fights involving him in 1861. Cricket Events 20 October — the first English team to tour Australia sets sail from Liverpool. The team is captained by H. H. Stephenson. No first-class matches are played. England Most runs – Robert Carpenter 883 @ 30.44 (HS 106) Most wickets – Edgar Willsher 87 @ 11.65 (BB 8–27)