In which year was the first official Test match in cricket history played?

Introduction / Context:
Test cricket is considered the oldest and most traditional format of international cricket. Knowing when the first official Test match was played is a standard historical fact that often appears in sports general knowledge questions. This question asks you to identify the year in which that landmark match took place.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the first official Test match in cricket history.
• We are asked to choose the correct year from a list of options.
• Options are 1870, 1873, 1877, 1788 and 1890.
• We assume the standard recognition of the first Test between Australia and England.

Concept / Approach:
The first officially recognised Test match was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1877. It is widely recorded as the start of Test match cricket. Therefore, we should select 1877 from the options. Understanding this date anchors the timeline of international cricket, with future milestones and series building on this starting point.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that the first official Test match was an Australia versus England fixture at Melbourne. 2. Remember the commonly cited year 1877 associated with this match. 3. Compare this memory with the provided years: 1870, 1873, 1877, 1788 and 1890. 4. Recognise that 1877 is the standard answer given in cricket history sources. 5. Select 1877 as the correct year.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking cricket history books or reputable websites, all of which consistently date the first official Test match to March 1877. Scorecards and historical articles about that Australia versus England game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground confirm both the match details and the year 1877, leaving no ambiguity about the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1870 and 1873: These years precede the recognised start of Test cricket; matches played earlier are treated as first class or other forms, not as official Tests.
• 1788: Too early for organised international Test cricket, long before such contests were established.
• 1890: Later than 1877; by then Test cricket was already well underway, not just beginning.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates confuse the first Test match with the start of other cricket events, such as the Ashes being formally recognised, or they misremember dates because they do not study sports history carefully. Another error is to think that such a historic event must be much older or much newer than it actually is. Keeping a simple fact in mind, that Test cricket started in 1877 with Australia versus England at Melbourne, helps avoid these mistakes.

Final Answer:
The first official Test match in cricket history was played in the year 1877.