The Sydney Riot of 1879 was one of the earliest riots at an international cricket match. It occurred at the Association Ground, Moore Park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (now known as the Sydney Cricket Ground) during a game between a touring English team captained by Lord Harris and a team from the New South Wales Cricket Association led by Dave Gregory. The riot was sparked by a controversial umpiring decision, when star Australian batsman Billy Murdoch was given out by George Coulthard. The dismissal caused an uproar among the crowd, many of whom surged onto the pitch, where some players were assaulted. It was alleged that gamblers in the New South Wales pavilion encouraged Gregory to make a stand so as to disrupt the game.
In the immediate aftermath of the riot the England team cancelled the remaining games which were scheduled to be played in Sydney. The incident also caused much press comment in England and Sydney. A letter by Lord Harris about the incident was later published in English newspapers, and caused fresh outrage in New South Wales when it was reprinted by the colonial press. The response by the New South Wales Cricket Association further damaged relations. The riot led to a breakdown of goodwill that threatened the future of England-Australia cricket tours. However, friction between the cricketing authorities finally eased when Lord Harris agreed to lead an England representative side at the Oval in London more than one year later.