Saturday May 18 - Richmond Cricket Ground
Crowd: Unknown
Richmond 1
Melbourne 0
Match drawn
Melbourne debuted their new magenta colours in the first match of the season. Two games were to be played but the second was called off as night fell.
With many players belonging to both clubs, and a merger motion having been defeated in the off-season, it was decided that the players who line up for the same club they played cricket with. This made Harrison and Hammersley Richmond players for the day. The goalscorer GM Nichols also played for Melbourne during the season.
No match was intended to be continued later, but the other two matches against Richmond in 1861 are treated as separate games.
Media
Bell's Life - 18/05/1861
Herald - 20/05/1861
Argus - 20/05/1861
Age - 20/05/1861
Bell's Life - 25/05/1861