The 19th century saw many one-off teams being assembled, grandly described as a North Wales XI or The Gentlemen of North Wales. An example came in 1867 when members of the Wrexham club, plus a couple of friends, met an eleven called South Wales at Denbigh.
The first fully representative North Wales side, containing the cream of talent in the area was the eleven chosen by Sidney Platt of the Bryn-y-Neuadd club to meet members of the South Wales Cricket Club at Llanfairfechan during 1883. In 1891 Colonel Henry Mostyn of Gloddaeth Hall also assembled and led a North Wales XI against the MCC at Llandudno.
By this time many clubs from England were enjoying tours to North Wales, with the image below showing two teams socialising after a game in Llandudno.
The impetus for a fully-fledged North Wales team was maintained either side of the Great War as several county clubs were formed in the area and played each other in a North Wales Championship. In August 1922 GE Rowland of Colwyn Bay CC duly assembled a North Wales team to play a South Wales team at Cardiff Arms Park and during the autumn months a North Wales Cricket Association was established.
Another North-South fixture took place at Llandudno during May 1923 whilst the following September the touring South Africans also met North Wales at Llandudno. A fortnight later, the ground hosted a match against Lancashire.