History of cricket (1772–1815)

The period from 1772 to 1815 saw significant growth and development in English cricket to the point that it became a popular sport nationwide, having outgrown its origin in the southeastern counties. Prominent northern clubs were founded at Nottingham and Sheffield. The earliest known references have been found for cricket in Australia (1804), Canada (1785), South Africa (1808) and the West Indies (1780; in Barbados). In India, British clubs were founded at Calcutta (1792) and, following the siege there, Seringapatam (1799). In America, the game was popular among soldiers in the revolution and George Washington is known to have played in at least one game.[1]

Part of a series on
Cricket
Cricket pictogram
Forms of cricket
Test cricket

First-class cricket

One Day International

Limited overs (domestic)

Twenty20 International

Twenty20 (domestic)

Other forms
International competitions
History of cricket

At the highest level of English cricket, two clubs pre-dominated – Hambledon from the early 1770s until the late 1780s and then Marylebone Cricket Club, known as MCC, from its foundation in 1787. MCC have always played at Lord's, which was twice relocated in the early 19th century; the current ground in St John's Wood opened in 1814. Leading players of the period included batsmen John Small and Billy Beldham; bowlers Lumpy Stevens and David Harris; and the controversial all-rounder Lord Frederick Beauclerk. The Laws of Cricket underwent a re-codification in 1775, including the introduction of the leg before wicket rule and the addition of the third stump to the wicket. Throughout the period, underarm bowling prevailed by means of a pitched delivery, this method having been recently introduced in the 1760s. In response to pitching of the ball, the modern straight bat had been created, replacing the old "hockey stick" design that had been in use when balls were bowled all along the ground. Soon after its foundation, MCC assumed ownership of the Laws and re-drafted them in 1788.

First-class cricket began, albeit retrospectively, in 1772 and county cricket thrived during the Hambledon period. The Hambledon Club organised matches played by the Hampshire XI, who often challenged teams representing the rest of England. After the French Revolution, however, and through the Napoleonic Wars, county cricket virtually died as the sport was impacted by losses of investment and manpower.[2]

1772 season
Main article: 1772 English cricket season

The earliest known match scorecards date from 1744 but few have been found before 1772. The cards for three 1772 matches have survived and, as scorecards became increasingly common thereafter, these three have formed the basis for retrospective classification of top-level matches as first-class from 1772. On 24 June, a Hampshire XI won by 53 runs against an England XI at Broadhalfpenny Down in Hambledon. This is recognised as cricket's inaugural first-class match and is the first one in ESPN's Cricinfo database.[3]

The other two games with surviving scorecards were England XI v Hampshire XI at Guildford in Surrey[4] and England XI v Hampshire XI at Bishopsbourne in Kent.[5] Hampshire won the Guildford match by 62 runs[4] and England won by two wickets at Bishopsbourne.[5]

The early scorecards gave scores only with no details of dismissals or bowling. The leading runscorers in the three matches were John Small of Hampshire, who totalled 213 in six innings with a highest score of 78 in the first match, and William Yalden of England, who scored 136 in six innings with a highest of 68 at Guildford.[6]

1811 to 1815 seasons

In time for the start of the 1811 season, MCC reluctantly followed Thomas Lord to his new Middle Ground, the lease on the original Lord's Old Ground having expired. MCC were resident at the Middle Ground for the next three years. Records of only three first-class matches have been found for the years 1811 to 1813 with the war taking an increasing toll of cricket's manpower and investment. These were Benjamin Aislabie's XI v George Osbaldeston's XI at the Middle Ground on 8–9 July 1811;[7] Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI v George Osbaldeston's XI at the Middle Ground on 15–17 June 1812;[8] and Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI v Edward Bligh's XI on 7–9 June 1813 – this was the last match known to have been played on the Middle Ground.[9]

In 1813, the site of the Middle Ground was requisitioned by Parliament for construction of the Regent's Canal. Thomas Lord contacted the Eyre family, erstwhile owners of the site, and persuaded them to lease to him another parcel of land in St John's Wood, about half a mile further north at a place called North Bank. This site had previously been a duckpond. In the winter of 1813–14, Lord again had his turf literally dug up and removed. He built a high perimeter fence, a tavern and a pavilion at what became the current Lord's ground.

There was a comment in an 1813 edition of the Nottingham Review that: "The manly and athletic game at cricket for which the boys of Sherwood have been so long and so justly famed, it was thought, had fallen into disuse, if not disgrace...." Also, there is a view expressed by Rowland Bowen that the game had gone out of fashion in addition to the wartime problems it faced. Elsewhere, the first reference to cricket in the county of Cornwall is dated 1813.

On 22 June 1814, MCC played the first match at Lord's against Hertfordshire, then as now a minor county team. The first match of importance at Lord's was played 13–15 July 1814 when MCC hosted a team called St John's Wood that included a number of Surrey players including William Beldham, William Lambert and William Ward.[10] Jem Broadbridge, who became an outstanding all-rounder in the 1820s, made his first-class debut on 22 July 1814 in a Beauclerk v Osbaldeston match at Goodwood Park. Brighton met Epsom at the Royal New Ground in Brighton on 28–29 July 1814 and Beauclerk's XI played Douglas Kinnaird's XI at Lord's on 2–4 August 1814.[11]

A discernible recovery began in 1815 as the Napoleonic Wars ended after the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June. Six first-class matches have been recorded and the first centuries were scored at the new Lord's ground in St John's Wood.[12] The centuries were scored in the Middlesex v Epsom match on 24 & 25 August by Felix Ladbroke and Frederick Woodbridge who scored 116 and 107 respectively for Epsom.[13][14] The other matches in 1815 were:

  • 31 May–1 June 1815 – MCC v Middlesex at Lord's[15]
  • 20–22 June 1815 – Beauclerk's XI v William Ward's XI at Lord's[16]
  • 12–14 July 1815 – England v Surrey at Lord's[17]
  • 17–18 July 1815 – Kent v England at Napps, Wrotham[18]
  • 7–9 August 1815 – Sussex v Epsom at Royal New Ground, Brighton

Among debutants in 1815 was Algernon Greville, better known as the Duke of Wellington's private secretary from 1819. Greville fought at Waterloo as an ensign. He played first-class cricket until 1823 and is recorded in seven matches.[15][19]

See also

References
  1. Ewing, George. The Military Journal of George Ewing. (New York: Privately Printed, 1928), p. 47.
  2. ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. p. 4.
  3. "Hampshire XI v England XI at Hambledon". ESPN cricinfo. London: ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. "England XI v Hampshire XI at Guildford". ESPN cricinfo. London: ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. "England XI v Hampshire XI at Bishopsbourne". ESPN cricinfo. London: ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  6. "England Domestic Season, 1772". ESPN cricinfo. London: ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  7. Haygarth 1862, p. 365.
  8. Haygarth 1862, p. 366.
  9. Haygarth 1862, p. 367.
  10. Haygarth 1862, p. 375.
  11. Haygarth 1862, p. 376.
  12. Haygarth 1862, pp. 378–383.
  13. Haygarth 1862, p. 383.
  14. "Middlesex v Epsom – match scorecard". London: CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  15. Haygarth 1862, p. 378.
  16. Haygarth 1862, p. 379.
  17. Haygarth 1862, p. 380.
  18. Haygarth 1862, p. 381.
  19. "Algernon Greville". London: CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

Select bibliography
  • ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS.
  • Altham, H. S. (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). London: George Allen & Unwin. ASIN B0014QE7HQ.
  • Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 978-18-54107-10-7.
  • Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. ISBN 978-04-13278-60-9.
  • Buckley, G. B. (1935). Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket. Birmingham: Cotterell & Co. ISBN 978-19-00592-48-2.
  • Buckley, G. B. (1937). Fresh Light on pre-Victorian Cricket. Birmingham: Cotterell & Co. ISBN 978-19-00592-49-9.
  • Haygarth, Arthur (1862). Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN 978-19-00592-23-9.
  • Major, John (2007). More Than A Game. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-00-07183-64-7.
  • Maun, Ian (2009). From Commons to Lord's, Volume One: 1700 to 1750. Cambridge: Roger Heavens. ISBN 978-19-00592-52-9.
  • Maun, Ian (2011). From Commons to Lord's, Volume Two: 1751 to 1770. Leicester: Martin Wilson. ISBN 978-09-56906-60-1.
  • McCann, Tim (2004). Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century. Lewes: Sussex Record Society. ISBN 978-08-54450-55-8.
  • Nyren, John (1998). Ashley Mote (ed.). The Cricketers of my Time. London: Robson Publishing. ISBN 978-18-61051-68-4.
  • Underdown, David (2000). Start of Play. Westminster: Allen Lane. ISBN 978-07-13993-30-1.
  • Waghorn, H. T. (1906). The Dawn of Cricket. London: Electric Press. ISBN 978-09-47821-17-3.
  • Waghorn, H. T. (1899). Cricket Scores, Notes, &c. – From 1730–1773. Edinburgh: Blackwood. ISBN 978-09-47821-17-3.
  • Webber, Roy (1960). The Phoenix History of Cricket. Charing Cross, London: Phoenix House Ltd. ISBN 978-04-60078-04-7.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.