Overview of English cricket 1726 - 1815

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an overview of cricket through the 18th century from 1726 when newspaper reports became more frequent and more detailed to the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. It was an era that saw the rise of famous rural clubs at Slindon and Hambledon; and ultimately the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's ground.

Cricket's first formalised Laws were written in 1744 and revised in 1774.

Bowling underwent its first revolution sometime after 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling it as in bowls. Before long, the first great bowler Edward "Lumpy" Stevens was studying flight and working out line and length variations. This led to another revolution as batsmen like John Small adopted the modern straight bat to help them deal with the pitched deliveries.

Cricket thrived on the funds provided by patronage, gambling and large, enthusiastic crowds.

This article requires additional input to make it into a full overview of the whole period. All helpful contributions will be welcome. Detailed records of each season are in the individual articles that can be linked from the table below.