1726 English cricket season
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The 1726 English cricket season is the first in which a newspaper report actually names a participant in a cricket match and it is from this time that a continuous history of English cricket is possible, although the details in most seasons through the 18th century remain sparse.
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[edit] Season Overview
Newspaper reports seemed to be widening in scope because at last it is possible to read the names of players as well as patrons. The first players reported were Perry of London and Piper of Hampton. They played a single-wicket match and they must have been good players or it would not have been reported.
The main story of the year, as in some earlier seasons, concerns cricket's relationship with the law, though once again the issue was non-payment of gambling debts.
[edit] Major Matches
The London Evening Post dated 27 August carried an advertisement for a single wicket match between players called Perry (of London) and Piper (of Hampton, Middlesex). The venue was Moulsey Hurst, near Molesey in Surrey. This is the earliest reference for cricket being played at this venue. It was famous for various sporting activities, especially prizefighting, and was often used for cricket throughout the 18th century [1].
| Date | Match Title | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August (M) | London & Surrey v Mr Edward Stead’s XI [2] | Kennington Common | result unknown |
| ? Sept (see 1724) | Chingford v Mr Edward Stead’s XI [2] | Dartford Brent | result unknown |
The match on 29 August was "for 25 guineas between the men belonging to Edward Stead, Esq. of Maidstone and the men of London and Surrey" [2].
The second game is the conclusion of the 1724 match which was unfinished at that time and became the subject of a lawsuit. Lord Chief Justice Pratt ordered it to be played out [2]. It is not known if Dartford Brent was the original venue but it seems certain the match was concluded there [3].
On the subject of legal matters, a letter has survived that was written by an Essex resident. The writer complained that a local Justice of the Peace had seen fit to literally read the Riot Act, as it were, to some people who were playing cricket on Saturday 10 September. He had a constable with him who dispersed the players [4]. It seems the JP considered any game or sport as a pretence covering the gathering of disaffected people in order to raise a rebellion! Given the ruling by Lord Chief Justice Pratt, who in effect ordered the game to be played in Dartford, the issue raised was that it was apparently lawful to play cricket in Kent but not in Essex [3].
[edit] References
- ^ From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300–1787
- ^ a b c d H T Waghorn, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906
- ^ a b Dartford Cricket Club website
- ^ G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
[edit] External sources
[edit] Further reading
- H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962
- Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999
- Rowland Bowen, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
- David Underdown, Start of Play, Allen Lane, 2000
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