1795 English cricket season
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In the 1795 English cricket season, the enigmatic Thursday Club made its bow. But Samuel Britcher says it was the Middlesex county XI.
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[edit] Matches
| Date | Match Title | Venue | Source | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5 May (M-Tu) | MCC v Thursday Club ^ | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB178 | MCC won by 2 wkts |
| 11-12 May (M-Tu) | MCC v Thursday Club ^ | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB178 | Thursday Club won by 8 wkts |
| 12-14 May (Tu-Th) | MCC v Thursday Club ^ | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB17 | Thursday Club won by 38 runs |
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^ The teams consist of recognised players and there is historical significance so these are major fixtures. The Thursday Club is often called Middlesex and it is difficult to work out which is which as many of the same players represented both teams. It would be an easy option to label all these teams Middlesex but not necessarily correct. |
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| 25-27 May (M-W) | MCC v Thursday Club/Middlesex | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB180 | MCC won by 94 runs |
| 1-3 June (M-W) | C Lennox v Earl of Winchilsea | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB181 | Lennox's XI won by 48 runs |
| 9-11 June (Tu-Th) | C Lennox v Earl of Winchilsea | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB181 | Lennox's XI won by 10 wkts |
| 15 June (M) | Bullingdon v MCC # | Bullingdon | SB182 | MCC won by 8 wkts |
| 16-17 June (Tu-Th) | Frensham v Bramshot # | Wheatsheaf Common | SB182 | drawn (rain) |
| 16-17 June (Tu-Th) | Oxford XVI v MCC XII # | Bullingdon | SB183 | MCC won by 9 wkts |
| 22-25 June (M-Th) | MCC v All-England | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB184 | MCC won by 15 runs |
| 26 & 29 June (F & M) | MCC v Thursday Club/Middlesex | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB185 | T/M won by 3 wkts |
| 2-3 July (Th-F) | MCC v Bullingdon # | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB185 | MCC won by innings & 382 runs |
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# Some games in S&B and the ACS list are not major due to lack of recognised players. These include the MCC games against Bullingdon and the Frensham v Bramshot game played in Hampshire. |
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| 6-8 July (M-W) | Surrey v All-England XIII | Moulsey Hurst | SB186 | Surrey won by 76 runs |
| 8-10 July (W-F) | Lennox v Earl of Winchilsea | Moulsey Hurst | SB187 | Lennox won by 129 runs |
| 16-18 July (Th-S) | Middlesex v Berkshire | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB187 | Middlesex won by 233 runs |
| 20-22 July (M-W) | Earl of Winchilsea v R Leigh | Windmill Down | SB188 | Winchilsea's XI won by 113 runs |
| 23-25 July (Th-S) | Earl of Winchilsea v R Leigh | Stoke Down | SB188 | Leigh's XI won by 3 wkts |
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This match was unfinished at 25 July but through the sheer determination of the participants, it was eventually concluded on Tuesday 28 June 1796, nearly a whole year later! |
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| 6-7 Aug (Th-F) | MCC v Berkshire | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB189 | MCC won by 2 wkts |
| 10-12 Aug (M-W) | Surrey v All-England XIII | Moulsey Hurst | SB190 | All-England won by 38 runs |
| 12-15 Aug (W-S) | Surrey v All-England XIII | Moulsey Hurst | SB190 | All-England won by 27 runs |
| 24-26 Aug (M-W) | All-England v Hampshire | Dartford Brent | SB191 | All-England won by 16 runs |
| 27-29 Aug (Th-S) | All-England v Hampshire | Dartford Brent | SB191 | Hampshire won by 4 wkts |
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This may have been the last time Dartford Brent was used for a major match. Games in Dartford after 1795 were played at Bowman's Lodge on Dartford Heath. |
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| 31 Aug - 2 Sept (M-W) | Kent v All-England | Penenden Heath, nr Maidstone | SB193 | All-England won by 5 wkts |
| 7-10 Sept (M-Th) | Sir H Mann v R Leigh | Dandelion Paddock | SB193 | Mann's XI won by 37 runs |
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This match is given a 1796 date in WDC and is titled J Small v T Walker. The 1795 details are believed correct. Dandelion Paddock was near Margate. |
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| 10-12 Sept (Th-S) | Sir H Mann v Earl of Darnley | Dandelion Paddock | SB194 | Darnley's XI won by 242 runs |
| 14-16 Sept (M-W) | Sir H Mann v R Leigh | Dandelion Paddock | SB195 | Leigh's XI won by innings & 98 runs |
[edit] First mentions
- William Barton
- Arthur Upton
- Charles Warren (Middlesex; amateur) – played 33 matches to 1826
- Harry Bridger aka Jones (Middlesex) – played four matches to 1796
- Captain Drew (Kent; amateur) – played three matches to 1795
- Hooker (Kent) – played three matches to 1795
[edit] Leading batsmen
Note that many scorecards in the 18th century are unknown or have missing details and so it is impossible to provide a complete analysis of batting performances: e.g., the missing not outs prevent computation of batting averages. The "runs scored" are in fact the runs known.
John Hammond scored 800 runs, easily the highest season total to date. Robert Robinson scored 768.
Others who scored more than 300 runs were Tom Walker with 661; William Beldam 538; Henry Tufton and his brother John Tufton who both scored 416; Jack Small 415; Harry Walker 366; Joey Ring 364; and Thomas Ray 337
[edit] Leading bowlers
Note that the wickets credited to an 18th century bowler were only those where he bowled the batsman out. The bowler was not credited with the wickets of batsmen who were caught out, even if it was "caught and bowled". In addition, the runs conceded by each bowler were not recorded so no analyses or averages can be computed.
Thomas Boxall with 60 wickets was the leading bowler in 1795
Other good performances were by David Harris 51; Thomas Lord 40; John Wells 38; Tom Walker 33; Charles Cumberland 27; Richard Purchase 22; Lord Frederick Beauclerk 21; William Beldam 20; John Hammond 20; Sylvester 14; Robert Turner 13
[edit] Leading fielders
Note that many scorecards in the 18th century are unknown or have missing details and so the totals are of the known catches and stumpings only. Stumpings were not always recorded as such and sometimes the name of the wicket-keeper was not given. Generally, a catch was given the same status as "bowled" with credit being awarded to the fielder only and not the bowler. There is never a record of "caught and bowled": the bowler would be credited with the catch, not with the wicket.
To supplement his outstanding season with the bat, John Hammond took 37 catches and 12 stumpings
William Beldam was the second best fielder with 30 ct 1 st. Others who performed well were Thomas Ray and Harry Walker with 29 and 26 catches respectively.
The Tufton brothers, Henry and John, between them took 33 catches and 1 stumping but in most cases it is not known which of them took the catch. Henry definitely caught 8 and John definitely caught 6, while it was almost certainly Henry who performed the stumping, but the other 19 catches are simply "c Tufton"!
[edit] References
- Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley (FL18)
- Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket by G B Buckley (FLPV)
- Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century by Timothy J McCann (TJM)
- The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn (WDC)
- Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn)
- Scores 1790-1805 (annual issues) by Samuel Britcher
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