Lamborn (Hambledon cricketer)

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One of the most enigmatic characters in the history of cricket is the mysterious bowler called Lamborn who appeared in 21 recorded matches between the 1777 English cricket season and the 1781 English cricket season.

No personal details of Lamborn are known, though it has been supposed his first name was William, but this is based on an error made by the unreliable John Nyren, who confused Lamborn with the much later cricketer William Lambert. Lamborn's nickname among his fellow players was "The Little Farmer", which does at least give some clues concerning his size and occupation.

Lamborn seems to have been something of a sensation in his short career for he was a most unorthodox bowler and has in recent years been described as a forerunner of Shane Warne. Indeed, there has been a joke about Lamborn's abrupt disappearance from the scene in 1781 around him having been transported to Australia where his daughter married someone called Warne!! But we do not in fact know what became of Lamborn.

Lamborn was a right arm spin bowler with a low, flighted delivery and what has been described as "twist from off to leg". It is said he was "no batter" and the scorecards confirm this.

Lamborn began with Surrey in 1777 and played several games for All-England but he then played a number of games for Hampshire from 1780.

He is the subject of a famous anecdote in which he informed the Duke of Dorset about one near miss that: "It was tedious near your Grace!" Lamborn had a strong rural accent and the way he said this apparently amused the Duke for some time to come.