1773 English cricket season

Surrey 175 (T White 44, Mr – Stone 35, R Francis 30) & 70 (T White 23); Kent 133 (Mr R Newman 28, T Pattenden 25) & 77 (J Miller 18). No bowling or fielding details are known.

Hampshire 77 (T Brett 26; E Stevens 2w) & 49 (G Leer 15; E Stevens 3w); All-England 177 (J Miller 73, R Simmons 20; W Hogsflesh 3w, T Brett 2w)

This is the first match since cricket’s statistical record began in 1772 where some bowling and fielding details are known, though no credit was given to the bowler when a batsman was out other than by being clean bowled, an omission in scoring that was not rectified until well inside the 19th century. Lumpy seems to have been the best bowler in the game, taking five wickets bowled and presumably had more from catches. The All-England team was a strong Kent & Surrey combination with Joseph Miller scoring 73 in their innings of 177.

The card includes the first known instance of “hit wicket” (by John Minshull) and it is not mentioned again until 1786. It is believed that it was usually recorded as “bowled” so it is possible that, on this occasion, Minshull hit the wicket when not taking strike (e.g., hit the wicket whilst running, perhaps). This was another “first” for Minshull who scored the first known century in 1769.

Hampshire 132 (John Small 58, T Sueter 29) & 154 (T Sueter 32, John Small 25, W Barber 25); All-England 187 (W Palmer 52*, Childs 38, T White 24) & 100-4 (J Boorman 55, W Palmer 30*).

Coulsdon batsman William Palmer, who had an outstanding season in 1773, scored 52* and 30* in totals of 187 and 100-4.

Mr Waghorn has come up trumps with this one. As always, he does not name the primary source but his extract reads: Yesterday, July 9, began to be played in the Artillery Ground, the second grand match of cricket, 11 on a side, the Hambledon Club, against All England, which ended on the 10, in favour of the latter, who had 2 wickets to go down. Great sums were depending on this match; at pitching the wickets, the Hambledon Club, notwithstanding their late defeat, were the favourites, and it was generally believed they would have come off victorious, had it not been for a hurt received by Farmer Brett (Bowler) in the late single wicket match, which prevented his exercising his usual powers.

This is not included in the ACS list which may have confused the game with the one on 2–3 July, also at the Artillery Ground, that All-England won by 6 wickets. Martin Wilson in his Index to Waghorn explains the situation and agrees with Ashley Mote in GDC that we have here an additional match that has previously been overlooked. The clincher would seem to be the fact that Tom Brett played on 2 July (see CricketArchive and SB7).

Little is known about this game apart from an interesting report which Mr Buckley found in the Morning Post dated Fri 16 July: Hampshire being beat again last Tuesday on Laleham Burway they must now resign the Cricket laurel, though much against their will. The Duke of Dorset played on the part of England, and having run a considerable number of notches from off-strokes, the Hampshire people very unpolitely swarmed round his bat so close as to impede his making a full stroke; his Grace gently expostulated with them on this unfair mode, and pointed out their danger, which having no effect, he, with proper spirit, made full play at a ball and in so doing brought one of the gentlemen to the ground.

It seems on reading this report that the umpires were at fault for the 1744 Laws do state: They (the umpires) are sole Judges of all Hindrances; crossing the Players in running, and standing unfair to strike, and in Case of Hindrance may order a notch to be scored. What is interesting is that, despite his considerable influence on the sport, Dorset did not exert influence on the umpires here and merely dealt with the matter as a batsman.

The stakes were 100 guineas a side. Middlesex totalled 179 to Surrey’s 173.

Surrey 77 (W Palmer 22; Duke of Dorset 4w) & 217 (T White 60, W Palmer 38, R Francis 36; J Miller 3w, Duke of Dorset 2w); Kent 63 (Duke of Dorset 25; J Wood of Chertsey 4w, E Stevens 2w) & 78 (Mr G Louch 26, Sir Horace Mann 22; J Wood of Chertsey 2w, E Stevens 2w)

Close of play scores are known

Monday – Surrey 77; Kent 55/5

Tuesday – Kent 63; Surrey 65/2 (Palmer 36*, White 2*)

Played for 20 guineas a side. This has historical interest but it is doubtful that it was a major match. S&B, Epps and GDC all omitted it and Waghorn is the only one of the secondary sources to acknowledge it. It is included in the ACS list and Martin Wilson has accepted it.

Hampshire 89 (Mr T Davis 30; E Stevens 4w, Duke of Dorset 4w) & 140 (T Sueter 39, Mr T Ridge 24; E Stevens 3w, Duke of Dorset 2w); All-England 202 (T White 69, W Palmer 68; R Purchase 4w, W Hogsflesh 2w) & 28-1

Richard Francis made his first appearance for Hampshire in this game, evidently as a given man. He began playing regularly for Hampshire in the 1774 season.

The Middlesex Journal reported on Sat 7 August that London won “with great ease”. It may well have been a "gentlemen only" game.

The stakes were 500 guineas per side and the match was concluded on the Tuesday evening. Mon 16 – Wed 18 August.

Surrey 170 (T White 59, W Palmer 20; F Booker 3w) & 70 (W Palmer 20; J Frame 3w); Kent 141 (J Miller 42, J Wood of Seal 36; J Wood of Chertsey 2w) & 100-4 (J Miller 32*, J Minshull 32)

This match provides incontrovertible proof that Thomas “Daddy” White and “Shock” White were two different people. “Daddy” was playing for Surrey against Kent at Sevenoaks Vine; indeed, he top-scored with 59 (see above). On the same three days, as reported in the Daily Advertiser (see FL18): in Tothill Fields, Westminster with Shock White from Brentford v. London for £20 a side. Hence the two Whites were Shock of Brentford and Daddy of Reigate.

Hampshire 103 (P Stewart 32, R Nyren 28) & 51 (G Leer 29); Surrey 131 (R Francis 35, W Yalden 27) & 24-4. No bowling or fielding details are known.

S&B states that the scores were obtained from the Hampshire Chronicle as the match was not included in the old printed book of Hambledon scores from 1772 to 1784. S&B goes on to regret the absences of John Small senior and Thomas Brett, the best batsman and best bowler respectively of Hampshire. He says Hampshire fielded almost a “scratch side” as there were four debutants Cotton, Horne, Lawrence and M Lewis who do not appear again in recorded scores. Some or all of them may have been active before 1772.

Strictly speaking, the Hampshire team in this game was Hambledon Parish. Some regular players who lived elsewhere in the county, including the top players John Small and Thomas Brett, did not play.

Hampshire 38 (T Sueter 13; R Francis 3w, J Wood of Chertsey 3w) & 145 (J Aylward 36); Surrey 120 (J Miller 37, J Minshull 29; J Frame 2w) & 64-2 (J Miller 30*)

Hampshire 83 (J Bayley 24, T Sueter 22) & 82 (J Aylward 33); Surrey 225 (W Yalden 88, J Miller 39)

This match does not appear in S&B. The sources are Hambledon’s Cricket Glory, by Ronald Knight; and The Hambledon Cricket Chronicle, edited by F S Ashley-Cooper.

James Bayley of Hampshire made his final recorded appearance in this game. He may have been active in earlier years.

William Yalden’s score of 88 was the highest recorded in the 1773 season and the highest since the statistical record began in 1772. The previous highest was 78 by John Small senior in the first match of the 1772 season.