1775 English cricket season

These were organised by the Duke of Dorset and the Earl of Tankerville. The first was for 100 guineas but unfortunately we know no more than that.

Kent 104 (T White 25, F Booker 23; T Brett 3w, W Hogsflesh 2w) & 194 (T Pattenden 72, W Brazier 31, T White 26; T Brett 2w); Hampshire 157 (J Aylward 38, E Aburrow 36, G Leer 27; E Stevens 3w) & 31 (John Small 14; E Stevens 5w, R May 3w)

A remarkable result with Kent winning by 110 runs having been 53 behind after the first innings.

Heroes for Kent were Lumpy, playing as a given man, who took eight all bowled wickets (including five in the second innings); and Thomas Pattenden who scored 72 in Kent’s second innings.

William Hogsflesh made his last known appearance for Hampshire and Thomas Taylor (1753–1806) made his debut. Taylor became one of the best players of the late 18th century and played until 1798.

Kent 84 & 147 (J Miller 71); Hampshire 219 (G Leer 79, T Sueter 37, T Taylor 28) & 18-1. Arthur Haygarth says he obtained the details from the Hampshire Chronicle. No bowling or fielding details are known.

The margin between the teams’ totals is 6, so Hampshire must have won with a hit for 6 when scores were level. As Richard Francis scored 10 out of 18, he must have been the not out batsman who made the winning hit.

Surrey 76 (Brett 7w) & 163 (J Minshull 445, J Miller 42, Earl of Tankerville 26; Brett 4w); Hampshire 51 & 119 (J Aylward 38, G Leer 25). Mr Haygarth says he got the details from the old printed scorebook but acknowledges that another account differs re some of the details.

Thomas Brett achieved the earliest known 10 wickets in a match, taking 11 which were bowled victims only. He had 7 in the first innings and 4 in the second, also taking a catch. His first innings haul is also the first recorded instance of a bowler taking seven in an innings. Despite his efforts, Hampshire lost by 69 runs.

No details were reported. The combined side had 7 of London and 4 of Kent.

Hampshire 168 (R Francis 45, John Small 38) & 357 (John Small 136, R Nyren 98, T Brett 68, W Barber 30); Surrey 151 (H Attfield 49, John Wood of Chertsey 29, W Yalden 26) & 78-3 innings forfeited (W Yalden 27, W Palmer 22*)

John Small scored 136 for Hampshire, a new record for the highest individual innings and the first definitely known century to be scored in major or top-class cricket, though Small himself may well have achieved the feat much earlier (see 1768 English cricket season).

Richard Nyren scored 98, agonisingly missing the second known top-class century by just two runs. Thomas Brett, not normally a batsman, weighed in with 68 as Hampshire totalled 357, a whopping score for the time that enabled them to win by 296 runs. Surrey forfeited the match after reaching 78-3 in their second innings.

So many centuries are scored nowadays that it is difficult to put this into context but given the view expressed earlier that the scoring potential of Georgian batsmen was about a third that of today’s batsmen, given the difference in pitch conditions, a score of 136 then must have been the equivalent of scoring 300-plus now. Certainly the frequency with which centuries were scored then is comparable with that of triple centuries now.

It was not the first century ever scored. We know that John Minshull definitely made 107 in 1769, but we think the match was a minor one. It is probable that Small himself scored a century in 1768, but we cannot be certain as the report indicates that he made 140-plus as a match total.

When two unknown Hambledon batsmen shared a stand of 192 against Caterham in 1767, surely at least one of them (Sueter and Aburrow, according to GDC) made a personal century? There must have been earlier, unrecorded instances of the feat, even if few and far between.

One thing that is certain is that Small was a truly great batsman, capable of making large scores over a wide span of years in conditions that heavily favoured the bowlers.

The progressive value of the highest known individual innings in major matches to this point:

Looking at the list of progressive records above, it is noticeable that three of the four scores were made at Broadhalfpenny Down. This suggests it had a more level and durable surface in its pitch area than other venues of the time; or maybe the Hambledon Club took more care of it than other clubs did of their surfaces.

Incidentally, although the scorecard for this game does not record any bowling details, the Surrey bowlers included Lumpy and other noted bowlers John Wood of Chertsey, Daddy White, John Edmeads and Thomas Quiddington.

Reported in the Sussex Weekly Advertiser on Mon 24 July and “won hollow” by Coulsdon.

Advertised in the Sussex Weekly Advertiser on Mon 24 July. No report was found.

Kent had Lumpy and Thomas White as given men. There was a brief report in the Reading Mercury on Sat 5 August.

Chertsey scored 107 & 153; the combined team replied with 55 & 48.

Chertsey 152 (W Yalden 77, Earl of Tankerville 25; J Wood 3w) & 148 (W Yalden 71, W Bartholomew 25; J Wood 3w); Coulsdon 43 (E Stevens 3w, W Bartholomew 2w) & 85 (C Phillips 31; W Bartholomew 4w, E Stevens 3w)

Details of this game and the two that follow can also be found on the Chertsey Cricket Club website at [1]

Chertsey and Coulsdon were both Surrey clubs but several players in both teams represented counties so this is a major match. Chertsey was, in effect, the Earl of Tankerville’s XI and their opponents in these three matches were someone else’s XI. The team names must not be taken too literally.

Dartford 57 (W Bartholomew 6w, E Stevens 3w) & 97 (Goulson 24*; W Bartholomew 3w) Chertsey 74 (W Bullen 4w, J Frame 2w) & 81-9 (W Yalden 18)

As only two Dartford players, William Bullen and the veteran John Frame, are recognised, it is very doubtful if this match would be given major match status.

The two Bartholomews of Chertsey are in other scorecards referred to as Rev Bartholomew senior and Mr Bartholomew junior. It is believed and has been assumed that the junior was William Bartholomew, who also played for Surrey teams at the time, and that it is he who shared the bowling with Lumpy. The senior is believed to be Rev. Charles Bartholomew, a Chertsey Club stalwart who played occasionally in the 1770s but may have been a regular in times past.

Chertsey 106 ( W Yalden 27; J Wood of Seal 3w, S Colchin 2w) & 122 (J Minshull 54, T Swayne 22; J Wood of Seal 5w, W Brazier 2w); London 101 (W Brazier 31; W Bartholomew 4w, E Stevens 3w) & 83 (C Phillips 32*, W Brazier 27; E Stevens 7w)

Lumpy achieved the second known instance of both 7 wickets in an innings and ten wickets in a match. Again, the figures are bowled dismissals only.

The London team contained several known players, as did Chertsey, and this is a major match.