George Bennett (12 February 1829, Shorne Ridgeway, Gravesend, Kent – 16 August 1886, Shorne Ridgeway) was an English professional cricketer, who played first-class cricket from 1853 to 1873. He was mainly associated with Kent County Cricket Club, and made 170 known appearances in first-class matches.[1]
Bennett was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow roundarm bowler. He played for several of the representative travelling teams including the United All-England Eleven (1860-1862); All-England Eleven (1864) and the United South of England Eleven (1872). He represented the Players in 1865 and 1866. He took part in the first English tour of Australia as a member of HH Stephenson's XI in Australia in 1861–62.
He also was the first player to be ever given out handled the ball. In a match for Kent against Sussex at County Cricket Ground, Hove in August 1872, he removed a ball from his clothing before he had scored a run.[2] Unfortunately for him, the introduction of Law 33 (b) in 1899, which declared such a ball to be dead, did not come soon enough.[2]