History of English cricket (1726–1750)

The history of cricket from 1726 to 1763 covers the period leading up to the introduction of the pitched delivery in bowling and the formation of the Hambledon Club.

Cricket in 1726 was already a major sport in London and the south of England. Having thrived as a rural pastime for well over a century before the English Restoration in 1660, it then became a focus of gamblers whose interests funded the game throughout the 18th century. The investment of wealthy patrons poured money into the game and created the earliest county teams, the first professional players and the first major clubs. In 1726, the most significant clubs were London and Dartford while Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex could all put strong county teams into the field. Well-known venues at the time were the Artillery Ground, Dartford Brent, Kennington Common, Moulsey Hurst and Richmond Green.

No cricket had been reported in the infant newspaper industry before 1697 due to the Licensing Acts which controlled the press until 1696, but reports were beginning to increase by the mid-1720s, though it would be a very long time indeed before coverage became anything like comprehensive. Early reports tended to be an advertisement for a scheduled match or else a brief discussion of the gambling odds rather than the actual play.

Continuing growth of cricket

Cricket was still a regional sport in England, albeit a very popular one, as the constraints of travel at the time had not facilitated its introduction to the rest of the country.

The focal point of cricket in the mid-18th century was the Artillery Ground at Finsbury in London. It was the preferred home venue of London Cricket Club and the stage for numerous major events, including lucrative single wicket contests. While London represented the metropolitan side of cricket, there were several famous rural clubs like Slindon and Addington which had great teams for a few years.

Cricket thrived on the funds provided by patronage, gambling and large, enthusiastic crowds. As its popularity grew, it spread outwards from its south-eastern heartland and the earliest reports of cricket being played in the north of England date from the 1750s. The game had already reached the Americas and India as confirmed by references to the game being played overseas by English sailors and colonists in the first quarter of the 18th century.

Events to 1730

The London Evening Post was founded in 1726 and it carried a good many cricket notices until it ceased publication in 1797. The growth of the newspaper industry was important contemporarily for giving the sport much needed publicity and historically for providing glimpses into a developing sport that had still not learned how to record itself for posterity.

The London Evening Post dated Saturday, 27 August 1726 carried an advertisement for a single wicket match between players called Perry (of London) and Piper (of Hampton, Middlesex). The venue was Moulsey Hurst, near Molesey in Surrey. This is the first time that players are known to have been named in a newspaper and the match itself is the earliest known to have been played under single wicket rules. Single wicket was a form of major cricket that had periods of great popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries, mainly for the opportunities it offered to gamblers, and it reached a peak in the 1748 season.

The most prominent patrons of the period under review were Edwin Stead (Kent), the 2nd Duke of Richmond, Sir William Gage (both Sussex) and the Prince of Wales (Surrey). The Prince of Wales became involved in cricket in the 1730s but the first three were active from the mid-1720s and frequently arranged matches against each other for high stakes. The importance of these four patrons is self-evident when one considers the decline of cricket, due to reduced investment, that followed their deaths. After the deaths of Richmond and Wales in 1750 and 1751 respectively, there was a pronounced slump in the number of major matches played that was compounded by the impact of the Seven Years War from 1756 to 1763, with no matches at all in 1760. Cricket did not fully recover its earlier status until the Hambledon era began in the years following the war and new patrons led by the 3rd Duke of Dorset came on the scene.

Some matches in the 1720s were arranged at places like Peper Harow and Penshurst Park which have long been horse racing locations; today, they both house point-to-point racecourses. There were strong gambling connections between cricket, racing and prizefighting throughout the 18th century with matches being staged at venues like Moulsey Hurst or the Forest New Ground at Nottingham; and the fact that MCC and the Jockey Club were both founded by the "Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Club" which used to meet socially at the Star & Garter on Pall Mall in London.

In 1727, the Duke of Richmond organised two matches against Alan Brodrick and they drew up Articles of Agreement between them to determine the rules that must apply in these contests. This is the earliest known instance of rules (or some part of the rules as in this case) being formally agreed, although rules as such definitely existed. In early times, the rules would be agreed orally and subject to local variations. This syndrome was also evident in football until the FA was founded, especially re the question of handling the ball.

Another reference to Articles of Agreement occurs in 1730 when London played Kent at a venue called Frog Lane in Islington. The report says: "but being obliged by their Articles to leave off at seven o'clock, they could not finish it". London had a lead of 30 when play ended there was a resumption at Kennington Common six days later.

In June 1728, the Swiss traveller César de Saussure noted in his journal the frequency with which he saw cricket being played while he was making his journeys across southern England. He referred to county matches "as a commonplace". If they were a commonplace, they were also keenly contested to the point where winning teams would proclaim their county's superiority. It would be a long time before the actual words "county championship" are used but there is no doubt that the concept of a champion county existed in the 1720s, if not sooner.

In August 1728, a game reported as "11 of each county" between Sussex and Kent was won by Kent. The teams were organised by Gage (Sussex) and Stead (Kent). Stead's team had earlier won two games against the Duke of Richmond's XI (also representing Sussex) and their victory over Gage's XI was reported as "the third time this summer that the Kent men have been too expert for those of Sussex". This proclamation of Kent's superiority is the first time that the concept of a champion county can be seen in the sources, although a reference in 1729 makes clear that the concept was even older.

In August 1729, a return match between Stead's Kent XI and Gage's Sussex XI (which included players from Hampshire and Surrey) took place at Penshurst Park. It was reported to have been an 11-a-side match and played for 100 guineas with some thousands watching. It seems to have been the first known innings victory as Sussex "got (within three) in one hand, as the former did in two hands, so the Kentish men threw it up". The report singled out Thomas Waymark, the outstanding player of the time, for special praise: "a groom of the Duke of Richmond signalised himself by extraordinary agility and dexterity". It went on to say that "(Waymark) turned the scale of victory, which for some years past has been generally on the Kentish side", so there was a well-established rivalry between the counties with each team seeking ascendancy: i.e., as county champions.

In 1730, the Daily Advertiser began publication and carried a great many cricket notices until it ceased publication in 1798. There was a significant increase in the number of matches reported during the 1730 season with four single wicket contests and several 11-a-side games. It was in 1730 that London Cricket Club came to the fore and had some success in its matches against county teams from Kent and Surrey.

A London v Surrey match on 31 August 1730 took place at the Artillery Ground in Bunhill Fields, Finsbury, London. London won by 6 runs. It is the earliest definite match taking place at the Artillery Ground which was referred to in contemporary reports as the "old" Artillery Ground, but that may be because it was used frequently for other forms of sport or entertainment. It was generally used for matches involving the original London Club and also became the featured venue of all London cricket until about 1765, after which the focus shifted to Hambledon. Matches are recorded at the Artillery Ground until as late as 1778 but by then the original London Club had disbanded, although its members continued their social and organisational existences and maintained their influence over the game as a whole.

Events from 1731

Match reports in the newspapers were much more common in the 1730s and were beginning to present increased detail, sometimes including the names of patrons and players. There is, therefore, a considerably larger record of the 1730s than of previous decades.

The earliest known instances of ground enclosure occurred in 1731, the playing area on Kennington Common being roped off twice in an attempt to keep spectators off the field. Cricket is the first sport known to have enclosed its venues and it quickly became common practice with stakes and ropes being reported at the Artillery Ground in 1732. It is not clear when admission fees were first introduced but there was certainly a two pence charge in place at the Artillery Ground by the early 1740s.

An explosive game took place on Monday, 23 August 1731, when Mr Chambers' XI took on the Duke of Richmond's XI (i.e., Sussex) at Richmond Green in a return match played for 200 guineas. It is notable in one sense as the earliest match of which the team scores are known: Duke of Richmond 79, Mr Chambers 119; Duke of Richmond 72, Mr Chambers 23–5 (approx.). The game ended promptly at a pre-agreed time although Mr Chambers with "four or five more to have come in" and needing "about 8 to 10 notches" clearly had the upper hand. The end result caused a fracas among the crowd at Richmond Green who were incensed by the prompt finish because the Duke of Richmond had arrived late and delayed the start of the game. The riot resulted in some of the Sussex players "having the shirts torn off their backs; and it was said a law suit would commence about the play". On Wednesday 8 September, the Daily Post Boy reported that "(on 6 September) 11 of Surrey beat the 11 who about a fortnight ago beat the Duke of Richmond's men". This would suggest that the Duke of Richmond conceded his controversial game against Mr Chambers.

Players

Great players of the time included Thomas Waymark, Richard Newland, Robert Colchin, Tom Faulkner and John Frame.

Field and Equipment

Through this period, batsmen defended a two-stump wicket using a bat shaped like a modern hockey stick against a ball that was bowled all along the ground, either by rolling or skimming. The maximum and minimum size of the ball were included in the early rules of cricket but no restrictions were made relating to the Width or legnth of the bat. Pads, gloves and other forms of protective equipment were unknown. Umpires had a bat themselves as the batsmen had to touch this to complete a run. Scorers sat on a mound in the field and "notched" runs (then known as notches) on tally sticks.

Early rules defined the standard size of the wicket and some of it's markings, though made no reference to boundaries or the care and maintenance of the wicket.

Single wicket

The 1740s were the halcyon days of single wicket cricket, with numerous big money events taking place at the Artillery Ground.

The Laws of Cricket

The earliest known written rules relate to a match in 1727 and cricket's first formalised Laws were written in 1744.

Articles of Laws from 1727 first prohibited the questioning of umpires decisions and therefore decreed them as the final source on conflict resolution and dispute settlement. One such law decreed that "umpires were to be the judges of all frivolous Delays; of all Hurt, whether real or pretended."

Gambling and Cricket

Gambling was deeply implicated in much of the game's early violence and thus was addressed in the early rules. In 1731, a match on Chelsea Common ended in a free fight among the spectators due to a disputed wager. Records also show that the Duke of Richmond and his team were assaulted by a mob in 1731 because they turned up late for the resumption of a match so depriving their opponents of the opportunity to win the game and that, in 1777, the crowd 'prevented the Stowmarker gentlemen from going in' in order to save their side from losing and hence their stake money.

Due to gambling's significant influence in the sport's violence, the issue was directly discussed in The London Club's 1774 laws. These rules were created by aristocrats to not only solve the problem of incessant outbreaks of violence due to gambling, but were established because these gambling bets were an indication, instead of a source of, "status rivalry". These aristocrats would publicize their games of cricket because the sport increased their status socially. By creating laws that were regularly used, the "friendly" competition of status became more evident.

Violence in Cricket

As a sport that is said to have evolved along side of, and perhaps bred, civilization in England, early cricket contained copious amounts of violence. Injury during games seemed so common that any news reports on violence were "passed with little comment" and were usually simply considered part of the game. Violence occurred both during game play and due to disorder among game spectators, often because of drinking and gambling. For example, in 1737 a cricketer named John Smith was killed by a stone thrown by a spectator, and in 1776, "a dispute over a player's eligibility led to 'a battle'" during a cricket match, leading to the death of at least 3 people. Cricket games were even sometimes prohibited, such as a 1731 game between boys at Westminster and Eton that ended with "broken heads and black eyes." Legal authorities also considered prohibition of cricket games, after many disputes over injuries and violence were referred to the legal system. Overall, much of eighteenth-century cricket was "part of a vibrant, if violent, rural culture."

Various laws were implemented beginning in 1744 and continuing through the 18th century to reduce violence in the cricket games themselves, such as a 1755 law that prohibited hitting the cricket ball twice. In the past, a batsman may have attempted to hit the ball a second time if it had been hit close the first time; meanwhile, a fieldsman may have attempted to run in and catch the ball, therefore being at great risk of being hit by the bat. This occurred, in fact, in 1624, resulting in the death of Jasper Vinall due to a blow by Edward Tye.

The reduction of violence in cricket during the course of the 18th century mirrors social change in England during this time, namely, less tolerance for violence in everyday life. As English social views on violence evolved, so too did views of violence in cricket, the apparent epitome of Englishness.

Impact of the Seven Years War

The sport was severely disrupted by the Seven Years War (1756–63) and there is a noticeable reduction in the number of major matches during the war, with none at all in 1760.

Origins of Hambledon

There is considerable uncertainty about the foundation of the Hambledon Club but it is generally considered to have been constituted after the Seven Years War, probably about 1765. The picture is clouded by the existence of the Hambledon team, almost certainly backed by a parish organisation rather than a formal club, which played Dartford in 1756, the year in which the war began. Further confusion surrounds references to "Squire Land's Club" especially as his involvement seems to have ceased, perhaps abruptly, soon after 1763.

Whatever its actual origin, the Hambledon Club came to the fore in the aftermath of the Seven Years War and dominated the scene in both playing and organisational terms until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club after Lord's Old Ground was opened in 1787.

The first bowling revolution

Bowling underwent its first revolution soon after 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it along the ground. Before long, leading bowlers like John Frame and Lumpy Stevens were studying flight and working out line and length variations. This led to another revolution as batsmen like John Small adopted the modern straight bat to help them deal with the pitched deliveries.

See also

• History of cricket to 1725

Bibliography

• Altham, Harry (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). George Allen & Unwin.
• Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. Aurum.
• Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. Eyre & Spottiswoode.
• Buckley, G. B. (1935). Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket. Cotterell.
• Malcom, Dominic (2013). Globalizing Cricket. Bloomsbury.
• Haygarth, Arthur (1862). Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Lillywhite.
• McCann, Tim (2004). Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century. Sussex Record Society.
• Maun, Ian (2009). From Commons to Lord's, Volume One: 1700 to 1750. Roger Heavens. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/97819005929 |97819005929 [[Category:Articles with invalid ISBNs]]]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
• Underdown, David (2000). Start of Play. Allen Lane.
• Waghorn, H. T. (1899). Cricket Scores, Notes, &c. – From 1730–1773. Blackwood.
• Waghorn, H. T. (1906). The Dawn of Cricket. Electric Press.

External links

• From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787