Dartford Cricket Club

Dartford Cricket Club
Dartford Cricket Club
Home venue Dartford Brent
Established 17th century
Last match tbc
No. of titles 3
Notable players William Bedle
John Frame

Dartford Cricket Club is one of the oldest in England and its origins go back to the early 18th century, perhaps earlier.

See also: Dartford Brent

Dartford players were reckoned by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, writing in his diary in 1723, to "lay claim to the greatest excellence" among English cricketers.

The club played a number of big matches against London and, in 1756, they were involved in a tri-series against the sport's rising power, the Hambledon Club.

Dartford produced several famous players in the 18th century including cricket's earliest known great player William Bedle. Later players included William Hodsoll, John Bell, John Frame and Ned Wenman.

External sources

Further reading

  • F S Ashley-Cooper, At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742-1751, Cricket Magazine, 1900
  • F S Ashley-Cooper, Kent Cricket Matches 1719-1880, Gibbs & Sons, 1929
  • G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
  • Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862
  • H T Waghorn, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906