1747 English cricket season

Infobox cricket season
season = 1747 English cricket season


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cricket formats = first-class and single wicket
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county champions = inconclusive
knockout cup winners =
national league winners =
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In the 1747 English cricket season, the single wicket form of the game was very popular among the gamblers of London and matches were disrupted because of a General Election.

Honours

* Champion County [An unofficial seasonal title proclaimed by media or historians prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship was constituted] – inconclusive due to lack of known results [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/histories/champions.html Champion counties from 1728] ]

Matches

Other events

Mon 6 July. Five of Slindon versus Five of Dartford at the Artillery Ground . This was the result of a challenge by Slindon, published in the "Daily Advertiser" on Mon 29 June, to play "five of any parish in England, for their own Sum". The announcement advised interested parties: "If it is accepted of by any, they are desir’d to go to Mr Smith, who has Orders to make Stakes for them". The three Newland brothers all played. On Sat 4 July , Mr Smith announced in the same paper that "five of Dartford in Kent, have made Stakes with him, and will play with the above Gentlemen at the Time and Place above mentioned for twenty Pounds".

Wed 8 July. Five of Slindon versus Five of Bromley at the Artillery Ground G B Buckley, "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket", Cotterell, 1935] . Another game resulting from Slindon’s challenge. The Newland brothers played for Slindon again.

Fri 10 July. Five of Slindon versus Five of Hadlow at the Artillery Ground . Another game resulting from Slindon’s five-a-side challenge. Details unknown.

Wed 15 July. Five of Slindon versus Five of Hadlow at the Artillery Ground . A return game which suggests Hadlow might have won the first as Slindon, having issued the initial challenge, might wish to try for honours even. Details unknown.

In early August, there were two single wicket matches Timothy J McCann, "Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century", Sussex Record Society, 2004] at the Artillery Ground which were organised by the Duke of Richmond. In the first, three of his employees Stephen Dingate, Joseph Budd and Pye defeated the two Bennetts and William Anderson. In the second, the same threes were to play again but in a "fives" match with the two Bryants added to the Duke’s team and with Tom Faulkner and one of the Harrises to their opponents. The result of the second game is unknown.

Sat 5 September. Three-a-side game at the Artillery Ground: Long Robin’s Side versus Stephen Dingate’s Side. The teams were Robert Colchin, John Harris and Val Romney against Stephen Dingate, Richard Newland and Thomas Jure. It was played for sixty guineas per side and the players were specially chosen from those who had played in the Kent v All-England games above, so presumably they must have been the best performers in those matches. It was ruled that "all Strokes behind as well as before Wickets" counted and in this respect the contest "differs from any Three Match ever play’d" F S Ashley-Cooper, "At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742-1751", "Cricket" Magazine, 1900] .

First mentions

* John Bell
* John Larkin
* J Mansfield
* Robert Eures
* Thomas Bell
* Thomas Jure
* Joseph Budd (Sussex)
* Pye (Sussex)

References

External sources

* [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/1747_ENG.html CricketArchive match lists]
* [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/main.html From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787]

Further reading

* H S Altham, "A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)", George Allen & Unwin, 1962
* Derek Birley, "A Social History of English Cricket", Aurum, 1999
* Rowland Bowen, "Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development", Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
* David Underdown, "Start of Play", Allen Lane, 2000