1751 English cricket season

The earliest known references to cricket in each of Durham, Somerset, Warwickshire and Yorkshire are all found in the 1751 English cricket season.

The population of Great Britain in 1751 reached 7,250,000 and, although the figure was rising, the country remained a small rural society with London the only real urban centre. Cricket reflected this scenario as it was still essentially a rural game at this time with London Cricket Club at the Artillery Ground its one "big club" and "big venue".

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

Having lost the Duke of Richmond in 1750, cricket was hit by the death of another significant patron, the Prince of Wales, on 31 March. The loss of these patrons had an adverse impact on the game’s finances and the number of top-class matches reduced for some years to come, although economic difficulties arising from the wars of the period certainly inhibited many potential investors. It was said that the Prince of Wales died as a result of being struck on the head by a cricket ball. He may well have been hit on the head but that did not kill him; the cause of death was a burst abscess in a lung. The early death of Prince Frederick Louis meant that his son Prince George became heir to the throne and he succeeded in 1760 as George III.

The earliest reference to cricket in Durham is a game at Raby Castle on or soon after Mon 5 August between the Earl of Northumberland’s XI and the Duke of Cleveland’s XI F S Ashley-Cooper, "At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742-1751", "Cricket" Magazine, 1900] . The game was commemorated by a ballad which starts:::"Durham City has been dull so long",::"No bustle at all to show";::"But now the rage of all the throng"::"Is at cricketing to go".

The earliest reference to cricket in Somerset is a match at Saltford Meadow, near Bath, on 13 July that was played in memory of the late Prince of Wales G B Buckley, "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket", Cotterell, 1935] .

A match announcement in "Aris' Gazette" on 15 July is the earliest known reference to cricket in Warwickshire [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/main.html From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300–1787] ] .

The earliest known references to cricket in Yorkshire were re local matches in Sheffield and a game on or soon after Mon 5 August at Stanwick, near Richmond, between Duke of Cleveland’s XI and Earl of Northumberland’s XI (the same teams that played in Durham, as noted above) .

"Mon 3 June". A "fives" match was played in the Artillery Ground between Kent and Surrey. The Kent team was Tom Faulkner (given man), John Bell, Thomas Bell, Stone and Val Romney. The Surrey team was Stephen Dingate, John Harris, Joseph Harris, Stephen Harding and Perry. Kent won although the betting was in favour of Surrey .

"Wed 5 June". The same two teams met in a return match at the Artillery Ground with Kent winning by 14 runs. Kent scored 4 and 57; Surrey replied with 26 and 21. Kent made a huge improvement in their second innings!

Four matches were played at Newmarket and Woburn between "Gentlemen of England" and "Eton College Past & Present". The four games were played during June and July. The second game has a surviving scorecard but the teams in all four matches are decidedly minor .

First mentions

* Stephen Harding

References

External sources

* [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/1751_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