1864 English cricket season

The 1864 English cricket season was an important year in cricket history, as it saw the legalisation of overarm bowling and the first edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. It also saw the first appearance of WG Grace in a "big" match, though his first-class debut would not occur till the following season. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/108/108379.html Scorecard of Surrey Club and Ground v South Wales Cricket Club.] ]

Honours

*Champion County - Surrey

Unofficial County Championship

Events

Law 10 was rewritten by the MCC to allow a bowler to bring his arm through at any height providing he kept it straight and did not throw the ball. The issue of overarm bowling had crystallised in the Willsher-Lillywhite incident of August 1862.

12 January. Formation of Lancashire CCC at a meeting in Manchester.

27-29 January. Otago v. Canterbury at Dunedin was the start of first-class cricket in New Zealand.

Madras v. Calcutta was the start of first-class cricket in India.

First issue of "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack".

Middlesex CCC played its initial first-class match v. Sussex at Islington on 6 & 7 June.

Hampshire CCC played its initial first-class match v. Sussex at the Antelope Ground, Southampton on 7,8 July.

The championship contenders in 1864 were Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Notts, Surrey, Sussex and Yorkshire.

The concept of "Champion County" took a new turn when periodicals began publishing tables of inter-county results, although there was still no formal or agreed method of deciding positions in the table. Most tables were therefore ordered alphabetically and the same subjective view as before was taken about which county should be proclaimed champion.

MCC finally purchased the freehold of Lord's Cricket Ground for £18,333 6s 8d with money advanced by William Nicholson.

Leading batsmen

William Mortlock was the leading runscorer with 855 @ 34.20

Leading bowlers

James Grundy was the leading wicket-taker with 99 @ 11.31

External sources

* [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/1864_ENG.html CricketArchive – season summaries]

Annual reviews

* Fred Lillywhite, "The Guide to Cricketers", Lillywhite, 1865
* "John Lillywhite's Cricketer's Companion" (Green Lilly), Lillywhite, 1865
* Arthur Haygarth, "Scores & Biographies, Volume 8 (1863-1864)", Lillywhite, 1865

Notes