1785 English cricket season

"Scores & Biographies" bemoans the lack of fixtures in the 1785 English cricket season (though there were no less than in the previous few seasons) but there is a historical significance in that state of affairs because it reflected the decline of Hambledon’s influence while the emergence of WCC foreshadowed a shift in focus to London.

Matches

Leading fielders

Note that many scorecards in the 18th century are unknown or have missing details and so the totals are of the "known" catches and stumpings only. Stumpings were not always recorded as such and sometimes the name of the wicket-keeper was not given. Generally, a catch was given the same status as "bowled" with credit being awarded to the fielder only and not the bowler. There is never a record of "caught and bowled": the bowler would be credited with the catch, not with the wicket.

External links

* [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/main.html From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787]

References

* "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket" by G B Buckley (FL18)
* "Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket" by G B Buckley (FLPV)
* "Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century" by Timothy J McCann (TJM)
* "The Dawn of Cricket" by H T Waghorn (WDC)
* "Scores & Biographies, Volume 1" by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn)
* "The Glory Days of Cricket" by Ashley Mote
* John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time" by Ashley Mote