1787 English cricket season

The 1787 English cricket season is widely seen as a watershed in the history of cricket for it marked the sport's transition from an essentially rural game into an urban and metropolitan one.

The event that effected the transition was the opening of Thomas Lord's first cricket ground at Marylebone in north London. Lord was financed by the aristocratic members of the long-standing and multi-functional "Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Club" which was based at the "Star and Garter" on Pall Mall and had already founded the Jockey Club to pursue its racing interests. Its most recent cricket venture had been the White Conduit Club in Islington.

Due to dissatisfaction with conditions in Islington, the members sought a more private venue and Lord, a professional bowler with the club who had a business acumen, was asked to do the necessaries. Upon moving from White Conduit Fields to Marylebone, the gentlemen's club reconstituted itself as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and immediately took responsibility for the organisation, administration and development of the sport, including ownership of the game's Laws.

It is no overstatement to say that the opening of Lord’s and the foundation of (or reorganisation of the gentlemen's club as) MCC in 1787 ended what H T Waghorn called "The Dawn of Cricket". The small but great rural clubs like Chertsey, Dartford, Addington, Slindon and above all Hambledon were forced to stand aside as progress swept the game beyond their horizons. As the historical sources quoted below all agree, it is doubtful if cricket without Lord's and MCC could ever have expanded into a national sport, let alone a world sport.

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.

References

External sources

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

Further reading

* G B Buckley, "Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket", Cotterell, 1935
* Arthur Haygarth, "Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826)", Lillywhite, 1862
* Timothy J McCann, "Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century", Sussex Record Society, 2004
* Ashley Mote, "The Glory Days of Cricket", Robson, 1997
* H T Waghorn, "The Dawn of Cricket", Electric Press, 1906
* Martin Wilson, "An Index to Waghorn", Bodyline, 2005