1793 English cricket season

In the 1793 English cricket season, Surrey teams defeated All-England three times.

The secondary sources are sometimes confusing on the subject of the Oldfield Cricket Club at Bray, near Maidenhead in Berkshire. The team featured in several major matches during the late 18th century and was a top-class side at this time as it had a high playing standard and numerous recognised players. The team is sometimes referred to as the Oldfield Club or as Maidenhead, but the Oldfield Club was representative of Berkshire in the same way as Hornchurch/Essex and Brighton/Sussex, so its team should always be called Berkshire.

Matches

First mentions

* Henry Tufton
* John Tufton
* J Hampton (Surrey) – played 52 matches to 1816
* E G Morant (MCC; amateur) – played three matches to 1795
* Carter (Berkshire cricketer) (Berkshire/Middlesex) – played four matches to 1795
* Robert Walpole (cricketer) (MCC; amateur) – played four matches to 1794
* Luck (Kent cricketer) (Kent) – played three matches to 1793
* Harry Bridger "aka" Jones (Middlesex) – played 5 matches from 1793 to 1796
* Zachariah Button (MCC; amateur) – played two matches to 1796

Leading batsmen

Note that many scorecards in the 18th century are unknown or have missing details and so it is impossible to provide a complete analysis of batting performances: e.g., the missing not outs prevent computation of batting averages. The "runs scored" are in fact the "runs known".

Tom Walker with 496 runs was the top scorer in 1793. Walker also had the highest individual innings of the season with 138. The only other century was a score of 106 by William Beldham.

The other leading batsmen were Beldham with 383 runs; Earl of Winchilsea 316; Joey Ring270; George Louch 211; Henry Fitzroy 197; Andrew Freemantle 178; Harry Walker 165; Charles Cumberland 155; John Wells 155; James Aylward 153; William Bullen 146

Leading bowlers

Note that the wickets credited to an 18th century bowler were only those where he bowled the batsman out. The bowler was not credited with the wickets of batsmen who were caught out, even if it was "caught and bowled". In addition, the runs conceded by each bowler were not recorded so no analyses or averages can be computed.

Thomas Boxall with 44 wickets was the outstanding bowler of the 1793 season

Other good performances came from Thomas Lord with 27 wickets; Charles Cumberland 25; Tom Walker 25; Hampton 20; Richard Purchase 18; Littler 14; John Boorman 13; David Harris 13; Timber 13

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.

William Beldham with 28 catches was the leading fielder but a feature of the scorecards in 1793 was that an increased number of stumpings were recorded. John Hammond took 18 ct and 5 st.

Other good performances were by Richard Newman 20 ct; Joey Ring 16 ct, 3 st; Tom Walker 13 ct^, 1 st; John Wells 10 ct^, 2 st; William Bullen 11 ct; Thomas Ray 9 ct; Richard Purchase 8 ct

^ Note that there were 7 catches credited to Walker and 4 catches to Wells where it is not known which of the three Walker brothers took the catch or which of the two Wells brothers took the catch.

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)
* "Scores 1790-1805" (annual issues) by Samuel Britcher