1795 English cricket season

In the 1795 English cricket season, the enigmatic Thursday Club made its bow. But Samuel Britcher says it was the Middlesex county XI.

Matches

First mentions

* William Barton
* Arthur Upton
* Charles Warren (Middlesex; amateur) – played 33 matches to 1826
* Captain Drew (Kent cricketer) (Kent; amateur) – played three matches to 1795
* Hooker (Kent cricketer) (Kent) – played three matches to 1795

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".

John Hammond scored 800 runs, easily the highest season total to date. Robert Robinson scored 768.

Others who scored more than 300 runs were Tom Walker with 661; William Beldham 538; Henry Tufton and his brother John Tufton who both scored 416; Jack Small 415; Harry Walker 366; Joey Ring 364; and Thomas Ray 337

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 60 wickets was the leading bowler in 1795

Other good performances were by David Harris 51; Thomas Lord 40; John Wells 38; Tom Walker 33; Charles Cumberland 27; Richard Purchase 22; Lord Frederick Beauclerk 21; William Beldham 20; John Hammond 20; Sylvester 14; Robert Turner 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.

To supplement his outstanding season with the bat, John Hammond took 37 catches and 12 stumpings

William Beldham was the second best fielder with 30 ct 1 st. Others who performed well were Thomas Ray and Harry Walker with 29 and 26 catches respectively.

The Tufton brothers, Henry and John, between them took 33 catches and 1 stumping but in most cases it is not known which of them took the catch. Henry definitely caught 8 and John definitely caught 6, while it was almost certainly Henry who performed the stumping, but the other 19 catches are simply "c Tufton"!

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