List of English cricketers (1787–1825)

Following on from List of English cricketers (1598–1787), this is a list of people who are known to have become involved in the historical development of cricket between the 1787 and 1825 seasons in England. With the single exception of Thomas Lord, it excludes everyone named in the previous list.

In 1787, the opening of the original Lord's ground, and the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) soon afterwards, marked a watershed in the sport's history. The endpoint is in 1825 because of the catastrophic fire on the night of 28 July that year. The Lord's Pavilion was burned down, and a massive collection of records and archives, including unique scorecards, destroyed.[1]

Before 1787, cricket had acquired most of its modern features such as eleven-a-side matches, the three-stump wicket, and the lbw law, although pitch preparation was rudimentary, and play was largely dictated by the weather. Bowling, however, was still done using an underarm action, and the key development of the period to 1825 was the movement towards roundarm bowling.

By taking ownership of the Laws of Cricket, MCC had quickly established itself as the sport's principal club. Besides governance, it organised the early Gentlemen v Players matches, and most of the games played by occasional XIs such as those led by Colonel Charles Lennox, Lord Frederick Beauclerk, George Osbaldeston, and others. In addition, the club's home at each of the three Lord's grounds was cricket's feature venue. The present Lord's opened in 1814.

Inter-county cricket effectively ceased during the Napoleonic Wars, and there were no formally constituted county clubs at the time. The main centres at county level were Berkshire, Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, and Sussex. Towards the end of the period, Cambridge University became prominent, especially through its series of matches against the Cambridge Town Club. In the north of England, cricket was developing through town clubs which became the focal points of the game in their respective counties, especially Nottingham and Sheffield.

The key historical sources for this period are Arthur Haygarth's Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826) (published in 1862), Samuel Britcher's annual Grand Matches series (1790 to 1805), and A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles, 1709–1863, published in 1981 by The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS). The works of F. S. Ashley-Cooper, H. T. Waghorn, and G. B. Buckley, among others, are also recognised.

As for the 1598–1787 list, online databases are excluded except in footnotes, as the scope remains historical, and NOT statistical. As in the previous list, a "match" is eleven-a-side, and also considered important, unless specified as single wicket or another form.[note 1]

Key

  • Seasons – These are the known seasons in which the player was active in important matches.
  • Club/county – Players in this period tended to appear for numerous ad hoc teams, including England (i.e., the "rest" of England). The clubs or counties named here, if any, are those with which he was primarily associated.
  • Notes – Inline citations reference the debut or earliest known mention of each player. Surviving match records to 1825 are incomplete, and any statistical compilation of a player's career in that period is based on known data. Match scorecards were not always created, or have been lost, and the matches themselves were not always recorded in the press or other media. Scorecard data was not comprehensive: e.g., bowling analyses lacked balls bowled and runs conceded; bowlers were not credited with wickets when the batsman was caught or stumped; in many cards, the means of dismissal were omitted.

A

name seasons club/county notes
Abbott 1802–1804 Played for Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI in 1802, and for England in 1804.[6]
Benjamin Aislabie 1808–1841 Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Owner of slave plantations in the Caribbean. As a player, he was statistically the worst of any who played a large number of matches. Even so, he was Secretary of MCC from 1822 to 1842, and Club President in 1823–24.
Allen 1820 Cambridge University Student at Pembroke College.[7]
W. Allen 1787–1793 Hornchurch
Charles Andrew 1814–1824 Sussex
Charles Anguish 1789–1795 MCC Formerly a member of White Conduit Club. Died in South Africa.
Annett 1788–1792 Hampshire
William Ashby 1808–1830 Kent Kent regular who also played for England. Played nine times for the Players in the Gentlemen v Players series.
Ashurst 1802 MCC Known to have played for MCC and Charles Lennox's XI.
Thomas Assheton Smith I 1787–1794 MCC Patron who played for MCC, Hampshire, and his own teams.
Thomas Assheton Smith II 1798–1820 Surrey Also played for England and MCC.
Henry Hervey Aston 1791–1793 MCC Formerly a member of the Hambledon Club.
Robert Ayling 1796 Kent Four known matches. Brother of William Ayling.
W. Ayling 1825–1826 Sussex
William Ayling 1800–1810 Kent Also played for England.

B

name seasons club/county notes
Thomas Bache 1816–1822
James Baker 1816–1828
Samson Baker 1823
Barker 1787–1793
George Barnard 1825–1826
Henry Barnard 1815–1823
John Barnard 1815–1830
Charles James Barnett 1820–1837
Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore 1791–1792 Brighton
J. Barton 1802–1810
William Barton 1795–1817
Bates 1789
Horace Bates 1822–1832
William Battcock 1814–1817
Thomas Battersbee 1822
Robert Battiscombe 1819–1821
Baxter 1819–1822
John Bayley 1822–1850
Sir John Bayley, 2nd Baronet 1817–1832
Charles Bayly 1825
Henry Beagley 1825–1833
John Beagley 1823–1826
Thomas Beagley 1816–1839
Lord Frederick Beauclerk 1791–1825
William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans 1817
Charles Beckett 1816–1817
Richard Beckett 1804–1807
John Beeston 1794–1808
R. Beeston 1790
W. Beeston 1790–1799
Billy Beldham 1787–1821
George Beldham 1800–1805
John Beldham 1794–1795
James Bennett 1798–1803
John Bennett 1797–1818
C. Bentley 1809–1832
Henry Bentley 1804–1822
John Bentley 1807–1817
Richard Berens 1819–1833
Berry 1825
Bexley 1794
Henry Bird 1819–1826
William Bird 1821–1822
Hon. Edward Bligh 1789–1813
Edward Bligh 1819
John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley 1789–1796
John Duncan Bligh 1822
Bliss 1795
Blundell 1812
Blunt 1792
Bond 1810
Bonick 1789
John Boning 1822–1847
George Booth 1798–1804
James Borradaile 1822
William Borradaile 1815–1832
John Bott 1807–1808
Abraham Boult 1787
Z. Boult 1787
Charles Bowdler 1809
H. Bowley 1823–1824
John Bowyer 1810–1828
Thomas Boxall 1789–1803
Brades 1795
John Brand 1815–1828
James Bray 1816–1828
William Brereton 1820
James Brett 1810
Briden 1798
Harry Bridger 1795
Samuel Bridger 1804–1825
Bridges 1808
Bridges 1819–1820
Jem Broadbridge 1814–1840
Robert Broadbridge 1822–1824
William Broadbridge 1817–1830
Brown 1797
Brown 1814
George Brown 1819–1838
B. A. Browne 1817
T. Browning 1795
William Browning 1791–1795
Hon. Robert Brudenell 1790–1793
Beau Brummell 1807
C. Brunton 1820
E. H. Budd 1808–1831
Anthony Buller 1797
Samuel Bullock 1825–1827
J. Burbage 1825
John Burgess 1794–1795
Thomas Burgoyne 1797–1816
Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr 1787–1790
Henry Burrows 1801–1815
Henry Burslem 1810–1813
James Burt 1825–1832
Anthony Burton 1822
Butcher 1787–1793
Butler 1789–1801
Butterly 1787
Archibald Button 1804
Zachariah Button 1793–1798

C

name seasons club/county notes
Benjamin Caesar 1824–1830
Will Caldecourt 1821–1844
Cantrell 1789–1792
Hon. Edward Capel 1790
William Capel 1808
Capron 1792
Carpenter 1789
Carr 1789–1791
Carter 1793–1795
Edmund Carter 1809–1816
G. N. Caswell 1818
Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter 1817
Charles Challen 1814
William Challen 1814
Charles Chapman 1825–1831
William Chapman 1803
Richard Cheslyn 1825–1846
Chitty 1800
J. Church 1789–1795
Clair 1797–1803
George Claridge 1818–1829
Thomas Clark 1787–1791
Clarke 1790
Clarke 1818
Clements 1787–1790
Clifton 1817
Benjamin Clifton 1798
Close 1817
Charles Cochran 1819
Samuel Cockerill 1817–1819
Christopher Codrington 1797
G. Cole 1811
George Coles 1819–1820
Collins 1809–1810
David Collins 1791–1810
Thomas Colyear, 4th Earl of Portmore 1792–1793
William Cookesley 1822–1827
G. Cooper 1797–1807
Silas Cooper 1805–1815
Courtnay 1825–1826
William Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon 1797
Thomas Coventry 1800–1801
Cowell 1817–1828
J. Cox 1817
John Crawte 1788–1803
Thomas Crimble 1823–1825
Cropley 1822
Frederick Crowder 1817–1820
Charles Cumberland 1791–1804
Frederick Cuthbert 1816–1817

D

name seasons club/county notes
Dalby 1820
Dale 1789–1809
James Dale 1823–1827
Benjamin Dark 1814–1826
James Dark 1815–1843
J. Davies 1825–1832
S. Davis 1804–1809
Davy 1787–1788
Davy 1804
Henry Dawson 1816–1819
James de Visme 1825
Dean 1787–1790
John Deedes 1822–1829
William Deedes senior 1817–1826
George Dehany 1789–1793
Robert Denn 1787–1793
David Denne 1823
Joseph Dennis 1803–1829
Charles Dilloway 1825
John Dilloway 1825
John Dolphin 1825–1834
Charles Douglas, 3rd Baron Douglas 1797–1798
Downham 1795
J. Drew 1795
G. Drummond 1787–1795
Charles Duff 1824–1830
Timothy Duke 1823–1828
Francis Dunham 1815
George Dupuis 1787–1792
John Durnford 1825
Dyer 1814
W. C. Dyer 1821–1825
John Dyke 1822
Percyvall Dyke 1822–1837
R. Dyke 1819
Thomas Dyke 1824–1827

E

name seasons club/county notes
J. Eavers 1800–1802
Ellis 1815
Richard Elmhirst 1822
Elyard 1802
John Evans 1822–1823
Henry Everett 1812–1839

F

name seasons club/county notes
Henry Faithful 1823
George Fauquier 1819–1821
George Fenner 1821
James Fenner 1821
Richard Fielder 1790–1801
J. Finch 1792–1795
Henry Fitzroy 1788–1793
Thomas Flavel 1821–1828
Flint 1789
Henry Floyd 1817
Forster 1825
Francis Foster 1789
Frances 1811
Andrew Freemantle 1788–1810
French 1790
Robert Frost 1820

G

name seasons club/county notes
William Hall Gage 1802
Gates 1794–1807
John Gibbons 1797–1801
Gibbs 1787
Gibbs 1807
S. Gill 1792–1795
Gillan 1809
Goddard 1803–1808
John Goldham 1791–1812
John Goldsmith 1792
Goodhew 1791–1795
Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly 1818–1843
George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly 1787–1792
Gore 1814
John Gouldstone 1789–1793
Goules 1817
Bellingham Graham 1815
N. Graham 1787–1801
Grange 1790–1792
Greathead 1808
William Greenway 1819–1820
John Greenwood 1820–1821
William Greenwood 1818–1828
Gregory 1791–1792
Grenway 1819
Algernon Greville 1815–1823
Charles Greville 1819–1827
Grinham 1798
James Grinham 1822–1835
Grinstead 1789
Groombridge 1793
Grover 1809
John Grover 1790
John Gunnell 1810
W. Gunnell 1797
Philip Gurdon 1820–1822
William Gurdon 1825
John Guthrie 1819–1820

H

name seasons club/county notes
Edward Hale 1789–1797
Hall 1797
James Hall 1821–1838
John Hammond 1790–1816
Harry Hampton 1800–1811
J. Hampton 1793–1816
R. Hampton 1802
Henry Hannington 1819–1821
William Harbord, 2nd Baron Suffield 1791
James Harding 1792–1810
John Harding 1809
Hart 1792
Harvey 1792–1793
F. Hatton 1815
Hawkins 1817
John Heathcote 1820
Edward Heneage 1796
Hennell 1817
Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon 1822
Hesketh 1816
Philip Hewett 1820
Higgs 1789–1790
Hill 1825
Hines 1822
George Hoare 1807–1812
Henry Hoare 1823–1824
Hockley 1799–1805
Hodgson 1817
Holden 1818
C. Holland 1808
Henry Holland 1807–1825
George Hollest 1821
Charles Holloway 1816–1822
Honer 1822
Hooker 1795
William Hooker 1823–1833
William Hopkins 1825–1828
Hopkinson 1817
J Hopper 1822–1827
Horsey 1788–1789
H. C. Howard 1815–1816
R. Howard 1804
Thomas Howard 1803–1829
Hudson 1792
Hull 1821
George Hume 1821–1822
Hunt 1788–1789
Hyde 1791

I

name seasons club/county notes
Thomas Ingram 1787–1797

J

name seasons club/county notes
David James 1816–1817
J. James 1814–1818
W. Jeans 1817
William Jefferies 1803
Herbert Jenner 1825–1838
John Jenner 1807–1826
T. Johnson 1825–1834
William Jolliffe, 1st Baron Hylton 1825
Jones 1787
Jones 1824
E. Jones 1793
Sir Thomas Jones 1814–1819
James Jordan 1822–1824
Henry Jupp 1824–1827
Thomas Jutten 1791–1792

K

name seasons club/county notes
John Lister Kaye 1787–1798
William Keen 1821–1831
Kennett 1789
Daniel King 1814
Henry Robert Kingscote 1825–1844
Douglas Kinnaird 1808–1822
Knight 1802
Edward Knight 1822–1828
George T. Knight 1820–1837
Knowles 1797

L

name seasons club/county notes
Felix Ladbroke 1804–1822
James Ladbroke 1800–1826
John Lambert 1794–1810
William Lambert 1801–1817
Charles Lanaway 1825–1838
Henry Thomas Lane 1818–1827
Richard Lane 1820–1824
William Lascelles 1818
James Lawrell 1803–1810
James Lawrence 1820
Richard Lawrence 1787–1795
Lea 1807
John Leaney 1825–1826
William Leaney 1815
Lear 1808
Lee 1814
Leeson 1803
Stephen Lefeaver 1825
J Leggatte 1789
Richard Leigh 1806–1809
George Leycester 1790–1808
Thomas Liffen 1791–1792
James Light 1825
Henry Lillywhite 1816–1825
James Lillywhite 1821
William Lillywhite 1825–1853
John Littler 1791–1793
Henry J. Lloyd 1815–1830
Thomas Lloyd 1792
Thomas Lord 1787–1816
Thomas Lord junior 1815–1816
Henry Lowther 1819–1843
Luck 1793
Stephen Lushington 1799

M

name seasons club/county notes
J. Maddox 1791
Peregrine Maitland 1798–1808
Noah Mann junior 1807–1818
March 1807
Marclew 1795
George Marten 1821
Martin 1816
Sir Henry Martin, 2nd Baronet 1797–1813
J. Martin 1787–1793
Richard Martin 1815
W. Martin 1819–1826
Stephen Masters 1815
William Mathews 1821–1830
Matthews 1789
May 1797–1798
S. Maynard 1823–1828
George Meads 1825–1836
Medlicott 1819–1822
Francis Mellersh 1814–1830
Thomas Mellish 1793–1815
J. Merchant 1791–1792
Paul Methuen, 1st Baron Methuen 1816
Miles 1793
John Miller 1791
George Mills 1825–1831
John Mills 1816–1820
Richard Mills 1825–1843
H. Mitchell 1816–1819
Mitchell 1803–1809
Charles Mitford 1815–1817
Monk 1792–1795
Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch 1797
Edward Morant 1793–1795
Morgan 1802
Morgan 1803
Henry Morley 1815–1838
Mott 1820
John Moultrie 1820
Munday 1792–1797
Robert Murcutt 1819–1820
Murray 1787–1789

N

name seasons club/county notes
J. Neale 1788–1792
Molyneux Nepean 1808
J. Nesbit 1812
Nethercliffe 1817
Christopher Nevill 1820–1822
Francis Nicholas 1821–1830
Nicholson 1788
Thomas V. R. Nicoll 1790–1794
Thomas Nicoll 1817–1835
Thomas Nordish 1815–1823
John Nyren 1787–1817

O

name seasons club/county notes
Henry Oakes 1819
Oliver 1787
Oliver 1824–1828
Denzil Onslow 1796–1807
Denzil Onslow junior 1821–1825
Thomas Onslow, 2nd Earl of Onslow 1801–1808
George Osbaldeston 1808–1830
John Otway 1824–1825
William Otway 1824–1825
Owen 1819
Charles Oxenden 1820–1822
Graham Oxenden 1822
W. Oxley 1790–1793

P

name seasons club/county notes
Packer 1790
Henry Page 1819–1826
John Page 1819–1822
Martin Page 1820–1834
Henry Palliser 1822
J. Palmer 1813
W. Palmer 1789
Park 1795
Parker 1803–1806
George Parry 1818–1829
Parsons 1825
Payne 1815
T. Payne 1795
J. Pemberton 1816
Penniells 1809
J. Peppercorn 1802–1804
Petley 1802
William Peto 1822–1826
Charles Pierpoint 1825–1827
Pike 1810
Fuller Pilch 1820–1854
Nathaniel Pilch 1820–1836
William Pilch 1820–1836
John Pilcher 1787–1796
Alexander Pitcairn 1791–1792
William Pitt 1822
John Pointer 1803–1810
John Pontifex 1807–1810
John Pontifex 1825
J. Poulet 1811–1818
James Powell 1818–1822
Littleton Powys 1801
Bulkley Praed 1822
T. Price 1816–1825
Priest 1792
Stephen Pryor 1820

Q

name seasons club/county notes
William Quarles 1820–1830
Robert Quarme 1792–1793
Quiddington 1807

R

name seasons club/county notes
Robert Radcliffe 1819
Thomas Ray 1792–1811
Thomas Razell 1809–1816
Charles Reed 1800–1810
Humphrey Repton 1812–1817
Frederic Reynolds 1795–1796
J Rice 1795–1797
James Rice 1811–1813
Richardson 1805–1807
J. Ricketts 1816–1817
C. Ridet 1796
George Ring 1796
Roberts 1824–1825
William Roberts 1816–1817
Robinson 1816
Robert Robinson 1792–1819
Charles Rocke 1822–1828
Roffey 1802
Samuel Rohde 1812
J. Roker 1825–1830
Edward Romilly 1825–1831
C. Roots 1825
Rubegall 1794
C. Russell 1795
J. Russell 1787–1793

S

name seasons club/county notes
Sadler 1793
Sale 1791–1793
Sanderson 1797
James Saunders 1822–1831
Andrew Schabner 1811–1824
Scott 1793–1797
J. Scott 1819–1831
Thomas Scott 1789–1798
Richard Searle 1823–1825
William Searle 1821–1833
Thomas Selby 1790
William Sewell 1822–1827
Edward Seymour 1819
Thomas Shackle 1789–1809
D. Sharpe 1792
Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet 1792–1795
George Shepheard 1796
James Sherman 1810–1821
John Sherman 1809–1852
Short 1801
Simmonds 1790–1791
C. Slater 1787
John Slater 1825–1829
William Slater 1814–1829
John Slingsby 1815
Small 1788
Eli Small 1796
Smith 1803
Smith 1822
Smith 1822
Smith 1825–1826
Gustavus T. Smith 1815–1823
James Smith 1792–1800
Percy Smith 1825–1826
T. Smith 1817
Soane 1795
Stephen Southon 1825–1826
G. Sparks 1806–1810
John Sparks 1803–1829
Spencer 1793
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough 1817
St John 1825
Daniel Stacey 1817–1820
Stanford 1807
Stanhope 1787–1798
Thomas Stearn 1825–1840
John Stevens 1789–1793
Robert Stevens 1797–1799
Thomas Stevenson 1822
Henry Stewart 1788–1806
John Stewart 1792–1797
R. Stewart 1791–1792
S. Stonehewer 1813
V. Strange 1816
E. Streeter 1791–1792
William Streets 1803
Richard Stringer 1803
Strudwick 1805–1806
William Sturt 1815–1817
Frederick Sullivan 1821
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland 1816
J. Swan 1825–1826
Sylvester 1792–1802

T

name seasons club/county notes
George Talbot 1787–1791
Talmash 1790
John Tanner 1797–1826
Taylor 1817
Thompson 1792–1794
James Thumwood 1816–1826
John Thumwood 1816–1821
Edward Thwaites 1825–1837
Timber 1792–1795
Todd 1804
C. Towell 1791
Charles Town 1815–1823
James Townsend 1821–1831
Thomas Tucker 1822
Henry Tufton, 11th Earl of Thanet 1793–1801
John Tufton 1793–1798
Sackville Tufton, 9th Earl of Thanet 1791–1794
Turnbull 1796
Robert Turner 1789–1797
W. Turner 1789–1809
Thomas Twistleton 1794–1796
Tyson 1790–1793

U

name seasons club/county notes
John Unstead 1825
Arthur Upton 1795–1808
May Upton 1824

V

name seasons club/county notes
John Vallance 1791–1792
Philip Vallance 1791–1792
Vane 1802
Venner 1790
Viger 1808–1814
Godfrey Vigne 1819–1845
Thomas Vigne 1804–1832
Vincent 1789
C. Vivian 1816

W

name seasons club/county notes
Walker 1790 East Kent
Walker 1822 Kent
John Walker 1789–1806 Surrey Younger brother of Tom and Harry Walker.
Waller 1800–1803 Surrey
John Wallington 1817–1828
Robert Walpole 1793–1808
W. Wansell 1802
F. Ward 1817 Hampshire
John Ward 1800–1806 Kent
William Ward 1810–1845 Scored 278 for MCC against Norfolk in 1820, overtaking James Aylward's record for cricket's highest individual score. Ward's record stood until 1876, when it was surpassed by W. G. Grace.
Charles Warren 1795–1826 Warren was the last 18th century player to take part in an important match.
Richard Warsop 1803–1826 Nottingham
Thomas Warsop 1803 Nottingham
T. Webb 1790–1808 Middlesex
Richard Welch 1791–1793
G. Wells 1814–1821 Surrey
John Wells 1787–1815 Surrey
W. Wells 1791–1816
George Wenman 1825–1834 Kent
John Wenman 1825–1838 Kent
Ned Wenman 1825–1854 Kent A leading wicket-keeper; also an all-rounder.
West 1794 Oldfield
J. Weston 1787 Middlesex
Wheeler 1794–1795 Middlesex
White 1789–1797 Hampshire
Jacob White 1791 Middlesex
Joseph White 1806 Surrey
W. White 1787–1792 Middlesex
R. Whitehead 1795–1800 MCC Patron who organised a number of matches via MCC.
Wicks 1820 Cambridge Town Club
Henry Wilder 1817 Old Wykehamists
Wilkinson 1824 Sussex
John Willan 1819–1830
G. Willes 1815 Kent Identity disputed. Willes played in a match at Wrotham Napps alongside John Willes and it may be that it was William Willes, John's brother, who played in the match. William is identified by the 1907 History of Kent County Cricket Club as the player involved, whereas Scores and Biographies identifies the player simply as Willes, and he is identified as Mr G. Willes in Kent Cricket Matches.[8]
John Willes 1806–1822 Kent Though he did not originate roundarm bowling, Willes can be seen as the prime instigator of the movement.[9]
Williams 1820 Cambridge University A student at Pembroke College.
Williams 1798 MCC
Charles Williams 1823 MCC
Wilson 1797 Earl of Winchilsea's XI
Wilson 1809 Surrey
Windebank 1805–1807 Hampshire
Windsor 1788
Edward Winter 1794–1815 Oldfield
Witcher 1797 Hampshire
J. Witherdon 1817 MCC
Sir George Wombwell, 2nd Baronet 1792 MCC
Wood 1789–1790 East Kent
Edward Woodbridge 1815–1819
Frederick Woodbridge 1815–1819
Woodburn 1804 Hampshire
Woodroffe 1799–1800
Wooldridge 1798 Hampshire
Richard Wyatt 1787–1797
George Wyndham 1820–1821 Cambridge University

Y

name seasons club/county notes
Lord Yarmouth 1799 Surrey Occasional patron. Known to have played in three matches: one each for Surrey, MCC, and England.
Young 1801 Played in one match for England against Surrey.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Some eleven-a-side matches played from 1772 to 1863 have been rated "first-class" by certain sources.[2] However, the term only came into common use around 1864, when overarm bowling was legalised. It was formally defined as a standard by a meeting at Lord's, in May 1894, of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the county clubs which were then competing in the County Championship. The ruling was effective from the beginning of the 1895 season, but pre-1895 matches of the same standard have no official definition of status because the ruling is not retrospective.[3] Matches of a similar standard since the beginning of the 1864 season are generally considered to have an unofficial first-class status.[4] Pre-1864 matches which are included in the ACS' "Important Match Guide" may generally be regarded as important or, at least, historically significant.[5] For further information, see First-class cricket.

References

  1. ^ Haygarth 1996, p. 522.
  2. ^ "First-Class Matches in England in 1772". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  3. ^ Wisden (1948). Preston, Hubert (ed.). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (85th ed.). London: Sporting Handbooks Ltd. p. 813. OCLC 851705816.
  4. ^ ACS 1982, pp. 4–5.
  5. ^ ACS 1981, pp. 1–40.
  6. ^ Haygarth 1996, p. 311.
  7. ^ CUCC Match Book (1820–1822), Cambridge University Library.
  8. ^ Carlaw 2020, p. 579.
  9. ^ Altham & Swanton 1962, pp. 60–62.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (1924). Hambledon Cricket Chronicle: 1772–1796. London: Jenkins. OCLC 38498574.
  • Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (1929). Kent Cricket Matches, 1719–1880. Canterbury: Gibbs & Sons. OCLC 220674085.
  • Barclays (1986). Swanton, E. W.; Plumptre, George; Woodcock, George (eds.). Barclays World of Cricket. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-00-02181-93-8.
  • Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-18-54106-22-3.
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