1734 English cricket season
Encyclopedia
In the 1734 English cricket season, four counties (Kent
, Middlesex
, Surrey
and Sussex) and two clubs (Croydon
and London
) took part in all the known games.
Importantly for the expansion of cricket throughout England, road transport
continued to improve under the twin schemes of turnpikes
and stagecoach
es. Relays of horses were first provided in 1734 for stagecoaches on the London-Newcastle route, enabling journey time to be reduced from twelve days to nine. The service was called the Flying Coach.
. "...a stander-by (sic) had the misfortune to have his knee-pan (i.e., patella) put out by a blow from the ball, and another was much bruised in the face by a like accident".
A game between London and Sevenoaks, arranged for Monday 8 July on Kennington Common, was not played due to the non-appearance of the Sevenoaks team. The Whitehall Evening Post
reported that according to the Articles of Agreement their deposit money was forfeited. Since the first mention of Articles of Agreement in 1727 (Richmond v Brodrick), it had surely become common practice to draw up such an agreement before each major match, especially if large stakes were involved.
September. A report included in WCS states that London was due to have played Croydon but that the Croydon team withdrew "having been regaled with a good dinner"! The London Club thereupon announced its intention to have one more match before the end of season and so challenged any eleven men in England except that "they will not admit of one from Croydon".
The game on 6 September (see above) is earliest known use of Sevenoaks Vine
as a venue. It is one of the oldest cricket grounds in England. It was given to the town of Sevenoaks
in 1773 by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset (1745–1799) and owner of Knole House
, where the ground is sited. The land was thought previously to have been used as a vineyard for the Archbishops of Canterbury (hence the name). The weatherboard pavilion is 19th century. The Vine Cricket Club must pay Sevenoaks Town Council a rent of 2 peppercorns per year - one for the ground and one for the pavilion. They, in turn, must pay Lord Sackville (if asked) one cricket ball on the 21st July each year.
Kent county cricket teams
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is the birthplace of the sport...
, Middlesex
Middlesex county cricket teams
Middlesex county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Given that the first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford, it is almost certain that the game had reached...
, Surrey
Surrey county cricket teams
Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...
and Sussex) and two clubs (Croydon
Croydon Cricket Club
The original Croydon Cricket Club was one of the oldest in England with origins going back to the early 18th century and perhaps earlier. It played most of its matches at Duppas Hill. The earliest record of the club is in the 1707 season when it played two matches against London Cricket...
and London
London Cricket Club
The original London Cricket Club was formed by 1722 and was one of the foremost clubs in English cricket over the next four decades. It is closely associated with the Artillery Ground, where it played most of its home matches.-Early history of London cricket:...
) took part in all the known games.
Importantly for the expansion of cricket throughout England, road transport
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
continued to improve under the twin schemes of turnpikes
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
and stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es. Relays of horses were first provided in 1734 for stagecoaches on the London-Newcastle route, enabling journey time to be reduced from twelve days to nine. The service was called the Flying Coach.
Matches
| Date | Match Title | Venue | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June (W) | Kent v London | Dartford Brent Dartford Brent Dartford Brent was an extensive area of common land on the outskirts of Dartford in Kent. In history, it was the scene of a confrontation between King Henry VI and Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York in 1452; and in 1555 thousands of spectators were to witness the burning to death at the stake of... |
London won | |
London beat Kent on Dartford Brimp (sic) "though there was 6 to 4 laid against London in the middle of the game". |
||||
| 19 June (W) | London v Kent | Artillery Ground Artillery Ground The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is one of London's most centrally located cricket grounds, situated just off the City Road immediately north of the City of London... |
London inns & 25 | |
Team scores are known: Kent 31 & 51; London 107. A resounding win for London, especially given their victory at Dartford the previous Wednesday. |
||||
| c.25 July (Th) | Croydon v London | Duppas Hill Duppas Hill Duppas Hill is a park, road and surrounding residential area in Waddon, near Croydon in Greater London . It is thought to be named after a family called 'Dubber' or 'Double'.Duppas Hill has a long history of sport and recreation... , Croydon |
Croydon won | |
No details are given of this game except the winners. The report includes a pre-announcement of the following game. |
||||
| 1 August (Th) | London v Croydon | Artillery Ground Artillery Ground The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is one of London's most centrally located cricket grounds, situated just off the City Road immediately north of the City of London... |
London won | |
All we know is that London won the game. Reported in the Grub Street Journal of Thu 8 August. |
||||
| 26 August (M) | London v Surrey | Kennington Common | result unknown | |
Pre-announced in the London Evening Post of Thu 22 August. It says: "the wickets to be pitched precisely (sic) between 12 and 1 o'clock"! An early Colemanballs Colemanballs Colemanballs is a term coined by Private Eye magazine to describe verbal gaffes perpetrated by sports commentators. The word Colemanballs probably borrows from Colemans Meatballs, once familiar in the UK and sold by the company ColemanNatural... , perhaps? |
||||
| 6 September (F) | Kent v Sussex | Sevenoaks Vine | Kent won | |
Lord Middlesex Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset PC was a British nobleman, politician, and cricketer. He was styled Lord Buckhurst from 1711 to 1720 and Earl of Middlesex from 1720 to 1765.-Early life:... (1710–1769) and his brother Lord John Philip Sackville (1713–1765) played for Kent; and Sir William Gage for Sussex. On a biographical note, Lord Middlesex (Charles Sackville) was 2nd Duke of Dorset 1765–1769. The famous 3rd Duke of Dorset was his nephew, being the son of Lord John Philip Sackville. |
||||
| 11 September (W) | Sussex v Kent | Lewes | result unknown | |
The report of the previous game states that "the same Gentlemen were to play on the Downs near Lewes in Sussex". |
||||
Other events
Thu 13 June. The St James Evening Post reported a couple of serious injuries in a private match at the Artillery GroundArtillery Ground
The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is one of London's most centrally located cricket grounds, situated just off the City Road immediately north of the City of London...
. "...a stander-by (sic) had the misfortune to have his knee-pan (i.e., patella) put out by a blow from the ball, and another was much bruised in the face by a like accident".
A game between London and Sevenoaks, arranged for Monday 8 July on Kennington Common, was not played due to the non-appearance of the Sevenoaks team. The Whitehall Evening Post
Whitehall Evening Post
The Whitehall Evening Post was a London newspaper, founded in 1718.It was started in September 1718 by Daniel Defoe; and was then published on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Defoe left it in June 1720, but it continued to exist until the end of the century. It closed in 1801, with issue...
reported that according to the Articles of Agreement their deposit money was forfeited. Since the first mention of Articles of Agreement in 1727 (Richmond v Brodrick), it had surely become common practice to draw up such an agreement before each major match, especially if large stakes were involved.
September. A report included in WCS states that London was due to have played Croydon but that the Croydon team withdrew "having been regaled with a good dinner"! The London Club thereupon announced its intention to have one more match before the end of season and so challenged any eleven men in England except that "they will not admit of one from Croydon".
The game on 6 September (see above) is earliest known use of Sevenoaks Vine
Vine Cricket Ground
The Vine Cricket Ground is one of the oldest cricket venues in England. It was given to the town of Sevenoaks in 1773 by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset and owner of Knole House, where the ground is sited...
as a venue. It is one of the oldest cricket grounds in England. It was given to the town of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in 1773 by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset (1745–1799) and owner of Knole House
Knole House
Knole is an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks in west Kent, surrounded by a deer park. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards...
, where the ground is sited. The land was thought previously to have been used as a vineyard for the Archbishops of Canterbury (hence the name). The weatherboard pavilion is 19th century. The Vine Cricket Club must pay Sevenoaks Town Council a rent of 2 peppercorns per year - one for the ground and one for the pavilion. They, in turn, must pay Lord Sackville (if asked) one cricket ball on the 21st July each year.
External sources
Further reading
- H S AlthamHarry AlthamHarry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962 - Derek BirleyDerek BirleySir Derek Birley was an English educator and writer who had a strong interest in sport, especially cricket.He was educated at grammar school in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, and at Queens' College, Cambridge University....
, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999 - Rowland BowenRowland BowenMajor Rowland Francis Bowen was a cricket researcher, historian and writer....
, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970 - David UnderdownDavid UnderdownDavid E. Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford...
, Start of Play, Allen Lane, 2000