1768 English cricket season - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 1768 English cricket season saw a brief return by Sussex to top-class cricket.

This was a season which could well have seen (though tantalisingly it is not quite certain) the earliest known century in major cricket. The player of the season was unquestionably the great John Small, master batsman of the Hambledon Club

Hambledon Club

The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...

, who produced two of the most brilliant performances recorded to date, including that possible first-ever first-class

First-class cricket

First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...

century.

Matches

Date	Match Title	Venue	Result
10 June (F)	Caterham v Bourne	Westerham Heath	Caterham won by 14 runs
Caterham 63 (Smailes 25) & 150 (Foule 33, Mr H Rowett 30); Kent 60 & 139 (R Simmons 45, W Palmer 23) The Kentish Weekly Post of Sat 11 June records the teams and individual scores. The Caterham club is referred to as "Westerham & Caterham", probably because of the venue. Bourne is actually Mr (later Sir) Horatio Mann’s team and the newspaper on this occasion calls it Bourne, where Mr Mann had his residence and his own very famous venue: Bishopsbourne Paddock Bishopsbourne Paddock Bishopsbourne Paddock was a cricket ground at Bourne House, seat of Sir Horatio Mann, near Canterbury in Kent. It was a popular venue for first-class matches from 1766 to 1790.-Matches:... . In other reports, Mr Mann’s teams are variously referred to as Kent or, perhaps most accurately, East Kent. This is the third time (and the first since 1744) that the individual scores of a major match have survived. No details of dismissal were recorded.
26 July (F)	Caterham v Bourne	Caterham	result unknown
Announced in the St James Chronicle on Sat 23 July. Caterham was to give Bourne two men. The St James Chronicle referred to the teams as Mr Horatio Mann’s Club and Mr Henry Rowett’s Club.
29 July (F)	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... v 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:...	Stamford Hill	result unknown
Pre-announced in Lloyd’s Evening Post on Wed 27 July. To be played for 100 guineas a side.
2 August (F)	Caterham v Bourne	Caterham	result unknown
Announced in the St James Chronicle on Sat 23 July. Bourne (Horace Mann) was to give Caterham (Henry Rowett) one man.
5 August (F)	Hampshire Hampshire county cricket teams Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that... v Sussex	Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon in Hampshire, was the home venue for first-class cricket matches of the Hambledon Club from 1753 to 1781...	result unknown
Referred to in a letter dated Wed 27 July 1768 from Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh of Uppark to Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle: "I hear there is to be a great Cricket match play’d next Friday Sennight upon Broad-halfpenny, about 7 miles West of this place in Hampshire & at wch. The Duke of Richmond & many from the Chichester Div. Of the County will be present, for it is a match made by the Duke (Sussex against Hampshire) with a Mr. Ridge Thomas Ridge (cricketer) Thomas Ridge was a prominent member of the Hambledon Club and played in a number of its cricket matches, including 6 known first-class appearances for Hampshire between 1768 and 1775.... near Warnford; at wch. Mr. Sackville John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1769 on the death of his uncle, Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset... is to play on the Sussex side". The now archaic word s’ennight often occurs in 18th century writing. It is an abbreviation of "seven nights" and means "seven nights hence". In this instance, Sir Matthew refers to a game taking place "a week on Friday", as we would say.
12 August (F)	Bourne v 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:...	Bishopsbourne Paddock Bishopsbourne Paddock Bishopsbourne Paddock was a cricket ground at Bourne House, seat of Sir Horatio Mann, near Canterbury in Kent. It was a popular venue for first-class matches from 1766 to 1790.-Matches:...	result unknown
The Kentish Gazette Kentish Gazette The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:The newspaper claims to be the second oldest surviving newspaper in the United Kingdom.... on Wed 10 August announced this game by saying: The last match was thought to be as good a match as was ever played. This is the last match that will be played in Bourne Paddock this year. Although billed as "Bourne v Surrey", it was probably a fourth game in the Caterham v Bourne series.
29 & 30 August (M-Tu)	Hambledon Hambledon Club The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:... v Kent 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...	Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon in Hampshire, was the home venue for first-class cricket matches of the Hambledon Club from 1753 to 1781...	Hambledon won by 144 runs
Reported in the Reading Mercury on Sat 3 September. The report stated: Last Tuesday the second great match at cricket was played on Broad-Halfpenny between eleven gentlemen of the Hambledon Club against eleven gentlemen of the county of Kent for a considerable sum, which was won by the former by upwards of 100 notches; but what is very remarkable, one Mr Small, of Petersfield Petersfield, Hampshire Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the... , fetched above seven score notches off his own bat. The team scores were: Hambledon – 131 + 194 = 325; Kent – 141 + 40 = 181 One of early cricket’s most tantalising questions is: did John Small score the earliest known first-class century in this game? The Mercury is ambiguous as it cannot be said for certain if his 140-plus was his match total or his score in the second innings. Ashley Mote Ashley Mote Ashley Mote was a non-inscrit Member of the European Parliament for South East England. An outspoken critic of fraud in the European Institutions, he himself was convicted of benefit fraud in 2007 for which he served a nine-month prison sentence and was described by the trial judge as "a truly... states that if he scored 140-plus out of 194 it would have been a truly astonishing performance . Astonishing, but not impossible. Even if it was his match total, it remains possible that his second innings was a century if he scored less than 50 in the first innings.
5 September (F)	Hambledon Hambledon Club The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:... v Sussex	Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down Broadhalfpenny Down, situated on a hilltop about a mile from the rural village of Hambledon in Hampshire, was the home venue for first-class cricket matches of the Hambledon Club from 1753 to 1781...	Hambledon won by 7 wkts
A report states: Last Monday another great match at cricket was played on Broad Halfpenny between eleven gentlemen of the county of Sussex, against eleven of the Hambledon Club, for a large sum, which was won by the latter, who had seven wickets to go down. Mr Small got above four score notches in this match, and was not out when the game was finished. Once again, it is not known if John Small scored his 80-plus in one innings or if it was his match total.

Other events

Sat 28 May. The Kentish Weekly Post reported that "last week in the Artillery Ground", a "fives" game between Hon. J F Sackville

John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset

John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1769 on the death of his uncle, Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset...

’s team and Mr Horace Mann’s team lasted two days. Sackville (soon to become 3rd Duke of Dorset) won by 4 wickets. The players and their individual scores are known. Mann’s team of Bellchambers, John Boorman

John Boorman (cricketer)

John Boorman was a famous English cricketer whose career spanned the 1772 season and the 1793 season....

, James Fuggles

James Fuggles

James Fuggles was an English cricketer in the 18th century. He was a Kent batsman who played in all three recorded matches in 1772 and made his final known appearance in 1773. In his four recorded appearances, he played 8 innings and scored 51 runs with a top score of 21.He was a regular player...

, May

Richard May (cricketer)

Richard May was a first-class cricketer who was a well-known bowler for Kent in the 1760s and 1770s. May's known first-class career spanned the 1773 and 1780 seasons....

and Muddle scored 26 and 29; Sackville’s team of Brobham, John Bayton, John Small, Birchett and Mandy scored 20 and 36-1. May scored 10 and 12 for Mann and Bayton of Hambledon scored 8 and 36* for Sackville, so Bayton’s performance decided the match. The more notable John Small scored only 3 and 0 .

Fri 3 June. William Bedle

William Bedle

William Bedle was an English cricketer who played for Dartford and Kent in the first quarter of the 18th century. He is the sport's earliest known accomplished player...

died at his house near Dartford. He was "near 90" and was formerly accounted the most expert cricket player in England. He must have been in his prime during the first quarter of the 18th century. His death was reported by the Lloyd’s Evening Post on Fri 10 June .

An Essex v London match was arranged for Wed 8 June on Epping Common but the London team did not appear and forfeited their deposit .

The secondary sources have recorded three ladies’ matches that took place in June between teams from Harting and Rogate in Sussex. These games attracted crowds of two to three thousand .

First mentions

William Bedle
William Bedle
William Bedle was an English cricketer who played for Dartford and Kent in the first quarter of the 18th century. He is the sport's earliest known accomplished player...
John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset
John Boorman
John Boorman (cricketer)
John Boorman was a famous English cricketer whose career spanned the 1772 season and the 1793 season....
James Fuggles
James Fuggles
James Fuggles was an English cricketer in the 18th century. He was a Kent batsman who played in all three recorded matches in 1772 and made his final known appearance in 1773. In his four recorded appearances, he played 8 innings and scored 51 runs with a top score of 21.He was a regular player...
Richard May
Richard May (cricketer)
Richard May was a first-class cricketer who was a well-known bowler for Kent in the 1760s and 1770s. May's known first-class career spanned the 1773 and 1780 seasons....
Thomas May
Richard May (cricketer)
Richard May was a first-class cricketer who was a well-known bowler for Kent in the 1760s and 1770s. May's known first-class career spanned the 1773 and 1780 seasons....
Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons (cricketer)
Richard Simmons was an English cricketer who played for Kent and All-England in the 1760s and 1770s. He is one of the earliest well-known wicket-keepers....
William Palmer
William Palmer (cricketer)
William Palmer was a famous English cricketer who played in the 1760s and 1770s....
Joseph Miller

Matches

Other events

First mentions

External sources

Further reading