The 1784 English cricket season was significant for the appearance in major matches of the White Conduit Club

White Conduit Club

The White Conduit Club, although short-lived, was perhaps the most significant club in cricket history for it bridged the gulf between the rural and rustic Hambledon era and the new, modern and metropolitan era of MCC and Lord's, the two entities that it spawned.We do not know for certain when the...

, although the surviving references this year are merely around two "great matches" played on White Conduit Fields

White Conduit Fields

White Conduit Fields in Islington was an early venue of major cricket matches and the original home of the White Conduit Club, forerunner of MCC...

.

Although not directly connected with cricket, it was in 1784 that the India Act was passed, creating a department of the British government to exercise political, military and financial control over the Indian affairs of the East India Company

British East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

. During the next half century British control was extended over most of the sub-continent and cricket spread throughout the country as a consequence of that.

Matches

Date	Match Title	Venue	Source	Result
18 May (Tu)	Berkshire v Bucks	Little Marlow	WDC	Berkshire won by innings & 21 runs
Bucks has never had a top-class county team and Berkshire clearly won this with ease.
22 May (S)	"A Great Cricket Match"	White Conduit Fields	FLPV	result unknown
27 May (Th)	"A Great Cricket Match"	White Conduit Fields	FLPV	result unknown
It is almost certain that these matches involved the White Conduit Club but few details are known. George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea KG PC FRS was an important figure in the history of cricket. His main contributions to the game were patronage and organisation but Winchilsea, an amateur, was also a very keen player....  was noted as "the best bat" in the first game; a few players in the second game were named including Dorset, Winchilsea, Talbot and Lennox.
1–2 June (Tu-W)	All-England v Hampshire	Sevenoaks Vine	SB61	All-England won by 7 wkts
Hampshire 70 (T Sueter 35*; W Bullen 6w, R Clifford 2w) & 116 (John Small 38; W Bullen 2w, R Clifford 2w); All-England 124 (J Aylward 37, R Clifford 31; R Francis 4w) & 63-3 (J Ring 28*) This was the only top-class match recorded in 1784. Mr Haygarth says in S&B that his original source was the Hampshire Chronicle, as the game "was not inserted in the old book of scores". The match included the first recorded appearance by John (Jack) Small junior. Another debutant was the professional player Davidson, possibly of Hythe, about whom little is known. He was occasionally recorded in matches over the next few years, his name sometimes spelled Davison.
9 June (W)	Bucks v Berkshire	Datchet Common	WDC	result unknown
This was a return of the game on Tues 18 May above. It was pre-announced with the result of the first one but was not itself reported.
22–23 June (Tu-W)	Chertsey v Coulsdon	Laleham Burway	WDC	Chertsey won by 313 runs
Chertsey 219 (Mr G T Boult 52*, - Hart 52) & 186 (T Taylor 44, W Bedster 31); Coulsdon 63 & 29. No bowling or fielding details known. Mr Waghorn recorded: "A match between the Chertsey and Coulsdon clubs, for £50 a side, which was won by the former by 313 runs. This match does not state how out". This match is sometimes found in lists of top-class games as these were both strong clubs for most of the 18th century. But Coulsdon was a shadow of its former self by 1784 and lost the game heavily by 313 runs. Apart from the occasional Surrey players Muggeridge and Quiddington, none of the Coulsdon team is recognised, whereas the majority of Chertsey players are.
15–16 July (Th-F)	Hambledon Parish v Petworth	venue unknown	FL18	Petworth won by 52 runs
Hambledon Parish v Petworth is recorded in FL18 and included in the ACS list but it seems to have been a minor match between two parish teams only, although a handful of regulars did play for the Hambledon team. The scorecard has been preserved.
30 July (F)	Farnham v Odiham & Alton	Holt Pound, Farnham	FL18	result unknown
Farnham v Odiham & Alton was played at Holt Pound in Farnham and the teams are known but no details of the play. The Wells and Beldam brothers all played for Farnham. Odiham’s team included David Harris and Thomas Scott, who became a noted Hampshire player in the 1790s.

First mentions

• Jack Small
  Jack Small
  John Small junior was an English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club.Jack Small made his debut in 1784, his career continuing until 1811...
  
  
• Davidson
  Davidson (Essex cricketer)
  Davidson was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1784 to 1787.-Career:...
  
   (Essex)
• Cole
  Cole (Hampshire cricketer)
  J. Cole was an English professional cricketer who made two known appearances in major cricket matches from 1784 to 1788.-Career:He was mainly associated with Hampshire but also represented All-England.-External sources:*...
  
   (Hampshire)

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.

runs	player
55	James Aylward James Aylward James Aylward was a noted English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He was a left-handed batsman....
42	Robert Clifford
41	John Small
36	Tom Sueter Tom Sueter Thomas Sueter was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club....

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.

wkts	player
8	William Bullen William Bullen William Bullen was an outstanding English cricketer throughout the last quarter of the 18th century. Hailing from Kent, Bullen was a great all-rounder, noted in the key sources as a fast bowler and a "powerful hitter"....
5	Richard Francis Richard Francis Richard Francis was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club.Francis is known to have been a Surrey man by birth and he had played for Surrey teams before moving to Hampshire...
4	Robert Clifford
2	Edward "Lumpy" Stevens
1	Thomas Taylor Thomas Taylor (cricketer) Thomas Taylor was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He is generally regarded as one of the most outstanding players of the 18th century....

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.

ct/st	player
3	William Bowra William Bowra William Bowra was an English cricketer who played regularly for Kent teams from 1768 until 1788 and then for Sussex until 1792. He had 47 known first-class appearances between 1775 and 1792. His name was pronounced "Borra".In a Hampshire Chronicle report of a 1775 game, his name is spelt "Bower"...
2	William Bedster William Bedster William Bedster was an English cricketer of the late 18th century. He was a good batsman and a useful bowler....
2	Richard Francis Richard Francis Richard Francis was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club.Francis is known to have been a Surrey man by birth and he had played for Surrey teams before moving to Hampshire...
2	Thomas Taylor Thomas Taylor (cricketer) Thomas Taylor was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He is generally regarded as one of the most outstanding players of the 18th century....

External links

• From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787