Guildford Bason
Encyclopedia
Guildford Bason is an English
former cricket
ground on Merrow Down, on the outskirts of Guildford
, Surrey
. Guildford is the location for the earliest definite reference to cricket in English history. A 1597 court case proves that a certain plot of land was used by boys who were playing the game in c.1550.
.
In September 1741, Merrow Down is the venue for a famous match between, to quote the Duke of Richmond: "poor little Slyndon against almost your whole county of Surrey". Slindon, featuring Richard Newland
, won "almost in one innings".
In 1762 there is another Guildford reference at Merrow Down with the Guildford club losing by two runs to Chertsey
.
. Hambledon won by 4 wickets thanks to "the batting of Messrs Small
and Bayton".
Sussex lawyer John Baker, a regular spectator at Georgian matches, described some of them in his diary. One is the All-England v Hampshire game in July 1772 which Baker attended with his parson friend, John Woodward. He writes that Hambledon was already batting when they arrived. It was a cheerful scene and "the Basin on Merrow Down" was ringed by a big crowd of spectators, most of them standing. Indeed, contemporary paintings of matches show no sign of seating accommodation for the ordinary folk. The local publicans were doing good business in their booths, some of them rented by the local nobility and thus the equivalent of the present-day sponsors’ tents or boxes. As in our own times, the occupants were often more interested in the food and drink than in the cricket. Guildford had fixed up a small grandstand "with benches above one another over his booth below", but it was already full. Baker then talks about "finding a small booth where we had a good cold dinner and good cider and ale". He says this was better and cheaper than the one they had on the following day in the White Hart booth.
The last known use of Guildford Bason in major cricket is the All-England v Hampshire match in August 1777. This produced a tense finish with Hampshire scoring 162-9 in the last innings to win by 1 wicket. Tom Taylor
scored 62 and it required several runs by the last pair (Tom Sueter
and Richard Nyren
) to secure the win with Lumpy bowling to them.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground on Merrow Down, on the outskirts of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Guildford is the location for the earliest definite reference to cricket in English history. A 1597 court case proves that a certain plot of land was used by boys who were playing the game in c.1550.
Cricket on Merrow Down
In July 1730, Merrow Down is stated as the venue for a match between Mr Andrews’ XI and the Duke of Richmond’s XICharles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond
The 2nd Duke of Richmond has been described as early cricket's greatest patron. Although he had played cricket as a boy, his real involvement began after he succeeded to the dukedom...
.
In September 1741, Merrow Down is the venue for a famous match between, to quote the Duke of Richmond: "poor little Slyndon against almost your whole county of Surrey". Slindon, featuring Richard Newland
Richard Newland
Richard Newland was an English cricketer in the mid-Georgian period who played for Slindon Cricket Club and Sussex under the patronage of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. He also represented various All-England teams...
, won "almost in one innings".
In 1762 there is another Guildford reference at Merrow Down with the Guildford club losing by two runs to Chertsey
Chertsey Cricket Club
Chertsey Cricket Club in Surrey is one of the oldest in England. Its own website dates its founding as 1737 but in fact matches involving a Chertsey team date from 1736....
.
Guildford Bason references
The first actual reference to Guildford Bason is the game played 31 July – 1 August 1769 between Caterham and HambledonHambledon 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:...
. Hambledon won by 4 wickets thanks to "the batting of Messrs Small
John Small (cricket)
John Small was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from c. 1756 to 1798, one of the longest careers on record....
and Bayton".
Sussex lawyer John Baker, a regular spectator at Georgian matches, described some of them in his diary. One is the All-England v Hampshire game in July 1772 which Baker attended with his parson friend, John Woodward. He writes that Hambledon was already batting when they arrived. It was a cheerful scene and "the Basin on Merrow Down" was ringed by a big crowd of spectators, most of them standing. Indeed, contemporary paintings of matches show no sign of seating accommodation for the ordinary folk. The local publicans were doing good business in their booths, some of them rented by the local nobility and thus the equivalent of the present-day sponsors’ tents or boxes. As in our own times, the occupants were often more interested in the food and drink than in the cricket. Guildford had fixed up a small grandstand "with benches above one another over his booth below", but it was already full. Baker then talks about "finding a small booth where we had a good cold dinner and good cider and ale". He says this was better and cheaper than the one they had on the following day in the White Hart booth.
The last known use of Guildford Bason in major cricket is the All-England v Hampshire match in August 1777. This produced a tense finish with Hampshire scoring 162-9 in the last innings to win by 1 wicket. Tom 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....
scored 62 and it required several runs by the last pair (Tom Sueter
Tom Sueter
Thomas Sueter was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club....
and Richard Nyren
Richard Nyren
Richard "Dick" Nyren was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket during the 1760s and 1770s in the heyday of the Hambledon Club...
) to secure the win with Lumpy bowling to them.