John Capon (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
John Capon was an English professional cricket
er who played for London Cricket Club
and Surrey
during the 1740s and 1750s. He was a noted single wicket
performer. Nothing is known of him apart from his participation in major cricket matches.
, in one of which he represented the London club .
His earliest known first-class
appearance was for Stephen Dingate
's XI versus Long Robin
's XI at the Artillery Ground on 26 June 1749 .
His earliest known appearance for Surrey was in a first-class match versus Kent
at Dartford Brent
on 6 July 1750. Kent won by 3 wickets .
There are further references to Capon in 1752 and 1754. His last known appearance was on 26 June 1755 when he played for London in a single wicket match on Kennington Common .
Capon may have continued his career after 1755 but cricket was severely disrupted by the Seven Years War from 1756. He is not recorded in any matches after the war ended in 1763.
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...
er who played for London Cricket Club
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:...
and 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:...
during the 1740s and 1750s. He was a noted single wicket
Single Wicket
Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
performer. Nothing is known of him apart from his participation in major cricket matches.
Career
Capon is first mentioned in August 1748 when he played in two single wicket games 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...
, in one of which he represented the London club .
His earliest known 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...
appearance was for Stephen Dingate
Stephen Dingate
Stephen Dingate was a leading English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period. He almost certainly began playing in the 1720s and was one of the best known players in England through the 1740s....
's XI versus Long Robin
Robert Colchin
Robert "Long Robin" Colchin was a highly influential professional English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period at a time when the single wicket version of the game was popular.-Cricket career:...
's XI at the Artillery Ground on 26 June 1749 .
His earliest known appearance for Surrey was in a first-class match versus 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...
at 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...
on 6 July 1750. Kent won by 3 wickets .
There are further references to Capon in 1752 and 1754. His last known appearance was on 26 June 1755 when he played for London in a single wicket match on Kennington Common .
Capon may have continued his career after 1755 but cricket was severely disrupted by the Seven Years War from 1756. He is not recorded in any matches after the war ended in 1763.
External sources
Further reading
- F S Ashley-Cooper, At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742-1751, Cricket Magazine, 1900
- G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935