1789 English cricket season
Encyclopedia
In the 1789 English cricket season, while Hampshire
played Kent
on Windmill Down
, the Storming of the Bastille
was taking place in Paris
and the French Revolution
ended the first cricket overseas tour before it even began.
, assembled in London and travelled to Dover where, unexpectedly, they met the Duke himself coming the other way. He was fleeing for his life from the French Revolution. So the intended first-ever overseas tour became instead the first tour to be cancelled for political reasons.
William Beldham with 306 scored the most known runs in 1789.
Other leading batsmen were James Aylward
with 297 runs; John Wells
240; Harry Walker
228; Tom Walker
225;
Richard Purchase
224; John Small 222; Thomas Ingram
219; George Louch
215; William Brazier
210; Joey Ring
198
Robert Clifford with 39 took the most known wickets in 1789.
Other leading wicket-takers were David Harris with 38; Richard Purchase 30; John Boorman
25; William Bullen
25; Butcher
19; Noah Mann
18
Robert Clifford was also the most successful fielder with 16 known victims (15 ct, 1 st)
William Beldham took 15 catches, John Wells had 14 victims (13 ct, 1 st), star fielder George Louch
took 12 catches and there were 9 catches each taken by John Boorman, William Bullen and Henry Crozoer
.
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...
played 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...
on Windmill Down
Windmill Down
Windmill Down is a rural location near the town of Hambledon in Hampshire. It was used as a venue for major cricket matches in the 18th century and from 1782 as the home of the Hambledon Club.-Opening of Windmill Down:...
, the Storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
was taking place in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
ended the first cricket overseas tour before it even began.
Matches
| Date | Match title | Venue | Source | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22-23 May (F-S) | Sir H Mann v S Amherst | Coxheath | FLPV | Amherst's XI won by 5 wkts |
| 25 May (M) | Gents of All-England v Middlesex | Lord's (Dorset Square) | WDC | Middlesex won by innings & 64 runs |
| 3-4 June (W-Th) | Earl of Earl of Winchilsea v Sir H Mann | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB91 | Earl of Winchilsea's XI won by 140 runs |
| This match was postponed after 4 June and completed on Mon 15 & Tues 16 June 1789 | ||||
| 8 June (M) | Uxbridge v Moulsey Hurst | New Ground, Uxbridge Moor | SB91 | MH won by 53 runs |
| Uxbridge was arguably a Middlesex XI and Moulsey Hurst arguably a Surrey XI. The majority of players are recognised so it is a major fixture. | ||||
| 10-12 June (W-F) | Surrey v Kent | Moulsey Hurst | SB92 | Kent won by 3 wkts |
| 26-27 Jun (F-S) | All-England XIII v Hampshire | Lord's (Dorset Square) | SB93 | Hampshire won by 6 wkts |
| This match was postponed after 27 June and completed on Thurs 2 July 1789 | ||||
| 29-30 June (M-Tu) | Sir H Mann v S Amherst | Coxheath | SB93 | Mann's XI won by 8 runs |
| 8-9 July (W-Th) | MCC v Essex # | Lord's (Dorset Square) | FL18 | Essex won by 102 runs |
| 13-14 July (M-Tu) | Hampshire v Kent | Windmill Down | SB94 | Kent won by 56 runs |
The Storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on Tuesday 14 July at the outset of the French Revolution |
||||
| 23-25 July (Th-S) | All-England v Kent | New Ground, Uxbridge Moor | SB95 | All-England won by innings & 10 runs |
| 30 July - 1 Aug (Th-S) | Surrey v Hampshire | Moulsey Hurst | FLPV | Surrey won by 221 runs |
| Neither side was fully representative of the counties, but the majority of players are recognised so the match is included as a major fixture. | ||||
| 4-5 Aug (Tu-W) | Sir H Mann v S Amherst | Coxheath | SB96 | Mann's XI won by 57 runs |
| 6-7 Aug (Th-F) | Essex v MCC # | Langton Park, Hornchurch | FLPV | Essex won by 6 wkts |
| Re the Essex v MCC games, some reports referred to the Essex side as Hornchurch. The Hornchurch Club at this time was representative of Essex as a county. | ||||
| 11-14 Aug (Tu-F) | Kent v Surrey | Bishopsbourne | SB96 | Surrey won by 9 wkts |
| 18-21 Aug (Tu-F) | Kent v Hampshire | Bishopsbourne | SB97 | Hampshire won by 29 runs |
| 2-5 Sept (W-S) | All-England v Hampshire | Sevenoaks Vine | SB98 | Hampshire won by 15 runs |
| 7-9 Sept (M-W) | Middlesex v London | Lord's (Dorset Square) | FLPV | London won by 2 wkts |
| Excluded from earlier classifications due to "weak teams" and a view that Middlesex was really the Uxbridge club. The majority of players are recognised so this is a major match here. | ||||
| 10-11 Sept (Th-F) | Chelsea v MCC | Chelsea | FLPV | drawn? |
| This was definitely not a major fixture, due to lack of recognised players. It was "postponed till next week" but no report of a conclusion has been found. In Chelsea's second innings, the scorecard shows all eleven batsmen as out! | ||||
| 18-19 Sept (F-S) | Bridge & Bourne v Aldington | Bishopsbourne | FLPV | B&B won by 7 wkts |
| This game included James Aylward as a given man to Aldington. There were a handful of recognised players taking part. | ||||
| 21 Sept (M) | Leicester v Nottingham ^ | Loughborough | SB99 | Nottingham won by innings & 16 runs |
| 23-24 Sept (W-Th) | East Kent v Isle of Thanet | Dandelion Paddock, Margate | FLPV | East Kent won by 10 wkts |
| 5-6 Oct (M-Tu) | Leicester v Nottingham ^ | Loughborough | SB100 | Leicester won by 1 run |
| This match was postponed after 6 October and completed on Mon 2 November 1789 ^ The two games at Loughborough are held to be major fixtures for historical reasons and also because the teams were representative of the two cities if not the whole counties also. Furthermore, most of the players involved played for their teams against good quality MCC sides in 1791. |
||||
| 7 Oct (W) | Gordon Castle Club v 55th Regiment | Aberdeen | FLPV | Gordon CC won by innings & 258 runs |
| This match was evidently organised by the Hon. Charles Lennox who scored 136 for the Gordon Castle Club. | ||||
Other events
John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, famous for both his cricket connections and his ambassadorship to France, tried to organise a tour of France by a team of English cricketers. The team, which included William YaldenWilliam Yalden
William "The Yold" Yalden was a noted English cricketer. He was a very good batsman but was primarily known as a wicket-keeper....
, assembled in London and travelled to Dover where, unexpectedly, they met the Duke himself coming the other way. He was fleeing for his life from the French Revolution. So the intended first-ever overseas tour became instead the first tour to be cancelled for political reasons.
First mentions
- Thomas BoxallThomas BoxallThomas Boxall was a famous English cricketer of the late 18th century. He was a very successful right arm bowler, believed to have been fast underarm....
- Edward BlighEdward BlighEdward Bligh , styled The Honourable from birth, was an Irish politician, a noted amateur cricketer and a prominent early member of the Marylebone Cricket Club....
- John WalkerJohn Walker (Surrey cricketer)John Walker , was a noted professional cricketer in the late 18th century. His career spanned the 1789 to 1806 seasons and he played mainly for Surrey and various representative sides, including MCC....
- Charles AnguishCharles AnguishCharles Anguish aka Charles Clarke was an English cricketer in the late 18th century...
- Robert TurnerRobert Turner (Middlesex cricketer)Robert Turner was a noted professional cricketer in the late 18th century. His career spanned the 1789 to 1799 seasons and he played mainly for Middlesex and various representative sides, including MCC....
- Thomas ScottThomas Scott (cricketer)Thomas Scott was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire at the time of the Hambledon Club. He was a specialist batsman who may have been a regular opener, but it is not known if he was right or left-handed...
- Richard WyattRichard Wyatt (Essex cricketer)Richard B Wyatt was a noted amateur cricketer in the late 18th century. His career spanned the 1789 to 1797 seasons, during which he played 18 major cricket matches, mainly for Essex....
- George DehaneyGeorge DehaneyGeorge Dehaney aka Dehany was a noted amateur cricketer in the late 18th century. His career spanned the 1789 to 1793 seasons and he played mainly for Marylebone Cricket Club , of which he was an early member...
- Jacob WhiteJacob WhiteJacob Thomas White was a professional cricketer who played for Middlesex in the late 18th century....
- Cantrell (Middlesex cricketer)Cantrell (Middlesex cricketer)Cantrell was an English professional cricketer who made 8 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
– played 8 matches from 1789 to 1792 - Grange (Middlesex cricketer)Grange (Middlesex cricketer)Grange was an English professional cricketer who made 9 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
– played 9 matches from 1789 to 1792 - W Palmer (Kent cricketer)W Palmer (Kent cricketer)W Palmer was an English amateur cricketer who made 9 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1795.-External sources:*...
(Kent; amateur) – played 9 matches from 1789 to 1795 - Thomas TwistletonThomas TwistletonThe Hon. Thomas James Twistleton was an English amateur cricketer who made 7 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1796.-External sources:*...
(MCC; amateur) – played 7 matches from 1789 to 1796 - John Bligh, 4th Earl of DarnleyJohn Bligh, 4th Earl of DarnleyJohn Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley was a British peer and cricketer.He was the son of John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley and succeeded his father as earl on the latter's death in 1781. He resided at Cobham Hall, near Gravesend in Kent....
(MCC; amateur) – played 27 matches from 1789 to 1796 - Edward Hale (cricketer)Edward Hale (cricketer)Edward Hale was an English amateur cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1797.-External sources:*...
(Hampshire; amateur) – played 3 matches from 1789 to 1797 - John Stevens (cricketer)John Stevens (cricketer)John Stevens was an English amateur cricketer who made 17 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1799.-External sources:*...
(Essex) – played 17 matches from 1789 to 1799 - Mark Graham (cricketer)Mark Graham (cricketer)Mark Graham was an English amateur cricketer who made 5 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1800.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played 5 matches from 1789 to 1800 - T Watts (Leicestershire cricketer)T Watts (Leicestershire cricketer)T Watts was an English professional cricketer who made 5 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1800.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played 5 matches from 1789 to 1800 - Butler (Middlesex cricketer)Butler (Middlesex cricketer)Butler was an English professional cricketer who made 21 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1801.-External sources:*...
– played 21 matches from 1789 to 1801 - Richard StringerRichard StringerRichard Stringer was an English professional cricketer who made 6 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1803.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:...
(Leics) – played 6 matches from 1789 to 1803 - Robert WarsopRobert WarsopRobert Warsop was an English professional cricketer who made 7 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1826.-External sources:* *...
(Notts) – played 6 matches from 1789 to 1803 - T Webb (Middlesex cricketer)T Webb (Middlesex cricketer)T Webb was an English professional cricketer who made 8 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1808.-External sources:*...
– played 8 matches from 1789 to 1808 - Dale (Middlesex cricketer)Dale (Middlesex cricketer)Dale was an English professional cricketer who made 22 known appearances in major cricket matches between 1789 and 1809. He was mainly associated with Montpelier and Middlesex; also played for All-England ....
– played 22 matches from 1789 to 1809 - T Shackle (Middlesex cricketer)T Shackle (Middlesex cricketer)Thomas Shackle was an English professional cricketer who made 30 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1809. He was mainly associated with Middlesex but he also played for Berkshire and was employed as a ground staff bowler by Marylebone Cricket Club .-External sources:...
(Berkshire/Middlesex) – played 30 matches from 1789 to 1809 - W Turner (MCC cricketer)W Turner (MCC cricketer)W Turner was an English amateur cricketer who made 10 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1809.-Career:He was mainly associated with Marylebone Cricket Club , of which he was an early member .-External sources:*...
(MCC; amateur) – played 10 matches from 1789 to 1809 - W Barker (Nottinghamshire cricketer)W Barker (Nottinghamshire cricketer)William Barker was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played four matches to 1792 - W Barsby (Leicestershire cricketer)W Barsby (Leicestershire cricketer)William Barsby was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played four matches to 1792 - R Black (Leicestershire cricketer)R Black (Leicestershire cricketer)R Black was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1800.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played four matches to 1800 - Brown (Kent cricketer)Brown (Kent cricketer)Brown was an English cricketer who made 2 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1791. He was mainly associated with Middlesex.-Bibliography:...
(Kent) – played four matches to 1791 - Carr (Essex cricketer)Carr (Essex cricketer)Carr was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1791.-External sources:*...
(Essex) – played four matches to 1791 - W Clarke (Leicestershire cricketer)W Clarke (Leicestershire cricketer)William Clarke was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-Career:He was mainly associated with Leicestershire .-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played four matches to 1792 - J Gilbert (Nottinghamshire cricketer)J Gilbert (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Joseph Gilbert was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played four matches to 1792 - Goodhew (Kent cricketer)Goodhew (Kent cricketer)Goodhew was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1795.-External sources:*...
(Kent) – played four matches to 1795 - Hicks (Essex cricketer)Hicks (Essex cricketer)Hicks aka Higgs was an English professional cricketer who made four known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1799.-External sources:*...
aka Higgs (Essex) – played four matches to 1799 - J Rowell (Leicestershire cricketer)J Rowell (Leicestershire cricketer)J Rowell was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Leics) – played four matches to 1792 - E Stevenson (Nottinghamshire cricketer)E Stevenson (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Edward Stevenson was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played four matches to 1792 - S Willows (Nottinghamshire cricketer)S Willows (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Samuel Willows was an English professional cricketer who made 4 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played four matches to 1792 - Church (Kent cricketer)Church (Kent cricketer)Church was an English amateur cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1795.-Career:He was mainly associated with Kent and also represented Marylebone Cricket Club .-External sources:*...
(MCC/Kent) – played three matches to 1795 - Granger (Middlesex cricketer)Granger (Middlesex cricketer)Granger was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Middlesex) – played three matches to 1792 - Groombridge (Essex cricketer)Groombridge (Essex cricketer)Groombridge was an English professional cricketer who made three known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1793.-External sources:*...
(Essex) – played three matches to 1793 - G Harrison (Nottinghamshire cricketer)G Harrison (Nottinghamshire cricketer)George Harrison was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1792.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played three matches to 1792 - S Hedderley (Nottinghamshire cricketer)S Hedderley (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Samuel Hedderley was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1791.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played three matches to 1791 - Mugglestone (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Mugglestone (Nottinghamshire cricketer)Samuel Mugglestone was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1791.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played three matches to 1791 - J Stevenson (Nottinghamshire cricketer)J Stevenson (Nottinghamshire cricketer)James Stevenson was an English professional cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1789 to 1791.-External sources:*...
(Notts) – played three matches to 1791 - Vincent (Surrey cricketer)Vincent (Surrey cricketer)Vincent was an English amateur cricketer who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches in 1789.-External sources:*...
(Surrey; amateur) – played three matches to 1789 - W Warsop (Nottinghamshire cricketer) (Notts) – played three matches to 1791
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.William Beldham with 306 scored the most known runs in 1789.
Other leading batsmen were James Aylward
James Aylward
James Aylward was a noted English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club. He was a left-handed batsman....
with 297 runs; John Wells
John Wells (cricketer)
John Wells was a famous English cricketer who played for Surrey.-Career:...
240; Harry Walker
Harry Walker (cricketer)
Harry Walker was a noted English cricketer who played mainly for Surrey...
228; Tom Walker
Thomas Walker (cricketer)
Thomas "Tom" Walker was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire in the days of the Hambledon Club and later for Surrey. He was famous for his brilliant defensive batting. He is also credited with introducing, roundarm bowling, the predecessor of modern overarm bowling.-Career:Walker was born...
225;
Richard Purchase
Richard Purchase
Richard Purchase was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club.He was only 16 when he made his debut in 1773.Born in Liss, Hampshire, he played for his county in 1773 and 1774 but then did not appear again until 1781...
224; John Small 222; Thomas Ingram
Thomas Ingram
Thomas Ingram was an English cricketer of the late 18th century. He was a left-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper.According to Scores and Biographies, Ingram was for a time a victualler at Cobham in Surrey...
219; George Louch
George Louch
George Louch was an English cricketer and match organiser during the 18th century. He was especially noted for his fielding and was an early stalwart of Marylebone Cricket Club.He was a native of Chatham and was evidently educated at Westminster...
215; William Brazier
William Brazier
William Brazier was a noted English cricketer of the late 18th century who played mostly for Kent....
210; Joey Ring
Joey Ring
John "Little Joey" Ring was an English cricketer who played for Kent.Joey Ring was one of Kent’s best batsmen in the late 18th century and was employed by Sir Horatio Mann at Bourne as a huntsman...
198
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.Robert Clifford with 39 took the most known wickets in 1789.
Other leading wicket-takers were David Harris with 38; Richard Purchase 30; John Boorman
John Boorman (cricketer)
John Boorman was a famous English cricketer whose career spanned the 1772 season and the 1793 season....
25; 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"....
25; Butcher
Butcher (Surrey cricketer)
Butcher refers to an English cricketer who was one of the most outstanding professional bowlers of the late 18th century. No personal details have been traced and knowledge of him is limited to what is in match reports and scorecards....
19; Noah Mann
Noah Mann
Noah Mann was a famous English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club....
18
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.Robert Clifford was also the most successful fielder with 16 known victims (15 ct, 1 st)
William Beldham took 15 catches, John Wells had 14 victims (13 ct, 1 st), star fielder George Louch
George Louch
George Louch was an English cricketer and match organiser during the 18th century. He was especially noted for his fielding and was an early stalwart of Marylebone Cricket Club.He was a native of Chatham and was evidently educated at Westminster...
took 12 catches and there were 9 catches each taken by John Boorman, William Bullen and Henry Crozoer
Henry Crozoer
Henry Crozoer was an English cricketer of the late 18th century who played for Kent. His name was sometimes given as Crosoer....
.
External sources
Further reading
- G B Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
- Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862 - H T WaghornH T WaghornHenry Thomas Waghorn , was a cricket statistician and historian. He is best known for his two classic researches into cricket's early history: The Dawn of Cricket and Cricket Scores: 1730 - 1773....
, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906