1827 English cricket season
Encyclopedia
The roundarm
controversy came to a head before the 1827 English cricket season and MCC
agreed to the staging of three trial matches
between Sussex and All-England
. Roundarm's supporters made the grandiose claim that their campaign was a march of intellect. What the bowlers were really after was of course to claim an advantage over the batsmen.
No firm conclusions were drawn in the immediate aftermath of the trials and it was many years before roundarm was formally legalised. But, in practice, roundarm was adopted in 1827 as its practitioners, especially William Lillywhite
and Jem Broadbridge
of Sussex, continued to use it with little, if any, opposition from the umpires.
Underarm bowling
did not cease, even if it had been superseded. In fact, underarm survived roundarm. Underarm as a tactical alternative to overarm
continued into the 20th century.
On 4 June, Cambridge University
versus Oxford University
at Lord's
was the first University Match
. It became an annual fixture in 1838.
was the leading runscorer with 308 runs @ 25.66; ahead of Kent's James Saunders
who had 299 @ 24.91 including the season's only first-class century.
of Kent was the leading wicket-taker with 29; ahead of Sussex's Jem Broadbridge
with 27.
Roundarm bowling
In cricket, roundarm bowling is a style that was introduced in the first quarter of the 19th century and had largely superseded underarm bowling by the 1830s. Using a roundarm action, the bowler has his arm extended at about 90 degrees from his body at the point where he releases the ball...
controversy came to a head before the 1827 English cricket season and MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
agreed to the staging of three trial matches
Roundarm trial matches
The roundarm trial matches were a series of cricket matches between Sussex and All-England during the 1827 English cricket season. Their purpose was to help the MCC, as the game's lawgivers, to decide if roundarm bowling should be legalised or if the only legitimate style of bowling should be...
between Sussex and All-England
All-England Eleven
In cricket, the term All-England has been used for various non-international teams that have been formed for short-term purposes since the 1739 English cricket season and it indicates that the "Rest of England" is playing against, say, MCC or an individual county team...
. Roundarm's supporters made the grandiose claim that their campaign was a march of intellect. What the bowlers were really after was of course to claim an advantage over the batsmen.
No firm conclusions were drawn in the immediate aftermath of the trials and it was many years before roundarm was formally legalised. But, in practice, roundarm was adopted in 1827 as its practitioners, especially William Lillywhite
William Lillywhite
Frederick William Lillywhite was a famous English cricketer during the game's roundarm era...
and Jem Broadbridge
Jem Broadbridge
James "Jem" Broadbridge was an English professional cricketer who is widely accounted the outstanding all-rounder in England during the 1820s. He is best remembered for his part in the introduction of roundarm bowling...
of Sussex, continued to use it with little, if any, opposition from the umpires.
Underarm bowling
Underarm bowling
In cricket, underarm bowling is as old as the sport itself. Until the introduction of the roundarm style in the first half of the 19th century, bowling was performed in the same way as in bowls, the ball being delivered with the hand below the waist...
did not cease, even if it had been superseded. In fact, underarm survived roundarm. Underarm as a tactical alternative to overarm
Overarm bowling
In cricket, overarm bowling refers to a delivery in which the bowler's hand is above shoulder height. This is in contrast to a roundarm delivery, where the hand is between shoulder height and waist height; and an underarm delivery where the bowler's hand is below waist height.After roundarm was...
continued into the 20th century.
On 4 June, Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
versus Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was the first University Match
The University Match (cricket)
The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club...
. It became an annual fixture in 1838.
First-class matches
1827 match listLeading batsmen
Yorkshire's Tom MarsdenTom Marsden
Thomas Marsden was a famous English cricketer whose career spanned the 1826 to 1841 seasons....
was the leading runscorer with 308 runs @ 25.66; ahead of Kent's James Saunders
James Saunders (cricketer)
James Saunders was an English cricketer in the 19th century. He was a noted left-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper...
who had 299 @ 24.91 including the season's only first-class century.
Leading bowlers
William AshbyWilliam Ashby
William Ashby was an English cricketer in the 19th century. He played mainly for Kent and was an outstanding slow bowler, probably underarm but he may have bowled roundarm in the later years of his career...
of Kent was the leading wicket-taker with 29; ahead of Sussex's Jem Broadbridge
Jem Broadbridge
James "Jem" Broadbridge was an English professional cricketer who is widely accounted the outstanding all-rounder in England during the 1820s. He is best remembered for his part in the introduction of roundarm bowling...
with 27.
External sources
Annual reviews
- Arthur HaygarthArthur HaygarthArthur Haygarth was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians....
, Scores & Biographies, Volume 2 (1827-1840), Lillywhite, 1862