Addington Cricket Club
Encyclopedia
Addington
is about three miles south-east of Croydon
. It is only a small place but Addington Cricket Club fielded one of the strongest cricket
teams in England from about the 1743 season
to the 1752 season
.
The team was of county strength and featured star players Tom Faulkner
, Joe Harris, John Harris, George Jackson
and the enigmatic batsman Durling
. The team was so strong that the club immediately accepted the famous Slindon
Challenge, in 1744, to play against any parish in England. The only other club to accept was Robert Colchin
's Bromley Cricket Club
.
Addington played its first game, in London, in 1743. At the Artillery Ground
on 25 July Addington defeated the foremost London Cricket Club
by an innings & 4 runs (see ASW). London scored 32 & 74; Addington 110. Kent stars Colchin aka "Long Robin" and Tom Peake
played for Addington as given men while Surrey's William Sawyer played for London as a given man.
It was after Slindon defeated London in September 1744 that it issued its challenge to the rest of England. Addington and Slindon met at the Artillery Ground on 12 and 13 September but the occasion was ruined by bad weather and the match could not be concluded.
Addington and London won a home game each against each other in 1745. The best Addington players were frequently involved in single wicket contests, which were hugely popular at the time, throughout the 1740s. They also played often in representative teams. Faulkner in particular was one of the most influential figures in the sport.
In 1746, Addington beat Bromley "with great difficulty" on Bromley Common
but a return match at the Artillery Ground was inconclusive.
In 1747, Addington joined forces with the nearby Croydon club to play three matches against London: they won one, lost one and one had an unknown result.
In 1748, the "best five" Addington players took part in a big single wicket contest against "The Rest of England". One of the Addington five was described as "the shoemaker that lately came out of Kent". It is possible that this shoemaker was Durling, who first made his presence felt that season. Durling's origins are otherwise unknown.
Signs of Addington's decline can be seen at the end of the 1740s. On 10 July 1749, "Five of All-England" defeated "Five of Addington" at the Artillery Ground. The match was played for fifty guineas a side and was the result of a challenge by the Addington players to meet any other five in England. Betting was 8-1 in favour of Addington but the team of Tom Faulkner, Joseph Harris, John Harris, George Jackson and Durling was beaten by Robert Colchin, John Bryant, Robert Eures, John Bell and Thomas Waymark.
On 17 July, in a return match, the same Addington five beat the same All-England five for fifty guineas. But on 26 July in a deciding match, All-England won by 2 runs, scoring 11 and 12; Addington replied with 16 and 5. The prize this time was 100 guineas. All-England made two changes to its team with James Bryant and Val Romney replacing John Bell and Thomas Waymark. Addington’s five were unchanged.
On 17 July 1750, Addington lost a sensational match to the re-emerging Dartford Cricket Club
by 6 runs on Dartford Brent
. Dartford scored 46 and 34; Addington replied with 39 and 35. William Hodsoll and the two Bryants all played for Dartford as given men. According to the London Evening Post on Thursday 19 July, Dartford lost its last five second innings wickets in five successive deliveries by a mixture of caught and bowled, but still managed to win.
There are more Addington games in the records until the end of the 1752 season but then there is nothing more, apart from occasional mentions of Faulkner and Durling who played into the 1760s.
The Addington cricket ground still exists, is still in use for local games and is held to be one of the oldest in England.
Addington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
is about three miles south-east of Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. It is only a small place but Addington Cricket Club fielded one of the strongest 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...
teams in England from about the 1743 season
1743 English cricket season
In the 1743 English cricket season, a significant development was the rise of a very strong club at Woburn who beat London 2-1 in a tri-series played in May and June....
to the 1752 season
1752 English cricket season
-Impact of the Gregorian Calendar:It was a very important year in dating terms. The Gregorian calendar, first devised in 1582, was finally adopted in Great Britain. An 11-day discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian versions was corrected by having Wednesday 2 September 1752 followed by...
.
The team was of county strength and featured star players Tom Faulkner
Tom Faulkner
Tom Faulkner , known as "Long Tom", was a noted English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period.A Surrey man, he was a prominent single wicket player who frequently played in challenge matches at the Artillery Ground....
, Joe Harris, John Harris, George Jackson
George Jackson (cricketer)
George Jackson was a noted English cricketer of the mid-18th century who played for the famous Addington Cricket Club and for Surrey...
and the enigmatic batsman Durling
Durling (Surrey cricketer)
The Surrey and All-England cricketer called Durling was a noted player in the mid-18th century, although nothing is known of him outside mentions in match reports....
. The team was so strong that the club immediately accepted the famous Slindon
Slindon
Slindon is a small village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, nestling in woodlands on the southern edge of the South Downs. Slindon lies approximately seven miles north-east of Chichester...
Challenge, in 1744, to play against any parish in England. The only other club to accept was Robert Colchin
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 Bromley Cricket Club
Bromley Cricket Club
Bromley Cricket Club was one of the strongest English cricket clubs in the mid-18th century when its team was led by Robert Colchin aka "Long Robin".-Earliest mentions:...
.
Addington played its first game, in London, in 1743. At the Artillery Ground
Artillery 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...
on 25 July Addington defeated the foremost 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:...
by an innings & 4 runs (see ASW). London scored 32 & 74; Addington 110. Kent stars Colchin aka "Long Robin" and Tom Peake
Tom Peake
Tom Peake was a noted English cricketer of the mid-18th century...
played for Addington as given men while Surrey's William Sawyer played for London as a given man.
It was after Slindon defeated London in September 1744 that it issued its challenge to the rest of England. Addington and Slindon met at the Artillery Ground on 12 and 13 September but the occasion was ruined by bad weather and the match could not be concluded.
Addington and London won a home game each against each other in 1745. The best Addington players were frequently involved in single wicket contests, which were hugely popular at the time, throughout the 1740s. They also played often in representative teams. Faulkner in particular was one of the most influential figures in the sport.
In 1746, Addington beat Bromley "with great difficulty" on Bromley Common
Bromley Common
Bromley Common is the area centered around the road of the same name, stretching between Masons Hill at the south end of Bromley and Hastings Road, Locksbottom. Part of the A21...
but a return match at the Artillery Ground was inconclusive.
In 1747, Addington joined forces with the nearby Croydon club to play three matches against London: they won one, lost one and one had an unknown result.
In 1748, the "best five" Addington players took part in a big single wicket contest against "The Rest of England". One of the Addington five was described as "the shoemaker that lately came out of Kent". It is possible that this shoemaker was Durling, who first made his presence felt that season. Durling's origins are otherwise unknown.
Signs of Addington's decline can be seen at the end of the 1740s. On 10 July 1749, "Five of All-England" defeated "Five of Addington" at the Artillery Ground. The match was played for fifty guineas a side and was the result of a challenge by the Addington players to meet any other five in England. Betting was 8-1 in favour of Addington but the team of Tom Faulkner, Joseph Harris, John Harris, George Jackson and Durling was beaten by Robert Colchin, John Bryant, Robert Eures, John Bell and Thomas Waymark.
On 17 July, in a return match, the same Addington five beat the same All-England five for fifty guineas. But on 26 July in a deciding match, All-England won by 2 runs, scoring 11 and 12; Addington replied with 16 and 5. The prize this time was 100 guineas. All-England made two changes to its team with James Bryant and Val Romney replacing John Bell and Thomas Waymark. Addington’s five were unchanged.
On 17 July 1750, Addington lost a sensational match to the re-emerging Dartford Cricket Club
Dartford Cricket Club
Dartford Cricket Club is one of the oldest in England and its origins go back to the early 18th century, perhaps earlier.See also: Dartford Brent...
by 6 runs on 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...
. Dartford scored 46 and 34; Addington replied with 39 and 35. William Hodsoll and the two Bryants all played for Dartford as given men. According to the London Evening Post on Thursday 19 July, Dartford lost its last five second innings wickets in five successive deliveries by a mixture of caught and bowled, but still managed to win.
There are more Addington games in the records until the end of the 1752 season but then there is nothing more, apart from occasional mentions of Faulkner and Durling who played into the 1760s.
The Addington cricket ground still exists, is still in use for local games and is held to be one of the oldest in England.