John Bennett (Hampshire cricketer)
Encyclopedia
John Bennett was an English professional cricket
er who made 61 known appearances in major cricket matches between 1797 and 1818. His cousin was James Bennett
who played in five matches from 1798 to 1805.
but also represented All-England
, Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) and other teams. He played for the Players in the inaugural and second Gentlemen v Players
matches in 1806.
He was a fast underarm bowler (hand unknown), a left-handed batsman and an occasional wicketkeeper. He was "an excellent field", generally at mid-wicket. As a batsman, Bennett was described as "a fine and free hitter". His bowling speed was reportedly "very fast" .
for the last thirty years of his life .
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 made 61 known appearances in major cricket matches between 1797 and 1818. His cousin was James Bennett
James Bennett (cricketer)
James Bennett was an English professional cricketer who made 5 known appearances in major cricket matches from 1798 to 1805. He was a cousin of the more famous John Bennett.-External sources:*...
who played in five matches from 1798 to 1805.
Career
Bennett was mainly associated with HampshireHampshire 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...
but also represented 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...
, Marylebone Cricket Club
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...
(MCC) and other teams. He played for the Players in the inaugural and second Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
matches in 1806.
He was a fast underarm bowler (hand unknown), a left-handed batsman and an occasional wicketkeeper. He was "an excellent field", generally at mid-wicket. As a batsman, Bennett was described as "a fine and free hitter". His bowling speed was reportedly "very fast" .
Personal life
John Bennett was a farmer who lived in Kingsley all his life. He was 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and "a stout, strongly built man". He suffered badly from goutGout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
for the last thirty years of his life .