Laleham Burway
Encyclopedia
Laleham Burway is a tract of meadow land on the River Thames
near Chertsey
in Surrey
. Part of it was a famous major cricket venue in the 18th century and the home of Chertsey Cricket Club
.
was the rise to prominence of the famous Chertsey Club, playing games against both Croydon and London. We know of two games that were played before July that season. One is Croydon v Chertsey at Duppas Hill
in Croydon; the other is Chertsey v Croydon at the Laleham Burway ground in Chertsey. Our knowledge of the games is via an announcement in Read’s Weekly Journal dated Saturday 3 July about a deciding game on Richmond Green
to be played on Monday 5 July. In each of the two matches, the home team won "by a great number of runs". The match at Laleham Burway is the first important one that we know to have been played at this famous venue in Chertsey.
caused a furore that led to a change in the Laws of Cricket
. This was the Chertsey v Hambledon
game on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September 1771.
Laleham Burway continued to be used for club cricket into the 19th century but records of it have been lost. Chertsey CC had "ceased to exist" by 1856 and its revival was centred on the Recreation Ground in Chertsey. The club relocated to its present ground at Grove Road just after the First World War .
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
near Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Part of it was a famous major cricket venue in the 18th century and the home of Chertsey Cricket Club
Chertsey Cricket Club
Chertsey Cricket Club in Surrey is one of the oldest in England. Its own website dates its founding as 1737 but in fact matches involving a Chertsey team date from 1736....
.
Earliest known matches
A notable feature of the 1736 English cricket season1736 English cricket season
A notable feature of 1736 was the rise to prominence of the famous Chertsey Cricket Club, playing games against both Croydon and London.-Matches:-Other events:...
was the rise to prominence of the famous Chertsey Club, playing games against both Croydon and London. We know of two games that were played before July that season. One is Croydon v Chertsey at Duppas Hill
Duppas Hill
Duppas Hill is a park, road and surrounding residential area in Waddon, near Croydon in Greater London . It is thought to be named after a family called 'Dubber' or 'Double'.Duppas Hill has a long history of sport and recreation...
in Croydon; the other is Chertsey v Croydon at the Laleham Burway ground in Chertsey. Our knowledge of the games is via an announcement in Read’s Weekly Journal dated Saturday 3 July about a deciding game on Richmond Green
Richmond Green
Richmond Green is a recreation area located near the centre of Richmond, which is a town of about twenty thousand inhabitants situated in south west London. The green is essentially square in shape and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees, extends to roughly twelve acres...
to be played on Monday 5 July. In each of the two matches, the home team won "by a great number of runs". The match at Laleham Burway is the first important one that we know to have been played at this famous venue in Chertsey.
History
Numerous first-class games were played at Laleham Burway during the 18th century. Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) was the one in which Thomas White's huge batMonster Bat Incident 1771
The Monster Bat Incident 1771 concerns an attempt to use a bat that was as wide as the wicket, during a cricket match between Chertsey and Hambledon at Laleham Burway that lasted from 23 September to 24 September 1771. Controversy arose when Chertsey's Thomas White attempted to use the bat, while...
caused a furore that led to a change in the Laws of Cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
. This was the Chertsey v Hambledon
Hambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.-Foundation:...
game on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September 1771.
Last known major cricket match
The last major game at the ground may have been Chertsey v Coulsdon in June 1784, but there are doubts about its status. The last definitely known first-class match was therefore Chertsey v Berkshire in September 1783.Laleham Burway continued to be used for club cricket into the 19th century but records of it have been lost. Chertsey CC had "ceased to exist" by 1856 and its revival was centred on the Recreation Ground in Chertsey. The club relocated to its present ground at Grove Road just after the First World War .
External links
- Chertsey Cricket Club website
- From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787
- CricketArchive – Laleham Burway
Further reading
- Ashley MoteAshley MoteAshley Mote was a non-inscrit Member of the European Parliament for South East England. An outspoken critic of fraud in the European Institutions, he himself was convicted of benefit fraud in 2007 for which he served a nine-month prison sentence and was described by the trial judge as "a truly...
, The Glory Days of Cricket, Robson, 1997 - David UnderdownDavid UnderdownDavid E. Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford...
, Start of Play, Allen Lane, 2000