Stephen Harding (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Harding was a noted English cricket
er of the mid-18th century who played for Chertsey
, All-England
and Surrey
. Harding was a hard-hitting batsman and a good bowler, although his style and pace is unknown. He featured in single wicket
contests and seems to have been a fine all-rounder.
Harding is first recorded in May 1751 when he played for All-England v Kent
at the Artillery Ground
. All-England won by 9 runs and Harding made a significant contribution. Although he had been picked as a bowler, he and "A N Other" (an unnamed Chertsey player) opened All-England's second innings and scored 51 for the first wicket, which is like a double century partnership nowadays . Harding apparently made 50 of these himself and had one hit out of the ground and against a house on Bunhill Row opposite. He was given four for this mighty effort. You could only score six if you were actually able to run that many and to do that you would need the help of overthrows .
Soon afterwards, in a return match, Harding played for All-England again and they beat Kent by an innings .
In 1759, Harding was a member of the All-England team beaten twice by Dartford Cricket Club
.
He was still making big hits in September 1765, when he played for Chertsey against Richmond on Richmond Green
. Helping Chertsey to win by 106 runs, Harding made 24 in four balls with a five, two sixes and a seven .
That is the last time he is recorded. The bulk of his career was during the 1750s when cricket reports are scarce and he spanned the Seven Years War which had a disastrous impact on the sport.
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 of the mid-18th century who played for Chertsey
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....
, 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...
and Surrey
Surrey county cricket teams
Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...
. Harding was a hard-hitting batsman and a good bowler, although his style and pace is unknown. He featured in single wicket
Single Wicket
Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
contests and seems to have been a fine all-rounder.
Harding is first recorded in May 1751 when he played for All-England v 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...
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...
. All-England won by 9 runs and Harding made a significant contribution. Although he had been picked as a bowler, he and "A N Other" (an unnamed Chertsey player) opened All-England's second innings and scored 51 for the first wicket, which is like a double century partnership nowadays . Harding apparently made 50 of these himself and had one hit out of the ground and against a house on Bunhill Row opposite. He was given four for this mighty effort. You could only score six if you were actually able to run that many and to do that you would need the help of overthrows .
Soon afterwards, in a return match, Harding played for All-England again and they beat Kent by an innings .
In 1759, Harding was a member of the All-England team beaten twice by 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...
.
He was still making big hits in September 1765, when he played for Chertsey against Richmond 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...
. Helping Chertsey to win by 106 runs, Harding made 24 in four balls with a five, two sixes and a seven .
That is the last time he is recorded. The bulk of his career was during the 1750s when cricket reports are scarce and he spanned the Seven Years War which had a disastrous impact on the sport.