1744 English cricket season

The 1744 English cricket season was a pivotal season in English cricket history. The earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket was written by the noblemen and gentlemen of the London Cricket Club which played at the Artillery Ground. Several great matches took place, particularly the challenge by Kent to take on "All-England" at the Artillery Ground on Monday 18 June. Kent won a dramatic contest by a single wicket despite needing several runs to win when their last pair came together. The match is particularly important because a full scorecard was kept for the first time and this match became the first entry in Arthur Haygarth's Scores & Biographies.

A scorecard containing individual scores, though no details of dismissals, has survived from the London v Slindon game on Sat 2 June. It is not until the 1772 season that we find detailed scorecards again.

In September, Slindon defeated London and then issued its famous challenge to play "any parish in England". The challenge was accepted by the Addington and Bromley clubs, which both had fine teams, but the two challenge matches were hit by bad weather and we do not know if they were completed.

Laws of Cricket

The first known issue of the Laws of Cricket can be traced to 1744, possibly an upgrade of an earlier code. The Laws were drawn up by the noblemen and gentlemen members of the London Cricket Club, which was based at the Artillery Ground. The intention must have been to establish a universal codification. A general set of rules was in place subject to local variations but, apart from cases where Articles of Agreement were drawn up, as in Richmond v Brodrick in 1727, the laws as such were agreed orally. By and large, the same rules had existed since time immemorial.

The Laws of 1744 make fascinating reading. A summary of the main points:
* there is reference to the toss of a coin and the pitch dimensions;
* the stumps must be 22 inches high with a six inch bail;
* the ball must weigh between five and six ounces;
* overs last four balls;
* the no ball is the penalty for overstepping, which means the hind foot going in front of the bowling crease (i.e., in direct line of the wicket);
* the popping crease is exactly 3 feet ten inches before the bowling crease;
* various means of "it is out" are included;
* it is interesting that hitting the ball twice and obstructing the field are emphatically out, given experiences in the 17th Century;
* the wicket keeper is required to be still and quiet until the ball is bowled;
* umpires must allow two minutes for a new batsman to arrive and ten minutes between innings (meal and rain breaks presumably excepted);
* the umpire cannot give a batsman out if the fielders do not appeal;
* the umpire is allowed a certain amount of discretion and it is made clear that the umpire is the "sole judge" and that "his determination shall be absolute", existent facts that need to be spelled out to 21st Century players and video replay apologists.

Interestingly, the Laws do not say the bowler must roll the ball and there is no mention of prescribed arm action so, in theory, a pitched delivery would have been legal, though undoubtedly controversial.

The First Known Scorecard

When London played Slindon on Sat 2 June, details of individual scores were recorded and this first known scorecard was kept by the Duke of Richmond at Goodwood House. It gives scores only and no means of dismissal. It does not even tell us much about the players except their surnames though, thankfully, the scorer did think to differentiate between the two sets of brothers who were playing. But we should not carp about what is missing; we should be grateful to have anything at all.

The Daily Advertiser carried various notices from Thursday 31 May until Sunday 3 June which announced that two untitled sides would play in the Artillery Ground on Saturday 2 June. On 31 May, the paper said that the teams would consist of "four gentlemen from Slindon, one from Eastbourne, two from Hamilton (sic) in Sussex, one from Addington and three from Lingfield in Surrey" against "four gentlemen of London, one from Richmond, one from Reigate, three from Addington in Surrey, one from Bray Wick in Berkshire and one from Arundel in Sussex". This was followed by the usual reminder about no dogs and the need to obtain a pass ticket if leaving the ground during play.

There is no such place as Hamilton in Sussex and it is possible that the reporter was referring to Hambledon, which is close to the Sussex border. If so, this may be the earliest reference to Hambledon in terms of major matches.

The Daily Advertiser changed its notice on Friday 1 June through 2 and 3 June by confusingly announcing the names of the players on each side. However, the names in the paper are not the same as those on the scorecard kept by the Duke of Richmond. The same (i.e., incorrect) names were also reported on 3 June, the day after the match. The paper announced that the two teams would consist of: Cuddy (i.e., E Aburrow senior), Newland, Newland, Newland, Ridgeway, Green of Sussex; Sawyer, Stevens, Stevens, Collins of Surrey; and Norris of London versus Dingate, Harris, Harris, Faulkner, Jackson, Maynard of Surrey; Bryant, Smith, Bennett, Howlett of London; and Waymark of Berks. No titles were given to the teams and the ACS Guide refers to Two Elevens.

The inclusion in the former team of two players named Stevens from Surrey would suggest that the famous Edward "Lumpy" Stevens had forebears in the sport. Lumpy's career probably began in the 1750s.

According to the Duke of Richmond's papers, which are now in the possession of the West Sussex Records Office, including the recorded scores of this match, the teams were somewhat different to those advertised. Team names are provisionally given as London versus Slindon, as the two main clubs represented:

Sat 2 June 1744 - London v Slindon (Artillery Ground)
Slindon	1st	2nd	-	London	1st	2nd
E Aburrow senior	5	0	-	- Howlett	1	5
? Bryant	5	10	-	Stephen Dingate	0	19
Richard Newland	0	0	-	William Sawyer	4	4
Andrew Newland	0	22	-	- Maynard	8	6
- Ridgeway	6	dnb	-	? Bennett	11	7
Joseph Harris	13	14	-	Thomas Faulkner	1	0
G Jackson	19	1	-	Thomas Waymark	13	16
John Harris	18	47	-	- Butler	18	0
- Norris	13	dnb	-	- Green	11	12
- Andrews	7	4	-	- Hodder	6	0
G Smith	8	dnb	-	- Collins	2	1
Extras	8	4	-	Extras	4	0
TOTAL	102	102-6d	-	TOTAL	79	70
Slindon won by 55 runs

There were two players called Bryant (James and John) and two called Bennett who were always referred to as Little Bennett and Tall Bennett. We do not know which player in each of these pairs took part. Note also that there were two Harrises who both played; and of course the three Newland brothers, of whom John did not play. Edward Aburrow senior, alias Cuddy the notorious smuggler, was the father of the later Hambledon player of the same name.

Thomas Waymark was formerly employed by Slindon's benefactor the Duke of Richmond but he is here given as a Berkshire resident and playing for the London XI.

The match included one of cricket's earliest known declarations by Slindon in their second innings at 102â€"6, although the term "declaration" was not in use at that time and neither was the concept generally recognised. Rather it was a case of Slindon "forfeiting" part of their innings in order to allow time to bowl out their opponents.

This was also the first game we know of at which tickets for readmission were issued to the spectators.

Matches

Date	Match Title	Venue	Result	Source
Mon 14 May	Surrey v All-England	Moulsey Hurst	Surrey won by 4 runs	ASW
The Prince of Wales was involved in the promotion of this match and arranged the next match the following Monday at the Artillery Ground.
Mon 21 May	All-England v Surrey	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
All we know is that it started at 11 o'clock and was completed in one day.
Sat 2 June	London v Slindon	Artillery Ground	Slindon won by 55 runs	TJM
see The First Known Scorecard above.
Fri 15 June	Kent v All-England	Coxheath	unknown	MW
In his Index to Waghorn, Martin Wilson states that the famous match at the Artillery Ground on Mon 18 June (see below) was the return of a match played at Coxheath on Friday 15 June.
Mon 18 June	All-England v Kent	Artillery Ground	Kent won by 1 wicket	SB1
This is the first match for which a full scorecard including dismissals has survived and it is the opening entry in Scores & Biographies. The game was arranged by Lord John Philip Sackville who challenged "All-England" to play against his county, Kent. The match was extremely close and must have had an exciting finish. It was low scoring and the two not out batsmen at the end scored 5 and 7, so Kent must have needed at least 5 to win when their 9th wicket fell. Sackville himself is reported to have held a remarkable catch to dismiss All-England's best player Richard Newland and that may have been the defining moment of the match. The game is a statistician's nightmare given the number of players sharing names and not being differentiated by the scorers, whom Arthur Haygarth denounced for their "laziness". But the fact is that we are very lucky to have any details at all. It was not until 1772 that scorecards began to be kept on a regular basis. The poet James Love (1722 - 1774) commemorated the above match in his Cricket: An Heroic Poem. There is a reference in FL18 (on p. 19, under 1745) to the first publication of this poem. As announced in the Daily Advertiser on 4 July 1745, it was priced 1/- and "illustrated with critical observations of Scriblerus Maximus (!)". A footnote says: "Printed for W Bickerton at the Gazette in the Temple Exchange near the Inner Temple Gate, Fleet Street". Love was himself a cricketer and a member of Richmond Cricket Club in Surrey.
Thurs 5 July	Two Elevens	Artillery Ground	unknown	WDC
Described as "a scratch match between 22 picked players from Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London and all the most-famed places in England". It was postponed from the previous day because of the weather (Daily Advertiser: Thurs 5 July). The Penny London Morning Advertiser on Fri 6 July observed that: "the small appearance of the company is a plain proof of the resentment of the Public to any imposition, for the price on going into the ground being raised from twopence to sixpence, it is thought there were not 200 persons present when before there used to be 7000 to 8000; which plainly verifies the old proverb "all cover, all loose (sic)". (FL18)
Fri 6 & Sat 7 July	Two Elevens	Moulsey Hurst/Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
It is known that this was a return game to the one played on 5 July and that it was unfinished at Moulsey Hurst on Friday 6 July, so the players continued at the Artillery Ground on Saturday 7 July. The state of play on Friday night was that one side led by 31 runs with 2 second innings wickets standing. On the Saturday, price of admission was reduced to the "as usual" two pence.
Mon 9 July	London v Richmond	Kennington Common	unknown	FL18
Advertised in the Daily Advertiser same morning but no match report was found.
Sat 21 July	London v Woburn	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
This match was postponed from Thursday 19 July because the Hon. Artillery Company required the ground.
Mon 30 July	London v Addington	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
"The wickets were pitched at one o'clock".
Fri 24 August	Surrey v London	Moulsey Hurst	London won	ASW
Robert Colchin of Bromley and Val Romney of Sevenoaks were given men for London. Played for £50 a side.
Mon 27 August	London v Surrey	Artillery Ground	London won	ASW
Robert Colchin of Bromley and Val Romney of Sevenoaks were given men for London.
Mon 3 September	London v Bromley	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
Bromley was a leading club at the time and later in the month was one of two (Addington being the other) to accept Slindon's challenge to play any parish in England.
Fri 7 September	London v Surrey	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
Val Romney of Sevenoaks was a given man for London.
Mon 10 & Tues 11 Sept	London v Slindon	Artillery Ground	Slindon won	ASW
We know that the Newland brothers and "Cuddy" (Edward Aburrow senior) all played for Slindon. Play commenced at noon on the first day but was affected by bad weather. Play on the Tuesday commenced at ten o'clock. It was at the conclusion of this game that Slindon issued its famous challenge to play "any parish in England". They received immediate acceptances from Addington and Bromley who played Slindon in the next two matches.
Wed 12 & Thurs 13 Sept	Slindon v Addington	Artillery Ground	unknown	TJM
This was affected by bad weather on the 12th. At close of play each side had completed its first innings and Slindon had a lead of just two runs. We do not know if this match was completed on the 13th.
Fri 14 September	Slindon v Bromley	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
As with the first challenge game, details of the result are unknown. Possibly it was rained off.
Wed 19 September	Two Elevens	Artillery Ground	unknown	ASW
Described a "scratch match" but between 22 of the "best players in England". No post-match reports were found.

Other Events

Mon 11 June. The Penny London Morning Advertiser announced a match on Walworth Common in Surrey between "11 gentlemen of the Borough of Southwark and 11 gentlemen of High Kent and Blackman; the wickets to be pitched at one o'clock". The announcement continued: "The gentlemen who play this match have subscribed for a Holland smock of one guinea value, which will be run for by two jolly wenches, one known by the name of The Little Bit of Blue (the handsome Broom Girl) at the fag end of Kent Street, and the other Black Bess of the Mint. They are to run in drawers only and there is excellent sport expected". So much for the fun. Next comes the serious stuff: "Captain Vinegar with a great many of his bruisers and bulldogs will attend to make a ring, that no civil spectators may be incommoded by the rabble".

If you are looking for a report that both illustrates and summarises the popular culture of Georgian times, this one is as good as any: you have sport, gentlemen, the rabble, jolly wenches and bruisers. Add some smugglers like Edward Aburrow senior, a few aristocrats like Richmond, a drop of alcohol (all right, a lot of alcohol), a regiment of redcoats, a gallows or two and, after making a suitable wager on the result, stir gently.....
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The Penny London Morning Advertiser on Wed 27 June advertised a match to be played next day on Woolwich Common between Woolwich and "the Club in Long Lane, Southwark". (FL18)
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The Daily Advertiser reported on Sat 30 June re the famous match on Mon 18 June: "It was observed by the noblemen and gentlemen there present that there was great disorder so that it was with difficulty the match was played out. It is ordered for the future that each person pay for going into the Ground sixpence, and there will be for the better conveniency (sic) of all gentlemen that favour me with their company, a ring of benches that will hold at least 800 persons. And it is further desired that no person whtever, except those appointed to keep orderand the players engaged for the day, be admitted to walk within the ring." (FL18)
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Mon 20 August. There was a single wicket match "for a large sum" between a Sevenoaks player (perhaps Val Romney) and a London player. No other details are known. (ASW)
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Mon 17 September. A big game between two threes at the Artillery Ground. Billed as Long Robin's Side v Richard Newland's Side, the teams were Robert Colchin (Bromley), Val Romney (Sevenoaks) and John Bryant (Addington) against Richard Newland (Slindon), Edward Aburrow senior (Slindon) and Joseph Harris (Addington). Aburrow replaced John Mills of Horsmonden, the "famous Kent bowler" who was originally chosen. The stake was two hundred guineas and the players involved were stated to be the "best in England". Once again, despite this being a major fixture, the outcome is unknown. (ASW)
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Mon 1 October. Another "threes" game was played at the Artillery Ground for a considerable sum and again the outcome is unknown. The sides were Robert Colchin, James Bryant and Joseph Harris versus John Bryant, Val Romney and Thomas Waymark.

Leading Batsmen

The best batting performances by those players who took part in both the scorecarded games are given below.

1744 English cricket season: leading batsmen								-	Comparative Performances
Name	County	I	Runs	HS	Avge	50	25	-	Runs	HS	Avge	100	50
John Harris	Surrey	4	69	47	17.25	0	1	-	202	133	50.50	1	1
Richard Newland	Sussex	4	33	18*	11.00	0	0	-	149	81	49.67	0	2
Thomas Waymark	Berkshire	4	45	16	11.25	0	0	-	155	45	38.75	0	0
Stephen Dingate	Surrey	4	33	19	8.25	0	0	-	118	54	29.50	0	2
Joseph Harris	Surrey	4	28	14	7.00	0	0	-	82	40	20.50	0	0

Leading Bowlers

William Hodsoll of Dartford and Kent was one of the earliest fast bowlers that we know of. He took eight wickets in the match (i.e., bowled wickets only) for Kent against All-England.

The other noted Kent bowler taking part was John Mills of Horsmonden. We do not know his exact tally as his brother may have taken some wickets. The same is true of the Harrises and Newlands who bowled for All-England. All we know is that seven wickets each were taken by players called Mills, Harris and Newland.

Leading Fielders & Keepers

Kipps of Kent was the leading wicketkeeper at the time and is the earliest specialist keeper that we know of.

Thomas Waymark took two catches for All-England v Kent and he was praised many years earlier for his agility and dexterity so he seems to have been an outstanding fielder. But the most memorable catch in the All-England v Kent match was a diving effort taken by Lord John Philip Sackville to dismiss Richard Newland.

Focus

Val Romney (Sevenoaks and Kent)

Valentine (Val) Romney was born c.1718 and died in 1773. He was lauded by James Love as a "mighty play'r" and was captain of the Kent XI that played All-England in the great match of 1744. He featured several times in the same season as a "given man". He lived mostly at Sevenoaks and was employed by the 1st Duke of Dorset as gardener at Knole, a post later occupied by John Minshull. He was last recorded as playing for Kent in 1751. (EKC)

Article & Match Sources

The above information is essentially driven out of various historical notes that have been accumulated over many years and so sources used originally may have been overlooked for the moment. But the sources certainly include:
* A Social History of English Cricket by Derek Birley;
* An Index to Waghorn by Martin Wilson (MW);
* Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians - various publications;
* At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742 â€" 1751 by F S Ashley-Cooper in Cricket Magazine (1900) (ASW);
* Cricket: History of its Growth and Development by Rowland Bowen;
* Cricket Scores 1730 - 1773 by H T Waghorn (WCS);
* Chertsey Cricket Club website;
* Dartford Cricket Club website (DCC);
* Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley (FL18);
* Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket by G B Buckley (FLPV);
* From the Weald to the World by Peter Wynne-Thomas (PWT);
* Hambledon Cricket Chronicle by F S Ashley-Cooper (HCC);
* Hambledon: Men and Myths by John Goulstone (HMM);
* Kent Cricket Matches by F S Ashley-Cooper (KCM);
* Pre-Victorian Sussex Cricket by HF & AP Squire (PVSC);
* Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 by Arthur Haygarth (SBnnn);
* Start of Play by David Underdown;
* Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century by Timothy J McCann (TJM);
* The Cricketer magazine (Cktr);
* The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn (WDC);
* The Glory Days of Cricket by Ashley Mote;
* John Nyren's The Cricketers of my Time by Ashley Mote;
* Wisden Cricketers Almanack (annual): various issues