1776 English cricket season

Cricket season review November 2025 November 2025 1775 1775 English cricket season 1777 1777 English cricket season According to Rowland Bowen, the earliest known scorecard templates were introduced in the 1776 English cricket season. These were printed by T. Pratt of Sevenoaks, and soon came into general use. Details of seven historically important eleven-a-side matches are known.note status Any match listed in the ACS' Important Match Guide (1981) is historically important, and therefore of the highest standard, whether or not a scorecard might exist. The same applies to numerous matches discovered by researchers since 1981.ACS 1981 1–40 For further information, see First-class cricket. Hampshire v Kent Hampshire and Kent played each other four times in June and July.ACS 1981 25 5 to 7 June thumb|right|Sevenoaks Vine cricket ground. The first match was on Moulsey Hurst, and Hampshire won by 152 runs. The stake was 500 guineas. Ten batters made scores of 30 or more, but no one reached 50. William Brazier top-scored with 49. John Small (38 and 44) scored the most runs in the match. The best bowlers were Richard May and Thomas Brett.Ashley-Cooper 1924 179 25 and 26 June Hampshire won the second match on Sevenoaks Vine by 75 runs. Hampshire scored 241 and 84; Kent in reply made 173 and 77. The highest individual innings was 70 by Richard Nyren. Haygarth commented that, in other accounts, Kent was called "England", but it was in fact Kent with Lumpy Stevens and Thomas White of Surrey as given men.Haygarth 1996 27 2 to 4 July The teams met again on Broadhalfpenny Down where Kent won by 4 wickets. Hampshire scored 87 (Lumpy 4w) and 221 (John Small 57, Richard Nyren 36; Thomas White 4w, Lumpy 3w); Kent made 163 (William Brazier 36, Duke of Dorset 34, William Bowra 31; Thomas Brett 3w) and 146/6 (John Boorman 38*, Thomas White 38; Richard Francis 4w). Hampshire used a substitute batsman in the second innings with Mr T. Davis replacing the injured Tom Brett, but he made only 0* so had little impact on the outcome.Haygarth 1996 28 The final day of the match was Thursday, 4 July 1776. Across the Atlantic, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the thirteen English colonies that formed the original United States of America.The U.S. State Department (1911), The Declaration of Independence, 1776, pp. 10–11. 15 to 17 July thumb|right|Broadhalfpenny Down The teams returned to Sevenoaks Vine for their final match, which Hampshire won by 6 wickets. Kent scored 154 in their first innings, and dismissed Hampshire for 130. Hampshire's total included 59 not out by John Small. Kent were all out for 69 in the second innings, and Hampshire scored 94/4 to win, George Leer making 47*.Haygarth 1996 28 Hampshire v England From 22 to 24 July, Hampshire met England on the little-known Cheden Holt, which is just outside Hambledon. Hampshire scored 88 and 113; England scored 135 and 67/5 to win by 5 wickets. Haygarth was puzzled by the venue, which he recorded as Holt Common. He added that he 'cannot now say' if it was the usual Hambledon venue at Broadhalfpenny, or another place.Haygarth 1996 29 Hampshire v Surrey 6 to 8 August Surrey hosted Hampshire over three days on Laleham Burway, and won the match by one wicket. Hampshire scored 94 and 176 (James Aylward 82*); Surrey scored 141 and 130/9. James Aylward normally opened the innings, so it is possible he carried his bat when making 82*. The match must have had an exciting finish as Surrey's two not out batsmen both scored 19.Buckley 1935 79Ashley-Cooper 1924 180 26 to 28 August The teams played another three-day match on Broadhalfpenny Down. This time, Hampshire won by 198 runs. They batted first, and scored 273, of which John Small made 85 and James Aylward 45. Surrey were dismissed for 82, Richard Nyren taking a 5wI (five all bowled). Hampshire's second innings total was 155 (Aylward 59, Small 35), and they completed the match by dismissing Surrey for 148. Details were obtained from the Hampshire Chronicle.Haygarth 1996 30 Other events According to John Arlott in his Arlott on Cricket (quoting an unnamed source): 'On Wednesday, 19 June 1776, on Tichborne Down, Alresford with three of Waltham and two of Warnford v Petersfield and Catherington with the famous Messrs Small, Brett and Barber and H. Bonham Esq.' Arlott comments: 'Although no result is recorded, these matches, invariably played for wagers, were based on teams of more or less even strength; and to set three such eminent Hambledon players on the other team means that Alresford must have been immensely powerful'.Arlott 1984 73–74 A notice in the Leicester Journal of 17 August is the earliest-known mention of cricket in Leicestershire.Bowen 1970 266 On 19 August, London and Brentford were to play a match on the Artillery Ground, but no report has been found.Buckley 1935 80 A notice about the Artillery Ground was published in the Morning Chronicle of Wednesday, 28 August. It reads: 'The old wall of the Artillery Ground extending from the end of Chiswell Street to the Bunhill Burial Ground is about to be pulled down and a new one built farther back, and in front of the new road a row of houses is to be erected'. See also 18 July in the 1761 season.Buckley 1935 40 Coulsdon arranged two matches in September, against Chertsey and London, but neither has a known result.Waghorn 2005 46 The earliest known scorecard templates were introduced in 1776 by T. Pratt, a Sevenoaks printer, and soon came into general use.Bowen 1970 266 First mentions Clubs and teams AlresfordArlott 1984 73–74 Petersfield and CatheringtonArlott 1984 73–74 Counties LeicestershireBowen 1970 266 Players Henry BonhamArlott 1984 73–74 Richard Aubrey VeckHaygarth 1996 27 Venues Cheden HoltHaygarth 1996 29 Tichborne DownArlott 1984 73–74 Notes note References Bibliography ACS Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863 1981 ACS Nottingham https://archive.acscricket.com/online_library/match_guides/bi_imp_match_guide/index.html 85045528 Arlott John John Arlott Arlott on Cricket Harper Collins London 1984 978-00-02180-82-5 Ashley-Cooper F. S. F. S. Ashley-Cooper Hambledon Cricket Chronicle: 1772–1796 Jenkins London 1924 38498574 Bowen Rowland Rowland Bowen Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development 1970 Eyre & Spottiswoode London 978-04-13278-60-9 Buckley G. B. G. B. Buckley Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket 1935 Cotterell & Co. Birmingham 23450280 Haygarth Arthur Arthur Haygarth Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826) Frederick Lillywhite Kennington 1996 1862 978-19-00592-23-9 Waghorn H. T. H. T. Waghorn The Dawn of Cricket J. W. McKenzie London 2005 1906 978-09-47821-17-3 Further reading Altham H. S. Harry Altham E. W. Swanton E. W. Swanton A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914) 5th 1962 George Allen & Unwin London 894274808 Birley Derek Derek Birley A Social History of English Cricket 1999 Aurum Press London 978-18-54107-10-7 https://archive.org/details/socialhistoryofe0000birl_d1n5 Internet Archive Major John John Major More Than A Game 2007 HarperCollins London 978-00-07183-64-7 https://archive.org/details/morethangamestor0000majo_b8t0 Internet Archive Wilson Martin An Index to Waghorn Bodyline Books (limited edition, by subscription only) London 2005 Category:1770s in cricket Category:English cricket seasons in the 18th century Category:1776 in England