1728 English cricket season

Cricket season review September 2024 September 2024 1727 1729 thumb|right|Cricket pavilion at Penshurst Park In the 1728 English cricket season, it is possible to discern the existence of an inter-county rivalry between teams representative of Kent and Sussex. Details of four historically important 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. A Swiss traveller in southern England recorded county cricket as "a commonplace" and wrote that it unites "the common people and men of rank". Teams of county strength were being formed as the patrons sought stronger combinations to help them in the serious, for them, business of winning wagers. Easily the most successful in 1728 was Edwin Stead whose Kent was "too expert" for Sussex, led by the 2nd Duke of Richmond and Sir William Gage. Kent v Sussex There were three matches between teams which were potentially representative of Kent and Sussex. Nominally, however, the Kent team was Edwin Stead's XI, while the Sussex team in the first two matches was the 2nd Duke of Richmond's XI, and Sir William Gage's XI in the third.McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 36–37 The first match was on Coxheath Common, then called Cock's Heath, on 25 June, pre-announced in the Kentish Weekly Post on 19 June.Buckley 1935 237 They played a return match at Penshurst Park sometime in July; this one was the subject of a brief notice in the Whitehall Evening Post dated 6 August 1728.McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 36–37 Reports of the third match, played at Penshurst Park in either late July or early August,Buckley 1935 237 state that it was "the third time this summer that the Kent men have been too expert for those of Sussex".Ashley-Cooper 1929 6McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 37 The 6 August editions of both the London Evening Post and the Daily Journal include the "too expert" comment, and so modern sources agree that Stead's XI won both of the matches against Richmond's XI.McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 37 The third match between Stead's XI and Gage's XI was for a stake of 50 guineas. It was hosted by John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester,Ashley-Cooper 1929 6 at Penshurst Park. Stead's XI won by 7 runs – the newspaper report says "the former [Gage's XI] wanted 7 to be even with (them)".McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 37 The proclamation of Kent's superiority in 1728 is the first time that the concept of a "champion county" can be seen in the sources, and it was augmented by a "turned the scales" comment made by a reporter after Sussex defeated Kent in 1729.Waghorn 2005 7Wilson 2005 50 The 1729 report added that the "scale of victory had been on the Kentish team for some years past".Waghorn 2005 7 In 1730, a newspaper referred to the "Kentish champions".Buckley 1935 4Maun 2009 36–37 Richmond's XI v Gage's XI There was a match in August between Richmond's XI and Gage's XI. The sources say the teams "met again" but it is not clear if they had already played each other in 1728; they had met in earlier seasons. The match was at an unspecified venue in Lewes and the result is unknown.McCann 2004 8Maun 2009 37 Other events thumb|right|Goodwood House Swiss traveller César-François de Saussure noted in his journal the frequency with which he saw cricket being played while he was making his journeys across southern England in June.http://www.adnax.com/saussure/info.htm César de Saussure Adnax Publications Letters from London 1725–1730 : Introduction 9 June 2013 He referred to county matches as "a commonplace" and wrote that "everyone plays it, the common people and also men of rank".César de Saussure, A Foreign View of England in the Reigns of George I and George II. The Letters of Monsieur César de Saussure to his Family, General Books LLC, 2010. Saussure's comment was:Maun 2009 38 The English are very fond of a game they call cricket. For this purpose they go into a large open field, and knock a small ball about with a piece of wood. I will not attempt to describe this game to you, as it is too complicated, but it requires agility and skill, and everyone plays it, the common people and also the men of rank. Sometimes one county plays against another county. The papers give notice of these meetings beforehand, and, later, tell you which team has come off victorious. Spectators crowd to see the games when they are important. In several sources, a Gentlemen of Middlesex v Gentlemen of London match is listed as due to take place in Islington on Tuesday (sic), 5 August.Waghorn 2005 7Wilson 2005 50ACS 1981 19Maun 2009 37 In fact, 5 August 1728 was a Monday, and recent research has confirmed that the match in question was due to be held on Tuesday, 5 August 1729.Maun 2011 248 The archives at Goodwood House, Richmond's seat, include numerous receipts for purchases made by the Duke in 1728 which relate to his cricketing interests. Three are from a tradesman called Walter Seagar for "binding bats at Lyndhurst", the amounts ranging from 2 to 4 shillings. Another, dated 21 June, is for "11 pairs of men's thread hose for ye gentlemen Crickett players" amounting to £2 9s 6d.Maun 2009 36 Also, in an undated accounting entry, the Duke paid 12 shillings each for "twelve yellow velvet caps with silver tassells", which is understood to have been his team colours.Maun 2009 38 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 Ashley-Cooper F. S. F. S. Ashley-Cooper Kent Cricket Matches, 1719–1880 Gibbs & Sons Canterbury 1929 220674085 Buckley G. B. G. B. Buckley Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket 1935 Cotterell & Co. Birmingham 23450280 Maun Ian Ian Maun From Commons to Lord's, Volume One: 1700 to 1750 2009 Roger Heavens Cambridge 978-19-00592-52-9 Maun Ian Ian Maun From Commons to Lord's, Volume Two: 1751 to 1770 2011 Martin Wilson Leicester 978-09-56906-60-1 McCann Tim Timothy J. McCann Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century 2004 Sussex Record Society Lewes 978-08-54450-55-8 Waghorn H. T. H. T. Waghorn The Dawn of Cricket J. W. McKenzie London 2005 1906 978-09-47821-17-3 Wilson Martin An Index to Waghorn Bodyline Books (limited edition, by subscription only) London 2005 Further reading ACS 1982 A Guide to FC Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles Nottingham ACS 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 Bowen Rowland Rowland Bowen Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development 1970 Eyre & Spottiswoode London 978-04-13278-60-9 Major John John Major More Than A Game 2007 HarperCollins London 978-00-07183-64-7 https://archive.org/details/morethangamestor0000majo_b8t0 Internet Archive Marshall John John Marshall (cricket writer) The Duke Who Was Cricket Frederick Muller Ltd London 1961 11214571 Category:1720s in cricket Category:English cricket seasons in the 18th century Category:1728 in England