1745 English cricket season

Cricket season review November 2025 November 2025 1744 1744 English cricket season 1746 1746 English cricket season The 1745 English cricket season was held against the background of the Jacobite Rebellion, which began in August. It had little if any impact on cricket in south-east England, and the season was nearly over when the Battle of Prestonpans took place on 21 September. In July, Richard Newland scored a record 88 runs for England against Kent on the Artillery Ground. Details of 23 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. Highest individual innings In July 1745, Richard Newland scored what was then, given prevailing pitch conditions, a massive 88 for England against Kent at the Artillery Ground. It is not absolutely certain that he did this in one innings (a parallel with John Small in 1768), given a very slight possibility that it may have been his match total but, giving him the benefit of the doubt, it is the highest individual innings recorded during the sport's pioneering period to 1763. The previous highest was 47 by John Harris in 1744. Newland's effort helped England to win the match by 119 runs. Kent v England Newland's match was the second, and possibly third, between Kent and England in 1745. On 12 July, the teams met on Bromley Common, playing for a stake of 100 guineas, and Kent won by unknown margin.ACS 1981 21 England's 119-run victory was played on 15 & 16 July. In between these two matches, on the 13th, there was a match on the Artillery Ground which was pre-announced as 'a trial match, those cricketers participating who were down to play in the Kent v All England match on the following Monday (the 15th)'. The result is unknown. London v Addington London played Addington three times in May, the venues being Kennington Common, Addington Hills, and the Artillery Ground respectively.ACS 1981 21 The result of the first match is unknown.Buckley 1937 1 Addington won the second, and London won the third, in both cases by an unknown margin.https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket/1900/41/ Ashley-Cooper F. S. F. S. Ashley-Cooper At the Sign of the Wicket Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game Merritt & Hatcher Ltd London XIX 532 35–37 29 March 1900 ACS A further match between the two teams was scheduled for 12 August on the Artillery Ground, but there was no post-match report.ACS 1981 21 London v Bromley London also played three matches against Bromley. These were between 24 May and 17 June.ACS 1981 21 The first, which was won by Bromley, was 'behind the Bell Inn' on Bromley Common. London won the second match, played 10 June on the Artillery Ground, by 10 runs. This match had been scheduled for 3 June, but it was rained off and postponed till the 10th. The match on 17 June was probably arranged as a 'decider'. It was played on the Artillery Ground for 200 guineas. The report said Bromley scored 65 and 29. London scored 48 and then 'got the match and had only three hands out', so they won by 7 wickets. Single wicket A game between two 'threes' was played Monday, 24 June in the Artillery Ground. The teams were William Hodsoll's Side, which was William Hodsoll (Dartford), Val Romney (Sevenoaks), and Richard Newland (Slindon) versus Long Robin's Side, consisting of Robert Colchin, John Bryant (both of Bromley), and 'J. Harris' (Addington). It is not known which of John or Joe Harris was playing. Hodsoll's Side won by 7 runs. Colchin v Newland Two of the biggest matches of the season were played 26 June and 5 July on the Artillery Ground.ACS 1981 21 The first was publicised as Long Robin's XI v Richard Newland's XI. Robert Colchin was nicknamed 'Long Robin' because of his height. The teams for the first match were named, some of the players for the first time. No details of the scores were reported, but the result was a victory for Long Robin's XI by 'over 70 runs'. Long Robin's XI were Robert Colchin (captain), Tom Faulkner, James Bryant, Joe Harris, Broad, Hodge, Val Romney, George Jackson, Robert Lascoe, John Harris, and John Bowra. Newland's XI were Richard Newland (captain), John Bryant, Norton, Jacob Mann, Little Bennett, Martin, Howlett, Tall Bennett, William Anderson, Norris, and Howard. The match was 'arranged by the noblemen and gentlemen of the London Club'. The fixture was repeated on 5 July, but the players were not named. It was between the same teams but it was publicised differently as 'Sevenoaks, Bromley & Addington versus Slindon, Horsmonden, Chislehurst & London'. As before, it was arranged by the London Club. No details of the play are known, but the result was another win for Long Robin's XI, this time by 5 wickets. Surrey v Sussex Surrey and Sussex played three inter-county matches against each other.ACS 1981 21 The first was played Monday, 19 August on the Artillery Ground, and Surrey won 'by several notches'. The match was reported in the St James Evening Post on the same and the next day. Richard Newland played for Sussex. It was on the same day that Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard at Glenfinnan to formally begin the '45 Rebellion. The rebellion had little, if any, impact on cricket in south-east England. Two days later, on the 21st, the teams met again on Moulsey Hurst,ACS 1981 21 but the result is unknown. On the day of the match, the Daily Advertiser announced: 'The Streatham Captain (i.e., George Williams), with his Flying Squadron of Red Caps, will attend at his grand Tent, to entertain Gentlemen with a cold Collation, the best French Wines, and other Liquours'. The final match, possibly a decider if Sussex won on the 21st, took place 9 September on Bury Hill, Arundel, also called Berry Hill.ACS 1981 21 Sussex were apparently a man short before this game began, and Richmond sent Adam Newland to fetch Martin of Henfield. They arrived in time, and Martin's reward for coming was a fee of two guineas—double the amount paid to Newland and the other Sussex players.Underdown 2000 70–71 It would seem that Surrey won the game in view of a comment made by Lord John Philip Sackville in a letter dated Saturday, 14 September to the Duke of Richmond, Sussex's patron: 'I wish you had let Ridgeway play instead of your stopper behind it might have turned the match in our favour'. Matches with unknown results A combined Addington & Lingfield team were due to play twice against Surrey on 22 July and 16 September, both matches on the Artillery Ground.ACS 1981 21 John Bryant and Little Bennett were to be given men for Surrey. Other matches with no reports were Croydon v Lambeth, 23 July on Kennington Common; Kingston v Lambeth, next day, also on the Common; Addington v Lingfield, 3 August at Addington Hills; and London v Kingston, 7 August on the Artillery Ground.ACS 1981 21 Other events by date Friday, 10 May. The Ipswich Journal reported that: 'All lovers of Cricket are hereby desired to meet at Gray's Coffee House (in Norwich) on Friday 17th inst. at 6 pm to settle rules for that manly diversion'. The meeting may have been to discuss the (new?) version of the Laws of Cricket which had been published the previous year. The report is the earliest known mention of cricket in the county of Norfolk.Buckley 1937 1Bowen 1970 264Maun 2009 152 Friday, 26 July. A ladies match took place on Gosden Common, near Guildford, between 'XI Maids of Bramley' and 'XI Maids of Hambledon'. They all dressed in white but the Hambledon lasses wore red ribbons on their heads and the Bramley lasses wore blue. This is Hambledon near Godalming in Surrey, incidentally. Bramley is another Surrey village, also close to Godalming.Waghorn 1899 36 A further report says the ladies played a return match at Hambledon, Surrey on Tues 6 August.Buckley 1935 20 Saturday, 28 September. Hills of Kent v Dales of Kent.ACS 1981 21 This match was originally arranged for Monday, 23 September, and it was stated to have been the third between these teams, each having previously won once. In one report, the venue was given as Mr Smith's, a possible reference to George Smith, who was the keeper of the Artillery Ground. The result is unknown. First mentions Counties NorfolkBuckley 1937 1 Clubs and teams Addington & Lingfield (combined) Lambeth William Hodsoll's XI aka William Hodsoll's Side Venues Addington Hills Players name club/county notes William Anderson London Mentioned in match reports from 1745 to 1752. It is believed a benefit match was held for him in 1753. Broad Addington and Surrey Mentioned in match reports from 1745 to 1750. Howard Kent Mentioned in match reports from 1745 to 1752. Robert Lascoe Bromley and Kent Mentioned in match reports from 1745 to 1748. Hodge Long Robin's XI All were named ahead of the Long Robin's XI v Richard Newland's XI match. Jacob Mann Richard Newland's XI Martin Norton 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 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 Buckley G. B. G. B. Buckley Fresh Light on pre-Victorian Cricket 1937 Cotterell & Co. Birmingham 23469107 Maun Ian Ian Maun From Commons to Lord's, Volume One: 1700 to 1750 2009 Roger Heavens Cambridge 978-19-00592-52-9 Underdown David David Underdown Start of Play 2000 Allen Lane Westminster 978-07-13993-30-1 https://archive.org/details/startofplaycrick0000davi Internet Archive Waghorn H. T. H. T. Waghorn Cricket Scores, Notes, &c. From 1730–1773 Blackwood Edinburgh 1899 1086375331 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 Marshall John John Marshall (cricket writer) The Duke Who Was Cricket Frederick Muller Ltd London 1961 11214571 Wilson Martin An Index to Waghorn Bodyline Books (limited edition, by subscription only) London 2005 Category:1740s in cricket Category:English cricket seasons in the 18th century Category:1745 in England