1787 English cricket season

As Mr Buckley says, this was "apparently the first match to be played on Thomas Lord’s new ground". It was pre-announced in the Morning Herald on Sat 19 May but not reported afterwards.

The historic announcement says: "A grand match will be played on Mon 21 May in the New Cricket Ground, the New Road, Mary-le-bone (sic), between eleven Noblemen of the White Conduit Club and eleven Gentlemen of the County of Middlesex with two men given, for 500 guineas a side. The wickets to be pitched at ten o’clock, and the match to be played out".

We can only speculate about the quality of the teams but it is safe to assume it was a important match, probably comparable with the MCC v Middlesex games that soon followed. It is a fair bet that one of the two given men was Thomas Lord himself.

Taken from "Scores and Biographies" volume 1, page 69. Hornchurch and Moulsey Hurst could claim to be representative of Essex and Surrey as counties but these games were definitely between the two town clubs, each with enough known players to make them first-class. The Essex team that played Middlesex two weeks later was very similar to the Hornchurch XI. It was not mentioned where this match was played, but it is presumed at Hornchurch, as the return in July took place at Moulsey Hurst.

Taken from "Scores and Biographies" volume 1, page 70. This is the first recorded match played on the original Lord's Ground, which was on the site of Dorset Square. It also marks the first recorded appearance by the founder of Lord's. Thomas Lord was a change bowler at White Conduit Club and it was on their behalf that he acquired the Dorset Square site.

The result was a remarkable turnaround of the first innings situation: Middlesex 58 and 203; Essex 130 and 38.

Butcher, whose first name is unknown, was a regular Surrey bowler operating in this game as a given man. His haul of ten wickets is impressive in an age when only clean bowled dismissals were credited to the bowler.

The S&B scorecard included "P O Clark" in each Middlesex innings (Z Boult and Bedster). This surely means "put out" and indicates a stumping. There is another match some years earlier in which the scorer wrote "put out behind the Yold", meaning stumped by William Yalden who was nicknamed "the Yold".

The detailed scorecard has not survived but the WCC team was Sir Peter Burrell, Mr John Peachey, Mr Dampier, Captain Charles Cumberland, Mr Gilbert East, Mr Thomas Assheton Smith I, Mr George Talbot, Mr Richard Newman, Mr R B Wyatt, Mr Edward Hussey and Mr C Drummond. White Conduit batting last needed 38 to win and apparently scored 39-0.

The source FL18 records: "On the first day each side played an innings and the Club had scored 21 for 3, Sir P Burrell being not out 7, when want of light stopped play at 8-30 pm. Boorman's bowling won the game. Mr Cumberland, second to none as a bowler and second to few as a fieldsman, was unable to play for the Club owing to an injured ankle."

All-England 247 (Aylward 94, Bullen 44; Harris 4w) and 197 (Beldham 63, Jack Small 42); WCC 112 and 93. S&B states: "In another account, James Aylward is stated to have been "P O" by Taylor. As before, this is presumed to mean stumped (put out). Thomas Taylor must have been an extremely versatile player if he could keep wicket in addition to his other skills".

This was a minor match of amateur gentlemen residing between Chichester and Arundel (West Sussex) and between Arundel and Shoreham (East Sussex).

^ Hornchurch and Moulsey Hurst could claim to be representative of Essex and Surrey as counties but these games were definitely between the two town clubs, each with enough recognised players to make them important. The Essex team that played Middlesex was very similar to the Hornchurch XI in the other games.

George Talbot, in his first innings, was stated to be "P H O", a term not explained. It may be a variation on "put out", which was a stumping; or "put himself out", which might mean "hit wicket".

The Chelmsford Chronicle on Fri 13 July reported the team totals only. Essex (Hornchurch in the report) scored 65 and 108; Middlesex replied with 124 and 50-1. We do not know any of the players’ names but we can assume the usuals were taking part and that it is an important match.

Perriam Down was near Ludgershall, Wiltshire.

No scorecard has survived but the report said that the result "so exasperated the gentlemen of Kent that they would not so much as drink with their competitors"! None of the players' names has been recorded.

A notice in The World on Fri 27 July states: "On Mon 30 July will be played (at Lord’s) a match between 11 gentlemen of the Mary-le-bone Club and 11 gentlemen of the Islington Club".

This is the first known match in which mention is made of "the Mary-le-bone Club". Unfortunately, no other details have been found but it was probably a similar contest to the one in June 1788 between the MCC and the WCC. It has immense historical importance but the poor quality of the WCC team in the 1788 match must suggest it has marginal status only.

In this game, White Conduit combined with Moulsey Hurst Club in order to take on Hornchurch. The exact result is uncertain but it was by over 100 runs: WCC scored 89 and at least 162; Hornchurch 100 and not above 50. The only player mentioned in WDC is Winchilsea who scored between 20 and 30 but whether in one innings or in the whole match we do not know. The stake was 500 guineas.

The teams are in FL18 but no scorecard information. The WCC/MHC team was Earl of Winchilsea, Sir Peter Burrell, Mr G East, Mr George Talbot, Mr C Drummond, Mr G Boult, Mr Slater, Mr George Louch, William Bedster, Edward "Lumpy" Stevens and Davy (Surrey); Lumpy and Davy were professional bowlers. All of these players are recognised.

The Essex team was taken from a "squad" of 12 whose names were pre-announced: Mr R Newman, Mr R B Wyatt, Mr J Russell, Mr R Denn, Rev. Dupuis, Mr T Clark, Davidson, Graham, Harvey, Martin, ? Rimmington, Mr Wickham. The first 11 names in the Essex squad are all recognised players but the name of Mr Wickham, who with Martin is given as a bowler, does not appear elsewhere: except in Pride and Prejudice, of course!

WDC has two reports of the game, one apparently written on Thursday evening and the other after the match, but no scorecard. The reports in WDC state:

"On 2 Aug., the grand match of cricket, for 500 guineas, between the White Conduit and Moulsey-Hurst clubs and Hornchurch club, began playing at Hornchurch, the 1st innings were as follows: White Conduit and Moulsey-Hurst, 86 notches, and 3 byes, total 89; Hornchurch 92 notches, 8 byes: total 100. Bets were 2 to 1 on White Conduit and Moulsey-Hurst at the beginning, but very much altered in the evening in favour of the Hornchurch club".

"The above match was won hollow by the White Conduit and Moulsey-Hurst clubs. The White Conduit club, that is Lord Winchilsea and Co., went in first and got 89. The Hornchurch then got 100. On the 2nd innings, the Hornchurch did not get above 50, and the other side won by above 100 notches. Of these Lord Winchilsea got between 20 and 30. The other members of the club played in fine style".

It is assumed that, as in other games, the Hornchurch Club was representative of Essex as a county and this was an important match.

Extensively described in FL18, p. 117-120. See also 22 Sept 1788. These are historically interesting not just because of the fascinating match reports but also because the clubs must have contained seeds of Leicestershire CCC and Warwickshire CCC.

Joey Ring in his second innings is stated to have been "put out" by Richard Purchase: i.e., stumped.

In another account the winning side is called "England"; but all playing are mentioned in John Nyren's book as being members of the Hambledon Club and so this team is properly a Hampshire XI.

Hampshire 193 (T Walker 65, John Small 40; Clifford 5w) and 174 (Beldham 42); Kent 60 (Harris 4w) and 41 (Harris 3w)

William Fennex caught 6 in the match including 5 in the second innings alone. He also took four wickets.

There were seven run outs of Hampshire batsmen

Mann 116 and 123; Winchilsea 84 (Lumpy 3w) and 61 (Lumpy 3w)

The scorecard has no bowling or fielding details. It is another interesting early Leicester match.