1751 English Cricket Season - Matches

The actual title of the match as advertised beforehand was Addington, Warlingham, Croydon & Cheam versus Ripley, Thursley & London! Wickets to be pitched at one o’clock and the game was arranged by the noblemen and gentlemen of the London Club. No match details were reported afterwards.

Kent had Tom Faulkner (Addington and Surrey) as a given man. All-England scored 26 and 122; Kent replied with 76 and 63. So 287 runs were scored in the match and this was a lot for the time, given the uncertain state of all wickets.

All-England: Stephens, Richard Newland, Edward Aburrow senior, John Harris, Joseph Harris, John Frame, Matthews, Perry, Stephen Harding, Stephen Dingate, A N Other.

Kent: William Hodsoll, Tom Faulkner, Stone, Wilden, Garrett, Rawlings, John Bell, Thomas Bell, Howard, James Bryant, Val Romney.

A N Other played for Thursley, as did Stephen Harding (later of Chertsey) who was a noted bowler. In England’s second innings, these two went in first and scored 51 for the first wicket, which is like a double century partnership nowadays. Harding apparently made 50 of these himself and had one hit out of the ground and against a house on Bunhill Row opposite. He was given four for this mighty effort. You could only score six if you were actually able to run that many and to do that you would need the help of overthrows.

Play on the first day started at one o’clock and on the second day at ten o’clock. At the end of the first day, Kent in their second innings were 23-2, still needing 73 to win. Kent were reduced to 43-9 when the last pair came together so the final wicket added 20.

For the first time ever, the fall of wickets in an innings is known. This is England’s second innings: 1 – 51, 2 – 72, 3 – 77, 4 – 77, 5 – 78, 6 – 84, 7 – 87, 8 – 119, 9 – 119, 10 – 122.

Kent scored 88 and 67; All-England scored 164. The teams were the same as on the two previous days and again the name of the Thursley player is unrecorded. It would seem that Kent was no longer good enough to challenge All-England.

All-England: Stephens, Richard Newland, Edward Aburrow senior, John Harris, Joseph Harris, John Frame, Matthews, Perry, Stephen Harding, Stephen Dingate, A N Other (of Thursley).

Kent: William Hodsoll, Tom Faulkner, Stone, Wilden, Garrett, Rawlings, John Bell, Thomas Bell, Howard, James Bryant, Val Romney.

Pre-announced in the Daily Advertiser on Thursday 30 May.

Announced in the Daily Advertiser same day with a one o’clock start.

This was played for one hundred guineas. Apparently, there was a challenge from the Newmarket players to take on 22 of the players in this game for any sum, but nothing further is known about it.

This was a return to the match on 23 July.

London scored 30 and 5; the Country XI replied with 24 and 6.

Announced in the Daily Advertiser on Monday 2 September: for two guineas a man; 11 a side, and to play home & home (sic).