Artillery Ground - 18th Century Cricket

18th Century Cricket

In the 18th century sources, the Artillery Ground was said to lie "between Chiswell Street and Bunhill Fields", the latter being a cemetery. It was referred to in contemporary reports as the "old" Artillery Ground, but this may be because it was used frequently for other forms of sport or entertainment.

The earliest definite cricket match at the Artillery Ground took place on 31 August 1730 between London and Surrey. London won but no other details are known. The ground quickly became London's first choice home venue with five matches recorded there in 1731: three against Dartford and two against Croydon.

A report in 1732 states that the playing area was staked out and roped off. This practice is first reported at Kennington Common the previous year and cricket is believed to be the first sport to enclose its venues. The Artillery Ground was charging spectators a two pence admission fee by the early 1740s and it is believed that the fee was introduced in the 1730s, cricket also being the first sport to charge for admission.

By the 1740s, the Artillery Ground had become the sport's feature venue and for about twenty years it had a social status that only Lord's Cricket Ground has subsequently equalled. Single wicket was especially popular in the 1740s and huge crowds gambling huge sums of money were attracted to the ground whenever these contests took place.