1697 To 1725 English Cricket Seasons - 1709

The earliest known match involving county teams or at any rate teams bearing the names of counties. The match was advertised in the Post Man dated Saturday 25 June 1709. The stake was £50.

It has been suggested that the teams in reality were Dartford and a Surrey parish, but this contradicts evidence of patronage and high stakes. Dartford was the foremost Kent club in this period and possibly provided not only the venue but also the nucleus of the team with some players coming from elsewhere in the county. The Surrey team may equally have been drawn from a number of Surrey parishes and subscribed by their patron.

It is possible that one of the Kent players was William Bedle (1680–1768), of Dartford, the earliest great player whose name has been recorded. He was reckoned to be "the most expert player in England" and would have been in his prime c.1700 to c.1720.

Dartford Brent was a popular Kent venue in the 18th century and was possibly used for matches in the 17th century also.