The years from 1726 to 1771 saw cricket establish itself as a leading sport in London and the south-eastern counties of England. In 1726, it was already a thriving sport in the south east and, though limited by the constraints of travel at the time, it was slowly gaining adherents in other parts of England, its growth accelerating with references being found in many counties to 1771. Having been essentially a rural pastime for well over a century, cricket became a focus for wealthy patrons and gamblers whose interests funded its growth throughout the 18th century.
The 1744 cricket season in England was pivotal in the sport's history because the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket was drafted by members of several cricket clubs, though the code was not published until 1755. The season is also notable for the two earliest known surviving match scorecards. The second of those matches, played on Monday, 18 June, was a celebrated event in which a Kent county team challenged a team representing the rest of England at the Artillery Ground, Kent winning by one wicket. In September, Slindon Cricket Club defeated London Cricket Club and then issued a challenge to play "any parish in England". The challenge was accepted by the Addington and Bromley clubs, but there is no record of either challenge match having been completed.
The 1769 English cricket season was the 26th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of 11 eleven-a-side matches among significant teams. It was the last season in which the original London Cricket Club and the Artillery Ground featured prominently.
The 1730 English cricket season was the 34th cricket season after the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of 14 matches as well as four notable single wicket matches.
The 1731 English cricket season was the 35th cricket season after the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of around 30 matches as well as one notable single wicket match. Match reports in newspapers were increasingly common and began to contain more detail, sometimes including the names of patrons and players.
The 1741 English cricket season was the 45th cricket season since the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of nine significant matches, including the first known appearance of Slindon Cricket Club. The earliest known tie in an elevel-a-side match occurred.
The 1766 English cricket season was the 23rd season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of three eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The 1735 English cricket season was the 39th cricket season after the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of 10 top-class matches, nine played eleven-a-side and one single wicket match.
Chertsey Cricket Club in Surrey is one of the oldest cricket clubs in England, the foundation of the club dating to the 1730s. The club is based in Chertsey and plays in the Surrey Championship.
William Sawyer was an English professional cricketer who played during the 1730s and 1740s. He was mainly associated with Richmond and Surrey. Although information about his career is limited by a lack of surviving data, he is known to have made two single wicket and four other appearances between 1736 and 1747. He spent his whole life in Richmond and was an innkeeper there.
The 1737 English cricket season was the 41st cricket season since the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of seven significant matches. Frederick, Prince of Wales had become one of the sport's main patrons by this year.
The 1743 English cricket season was the 47th cricket season since the earliest recorded eleven-a-side match was played. Details have survived of 18 eleven-a-side and three single wicket matches.
The 1750 English cricket season was the seventh season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of six eleven-a-side matches between significant teams, including three inter-county matches played between Kent and Surrey.
The 1751 English cricket season was the eighth season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of nine eleven-a-side matches between significant teams and the earliest known references to cricket Durham, Somerset, Warwickshire and Yorkshire occurred during the year.
The 1761 English cricket season was the 18th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of four eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The 1762 English cricket season was the 19th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of eight eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The 1765 English cricket season was the 22nd season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of five eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The 1767 English cricket season was the 24th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of seven eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The 1770 English cricket season was the 27th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of four eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
The earliest definite mention of cricket is dated Monday, 17 January 1597. The reference is in the records of a legal case at Guildford re the use of a parcel of land c.1550 and John Derrick, a coroner, testified that he had at that time played cricket on the land when he was a boy. Cricket may have been a children's game in the 16th century but, about 1610, the earliest known organised match was played and references from that time indicate adult participation. From then to 1725, less than thirty matches are known to have been organised between recognised teams. Similarly, a limited number of players, teams and venues of the period have been recorded.
