The 1745 English cricket season was held against the background of the Jacobite Rebellion, which began in August. It had little if any impact on cricket in south-east England, and the season was nearly over when the Battle of Prestonpans took place on 21 September. Details of 23 matches are known. [note 1]
London played Addington three times in May, the venues being Kennington Common, Addington Hills, and the Artillery Ground respectively. [5] The result of the first match is unknown. [6] Addington won the second, and London won the third, in both cases by an unknown margin. [7]
London also played three matches against Bromley. These were between 24 May and 17 June. [5] The first, which was won by Bromley, was "behind the Bell Inn" on Bromley Common. London won the second match, played 10 June on the Artillery Ground, by 10 runs. This match had been scheduled for 3 June, but it was rained off and postponed till the 10th. The match on 17 June was probably arranged as a "decider". It was played on the Artillery Ground for 200 guineas. The report said Bromley scored 65 and 29. London scored 48 and then "got the match and had only three hands out", so they won by 7 wickets. [7]
A game between two "threes" was played Monday, 24 June in the Artillery Ground. The teams were William Hodsoll (Dartford), Val Romney (Sevenoaks) and Richard Newland (Slindon) versus Robert Colchin, John Bryant (both of Bromley) and "J. Harris" (Addington). It is not known which of John or Joe Harris was playing. Hodsoll's team won by 7 runs. [7]
Two of the biggest matches of the season were played 26 June and 5 July on the Artillery Ground. [5] The first was publicised as "Long Robin's XI versus Richard Newland's XI". Robert Colchin was nicknamed "Long Robin" because of his height. The teams for the first match were named, many of the players for the first time. No details of the scores were reported, but the result was a victory for Long Robin's XI by "over 70 runs". [7]
Long Robin's XI were Robert Colchin (captain), Tom Faulkner, James Bryant, Joe Harris, Broad, Hodge, Val Romney, George Jackson, Robert Lascoe, John Harris, and John Bowra.
Newland's XI were Richard Newland (captain), John Bryant, Norton, Jacob Mann, Little Bennett, Martin, Howlett, Tall Bennett, William Anderson, Norris, and Howard.
The match was "arranged by the noblemen and gentlemen of the London Club". [7]
The fixture was repeated on 5 July, but the players were not named. It was between the same teams but it was publicised differently as "Sevenoaks, Bromley & Addington versus Slindon, Horsmonden, Chislehurst & London". As before, the match was "arranged by the noblemen and gentlemen of the London Club". No details of the play are known, but the result was another win for Long Robin's XI, this time by 5 wickets. [7]
Surrey and Sussex played three inter-county matches against each other. [5] The first was played Monday, 19 August on the Artillery Ground, and Surrey won "by several notches". The match was reported in the St James Evening Post on the same and the next day. Richard Newland played for Sussex. It was on the same day that Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard at Glenfinnan to formally begin the '45 Rebellion. The rebellion had little, if any, impact on cricket in south-east England. [8]
Two days later, on the 21st, the teams met again on Moulsey Hurst, [5] but the result is unknown. On the day of the match, the Daily Advertiser announced: "The Streatham Captain (i.e., George Williams), with his Flying Squadron of Red Caps, will attend at his grand Tent, to entertain Gentlemen with a cold Collation, the best French Wines, and other Liquours". [8]
The final match, possibly a decider if Sussex won on the 21st, took place 26 August on Bury Hill, Arundel, also called Berry Hill. [5] It would seem that Surrey won the game in view of a comment made by Lord John Philip Sackville in a letter dated Saturday, 14 September to the Duke of Richmond, Sussex's patron: "I wish you had let Ridgeway play instead of your stopper behind it might have turned the match in our favour". [8]
A combined Addington & Lingfield team were due to play twice against Surrey on 22 July and 16 September, both matches on the Artillery Ground. [5] John Bryant and Little Bennett were to be given men for Surrey. [7] Other matches with no reports were Croydon v Lambeth, 23 July on Kennington Common; Kingston v Lambeth, next day, also on the Common; Addington v Lingfield, 3 August at Addington Hills; and London v Kingston, 7 August on the Artillery Ground. [5] [7]
Friday, 10 May. The Ipswich Journal reported that: "All lovers of Cricket are hereby desired to meet at Gray's Coffee House (in Norwich) on Friday 17th inst. at 6 pm to settle rules for that manly diversion". The meeting may have been to discuss the (new?) version of the Laws of Cricket which had been published the previous year. The report is the earliest known mention of cricket in the county of Norfolk. [6] [9] [10]
Friday, 26 July. A ladies match took place on Gosden Common, near Guildford, between "XI Maids of Bramley" and "XI Maids of Hambledon". They all dressed in white but the Hambledon lasses wore red ribbons on their heads and the Bramley lasses wore blue. This is Hambledon near Godalming in Surrey, incidentally. Bramley is another Surrey village, also close to Godalming. [7] [11] A further report says the ladies played a return match at Hambledon, Surrey on Tues 6 August. [12]
Saturday, 28 September. Hills of Kent v Dales of Kent. [5] This match was originally arranged for Monday, 23 September, and it was stated to have been the third between these sides, each having previously won once. In one report, the venue was given as Mr Smith's, a reference to George Smith, who was the keeper of the Artillery Ground. The result is unknown. [8]