1784 English cricket season

1784 English cricket season

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The 1784 English cricket season was significant for the appearance in important matches of the White Conduit Club, although the surviving references this year are merely around two "great matches" played on White Conduit Fields. Details of nine matches are known. ^{[note 1]}

Although not directly connected with cricket, it was in 1784 that the India Act was passed, creating a department of the British government to exercise political, military and financial control over the Indian affairs of the East India Company. During the next half century British control was extended over most of the sub-continent, and cricket spread throughout the country as a consequence of that.

White Conduit

On 22 and 27 May, there were two events on White Conduit Fields which were both labelled "A Great Cricket Match". It is almost certain that these matches involved the new White Conduit Club, but few details are known. George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea was noted as "the best bat" in the first game. In the second game, a few more players were named including the Duke of Dorset, Colonel Charles Lennox, and Sir George Talbot. ^[5]

England v Hampshire

The sole important match recorded in 1784 was England v Hampshire at Sevenoaks Vine on 1 and June. England won by 7 wickets. ^[6] William Bullen took six wickets in Hampshire's first innings, in which they were all out for 70. Haygarth commented that his original source was the Hampshire Chronicle, as the game "was not inserted in the old book of scores". ^[7]

Single wicket

Six of Hambledon played against Six of Kent between 26 and 28 July on Itchin Stoke Down. Kent won by 20 runs. ^[8]

Other events

Berkshire played Buckinghamshire twice, winning the first by an innings and 21 runs. The result of the second is not on record. ^[9]

Chertsey played Coulsdon on Laleham Burway in June. Chertsey won by 313 runs. ^[10]

In July, there was a match between Hambledon Parish and Petworth, which the latter won by 52 runs. ^[11]

At the end of July, Farnham played Odiham & Alton on Holt Pound, which is well-known for its association with the Beldham and Wells brothers. They all played for Farnham in this match, while David Harris and Thomas Scott played for their opponents. The result is unknown. ^[12]

Notes

1. Some eleven-a-side matches played from 1772 to 1863 have been rated "first-class" by certain sources. ^[1] However, the term only came into common use around 1864, when overarm bowling was legalised. It was formally defined as a standard by a meeting at Lord's, in May 1894, of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the county clubs which were then competing in the County Championship. The ruling was effective from the beginning of the 1895 season, but pre-1895 matches of the same standard have no official definition of status because the ruling is not retrospective. ^[2] Matches of a similar standard since the beginning of the 1864 season are generally considered to have an unofficial first-class status. ^[3] Pre-1864 matches which are included in the ACS' "Important Match Guide" may generally be regarded as important or, at least, historically significant. ^[4] For further information, see First-class cricket.

References

1. "FC Matches in England in 1772" . CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
2. Wisden (1948). Preston, Hubert (ed.). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (85th ed.). London: Sporting Handbooks Ltd. p. 813. OCLC   851705816.
3. ACS 1982, pp. 4–5.
4. ACS 1981, pp. 1–40.
5. Buckley 1937, p. 11.
6. "England v Hampshire" . CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
7. Haygarth 1996, p. 61.
8. Haygarth 1996, pp. 61–62.
9. Waghorn 2005, pp. 58–59.
10. Waghorn 2005, p. 59.
11. Buckley 1935, p. 101.
12. Buckley 1935, p. 102.

Bibliography

• ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC   85045528.
• ACS (1982). A Guide to FC Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC   10586869.
• Buckley, G. B. (1935). Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket. Birmingham: Cotterell & Co. OCLC   23450280.
• Buckley, G. B. (1937). Fresh Light on pre-Victorian Cricket. Birmingham: Cotterell & Co. OCLC   23469107.
• Haygarth, Arthur (1996) [1862]. Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN   978-19-00592-23-9.
• Waghorn, H. T. (2005) [1906]. The Dawn of Cricket. London: J. W. McKenzie. ISBN   978-09-47821-17-3.

Further reading

• Altham, H. S.; Swanton, E. W. (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914) (5th ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC   894274808.
• Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press. ISBN   978-18-54107-10-7 – via Internet Archive.
• Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. ISBN   978-04-13278-60-9.
• Major, John (2007). More Than A Game. London: HarperCollins. ISBN   978-00-07183-64-7 – via Internet Archive.
• Wilson, Martin (2005). An Index to Waghorn. London: Bodyline Books (limited edition, by subscription only).