Thomas Brett was one of cricket's earliest well-known fast bowlers and a leading player for Hampshire when its team was organised by the Hambledon Club in the 1770s. Noted for his pace and his accuracy, Brett was a leading wicket-taker in the 1770s and was lauded by John Nyren in The Cricketers of my Time. Writing half a century later, Nyren described Brett as "beyond all comparison, the fastest as well as straitest bowler that ever was known".
The 1768 English cricket season was the 25th season following the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. Details have survived of nine eleven-a-side matches between significant teams.
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 1732 English cricket season was the 36th cricket season since the earliest recorded eleven-aside match was played. Details have survived of 12 matches.
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.
The Sheffield Cricket Club was founded in the 18th century and soon began to play a key role in the development of cricket in northern England. It was the direct forerunner of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and some of the teams fielded by Sheffield were styled Yorkshire. Sheffield generally held first-class status, depending on the quality of their opponents, from 1827 to 1855.
John Boorman was an English cricketer whose known career spanned 26 seasons from 1768 to 1793. In Scores & Biographies, Arthur Haygarth recorded that he found a reference to Boorman "in another account" which called him James, but Haygarth was convinced that the correct name was John which recurred. Haygarth discovered that Boorman was "probably" born at Cranbrook in Kent but may have resided for many years at Sevenoaks, though he certainly died at Ashurst in Sussex, where he spent his latter years as a farmer. Boorman's year of birth is an estimate based on evidence found by Haygarth that he was 53 when he died and Haygarth made a comment that Boorman "began playing in great matches very young". Boorman is believed to have been a left-handed batsman but it is not known if he bowled left arm. Like all bowlers of the time, he was underarm but his pace is unknown. As a fielder, he was generally deployed at point.
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is generally accepted as the birthplace of the sport. It is widely believed that cricket was first played by children living on the Weald in Saxon or Norman times. The world's earliest known organised match was held in Kent c.1611 and the county has always been at the forefront of cricket's development through the growth of village cricket in the 17th century to representative matches in the 18th. A Kent team took part in the earliest known inter-county match, which was played on Dartford Brent in 1709. Several famous players and patrons were involved in Kent cricket from then until the creation of the first county club in 1842. Among them were William Bedle, Robert Colchin and the 3rd Duke of Dorset. Kent were generally regarded as the strongest county team in the first half of the 18th century and were always one of the main challengers to the dominance of Hambledon in the second half. County cricket ceased through the Napoleonic War and was resurrected in 1826 when Kent played Sussex. By the 1830s, Kent had again become the strongest county and remained so until mid-century.
Essex county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. It is almost certain that cricket reached Essex by the 16th century and that it developed during the 17th century with inter-parish matches being played.
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.
1798 was the twelfth season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It was by now commonplace for important matches to involve town clubs rather than county teams.
Bromley Cricket Club was one of the strongest English cricket clubs in the mid-18th century when its team was led by Robert Colchin a.k.a. "Long Robin".
The original Croydon Cricket Club, based at Croydon, was prominent in the 18th century and played most of its matches at Duppas Hill. The earliest record of the club is in the 1707 season when it played two major matches against London.
Bourne Cricket Club was based at Bishopsbourne, near Canterbury in Kent, and played several major matches in the 18th century when it was one of the teams which effectively representatived Kent as a county. Its home venue was Bourne Paddock. Bourne was patronised by Sir Horatio Mann, owner of the Bourne Park House estate, and was in reality his own private club. When Sir Horatio relocated to Dandelion, near Margate, the Bourne club ceased to exist.
Caterham Common near Caterham in Surrey was the venue for three historic cricket matches played from 1767 to 1769. In the 18th century, it was the home venue of the Caterham Cricket Club, run by Henry Rowett.
Coulsdon Cricket Club was an English cricket club based at Coulsdon in Surrey. The club is believed to have been formed in the early 1760s and it had for a time a great rivalry with Chertsey Cricket Club.
Representing Kingston upon Thames in Surrey, the original Kingston Cricket Club was prominent in the 18th century, taking part in known matches from 1720 to 1767. According to surviving records, it had no specific venue and is known to have played at both Kennington Common and Moulsey Hurst. Kingston teams are recorded, either individually or jointly with other clubs, in eleven known major matches.
Westerham Common, also known as Westerham Heath, was a cricket ground near Westerham in west Kent. It was used primarily in the 18th century when historically significant matches were played.
Representing Lingfield in Surrey, Lingfield Cricket Club was prominent in the 18th century, known to have taken part in important matches between 1739 and 1785. They were especially noted in the mid-1740s. According to surviving records, the club is believed to have used Lingfield Common as its home venue in the 18th century. The club has survived and its team currently plays in the Surrey County League; its home venue is Godstone Road, Lingfield.
Chelsea Common was the ground of Chelsea Cricket Club in the 18th century, an area that virtually disappeared under building work in the 19th century.
