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John Small was an English professional cricketer who played during the 18th century and had one of the longest careers on record. Born at Empshott,Hampshire,he is generally regarded as the greatest batsman of the 18th century and acknowledged as having been the first to master the use of the modern straight bat which was introduced in the 1760s. He probably scored the earliest known century in important cricket. The strength of the Hambledon/Hampshire team during Small's prime years can be seen in the team being rated the (unofficial) Champion County in 10 seasons:1766–1771,1776–1777,1779 and 1783. He died at Petersfield,where he was in residence for most of his life and where he established businesses.
Edward "Lumpy" Stevens was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket in the 18th century. He was an outstanding bowler who is generally regarded as the first great bowler in the game's history. He was universally known by his nickname and was always called "Lumpy" in contemporary scorecards and reports.
Richard Nyren (1734–1797) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket during the heyday of the Hambledon Club. A genuine all-rounder and the earliest known left-hander of note,Nyren was the captain of Hampshire when its team included players like John Small,Thomas Brett and Tom Sueter. Although the records of many matches in which he almost certainly played have been lost,he made 51 known appearances between 1764 and 1784. He was known as the team's "general" on the field and,for a time,acted as the club secretary as well as taking care of matchday catering for many years.
The 1744 cricket season in England is remembered for the earliest known codification of the Laws of Cricket. This was drafted by members of several cricket clubs,though the code was not published until 1755. Much of its terminology such as no ball,over,toss,umpire and wicket remain in current use. 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 an England team at the Artillery Ground,Kent winning by one wicket.
Lord John Philip Sackville was the second son of Lionel Sackville,1st Duke of Dorset. He was a keen cricketer who was closely connected with the sport in Kent.
In the 1772 English cricket season,it became normal practice to complete match scorecards and there are surviving examples from every subsequent season. Scorecards from 1772 have been found for three eleven-a-side matches in which the Hampshire county team played against an England team,and for one top-class single wicket match between Kent and Hampshire. The three Hampshire v England matches have been unofficially recognised by certain sources as first-class,although no such standard existed at the time. Prior to 1772,only four scorecards have survived,the last from a minor match in 1769.
Thomas Waymark was an English professional cricketer in the first half of the 18th century. He was probably born at or near to Mitcham in Surrey in June 1705. He is one of the earliest known players on record.
The White Conduit Club (WCC) was a cricket club based on the northern fringes of London that existed from about 1782 until 1788. Although short-lived,it had considerable significance in the history of the game,as its members created the first Lord's venue and reorganised themselves as the new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Joseph Miller was a noted English cricketer who is generally considered to have been one of the greatest batsmen of the 18th century. He is mostly associated with Kent but also made appearances for All-England and Surrey. First recorded in the 1769 season,Miller made 65 known appearances from then to 1783. He was unquestionably an outstanding batsman and perhaps second only to John Small in the 18th century.
Lamborn was a significant English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club in the 18th century and is recognised as one of the greatest innovators in the history of bowling.
William Palmer was an English cricketer who played during the 1760s and 1770s. He was born and died in Coulsdon,Surrey. As a top-order batsman,he was a member of the local Coulsdon Cricket Club and also played county cricket for Surrey. Most of Palmer's career was before cricket's statistical record began in the 1772 season so relatively little is known of him. However,he regularly played in noteworthy matches until 1776. He has been recorded in 24 eleven-a-side matches and in one top-class single wicket match. He was last recorded playing for Coulsdon against Chertsey in 1784 when he was 47 years old.
John Wood was an English cricketer who played for Kent. His career began in the 1760s before first-class statistics began to be recorded and his known first-class career spans the 1772 to 1783 seasons.
A variety of Kent county cricket teams played matches from the early 18th century until the formation of the original county club in 1842. The county's links to cricket go back further with Kent and Sussex 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.
In the 1773 English cricket season,there was a downturn in the fortunes of the Hambledon Club as their Hampshire team lost every match they are known to have played,and some of their defeats were heavy. Their poor results owed much to star bowler Thomas Brett having been injured. Three other county teams were active:Kent,Middlesex and Surrey. Teams called England took part in five matches,all against Hampshire,and won all five.
Stephen Harding was a noted English cricketer of the mid-18th century who played for Chertsey,All-England and Surrey. Harding was a hard-hitting batsman and a good bowler,although his style and pace is unknown. He featured in single wicket contests and seems to have been a fine all-rounder.
Thomas Swayne was a noted professional cricketer who played for Surrey in the 1770s.
East Kent and West Kent were titles sometimes given to two cricket teams from their respective areas of the English county of Kent which generally played in matches prior to the foundation of the official Kent County Cricket Club in the mid 19th century. West Kent teams have been recorded from 1705,but there is no known record of an East Kent team until 1781. There were seven major matches from 1781 to 1790 in which teams of this type faced each other,although there is doubt about the match titles with sources using different team names.
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.
In English cricket,the years from 1751 to 1775 are notable for the rise of the Hambledon Club and the continuing spread of the sport across England. The Laws of Cricket underwent a re-codification in 1775,including the introduction of the leg before wicket rule and the addition of the third stump to the wicket.