19th century
Norfolk v MCC
In 1820, Norfolk played in an important match at Lord's against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The Norfolk players, including Fuller Pilch, were mainly from the Holt Cricket Club, with three given men. The match is historically famous because William Ward made his record score of 278 for MCC. [3] [7] [8] [9] In the next two years, the Holt-based Norfolk played matches against Nottingham. [10]
1826 to 1876
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The first Norfolk County Club, as such, was organised in 1826 or 1827 by Lord Suffield. [3] [11] [12] [13] During the 1830s a number of matches involving Norfolk or Gentlemen of Norfolk are recorded, [14] including against MCC in 1830, and by 1831 the Norfolk County Club was said by The Sporting Magazine to be one of the strongest in the country. [3] [15] Five matches played between 1833 and 1836 against Yorkshire, primarily organised by Sheffield Cricket Club, were important, although the matches were played by professionals rather than the amateurs who made up Suffield's County Club. [7] [16] [17]
Although matches against MCC and the Cambridge Town Club were played, the County Club had largely ceased to operate by 1848, [18] [19] although it was "revived" in 1862 and subscriptions continued to be paid until the end of the 1860s, by which time the club was in debt. [13] [20] The Norfolk name continued to be used into the 1870s, including against MCC, Cambridgeshire, Cambridge University, and Essex. [21] [22] [23] The current county club was founded in October 1876, with the fifth Lord Suffield as President, and played its first matches in 1877. [11] [20] [24]