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Early Cricket
A thematic introduction to cricket before 1800
Introduction
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Sitemap and objectives
History
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General historical timeline
General cricket history
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Before 1600 – Prehistory
1600s – The very early days
1700 to 1760 – Cricket spreads to London
1760 to 1785 – The rural interlude
1786 to 1800 – London reascending
Specific topics
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Women’s Cricket
Cricket outside England
County cricket
Public School cricket
Gallery
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Very early images
The Cricket Field
Youth and Schools
Portraits
Library
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Poems about cricket
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In Certamen Pilae (About a ball-game) – William Goldwin (1706)
Cricket, An Heroic Poem – James Love (1744)
Surrey Triumphant or The Kentish Men’s Defeat – John Duncombe (1773)
The Kentish Cricketers – John Burnby (1773)
Cricket – The Rev Mr Cotton of Winchester (1775)
The Noble Cricketers – John Wolcot (1778)
The Cryketeers – Ferdinando Fungus (1790)
The Game of Cricket – Rev Samuel Bishop (1796)
Nine from Haygarth
Poems featuring cricket
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The Echoing Green – William Blake (1789)
Childish Recollections – Lord Byron (1806)
Composed in the Valley near Dover – William Wordsworth (1802)
Later poems about the period
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Ballard of dead cricketers – Andrew Lang (1884)
England Past and Present 1770-1900 – Alfred Cochrane (c1905)
The cricketers of Hambledon – Bruce Bunt (1928)
19th Century writings
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A Country Cricket Match – Mary Russell Mitford (1824)
The Cricketers of my Time by John Nyren (1833)
Felix on the Bat – Nicholas Wanostrocht (1845)
The Cricket Field – James Pycroft (1859)
The Cricket Tutor – James Pycroft (1862)
Echoes from Old Cricket Fields – Frederick Gale (1871)
The Game of Cricket – Fredrick Gale (1870)
The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England – Joseph Strutt (1831)
The Hambledon Men – edited by E.V. Lucas (1907)
Modern histories
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Cricket – Horace Gordon Hutchinson (1903)
A History of Cricket – HS Altham and EW Swanton (1925)
The Ladybird Story of Cricket – Vera Southgate (1964)
Early Cricket – John Arlott (1977)
Early History of Cricket – E.D.R. Edgar (1981)
Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century – Timothy McCann (2004)
Cricket and Community in England: 1800 to the Present Day – Peter Davies (Author), Robert Light (2015)
The game
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Evolution of bowling, bat and stumps
Laws
Equipment
Techniques
The Field
Spectators
A mock 18th Century game
Grounds
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White Conduit Fields
The Artillery Ground
Mousley Hurst
Broadhalfpenny Down
Windmill Down
Richmond Green
Dorset Square- the first Lord’s
Other important grounds
Players
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Listing of Cricketers
The Early Cricket Hall of Fame
Matches
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Important Matches
Single wicket matches
Matches to Remember
Clubs
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Star and Garter
Hambledon
Marylebone Cricket Club
Money
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Gambling
Patrons
Professional players
Early Cricket
A thematic introduction to cricket before 1800
Main Menu
Introduction
Menu Toggle
Sitemap and objectives
History
Menu Toggle
General historical timeline
General cricket history
Menu Toggle
Before 1600 – Prehistory
1600s – The very early days
1700 to 1760 – Cricket spreads to London
1760 to 1785 – The rural interlude
1786 to 1800 – London reascending
Specific topics
Menu Toggle
Women’s Cricket
Cricket outside England
County cricket
Public School cricket
Gallery
Menu Toggle
Very early images
The Cricket Field
Youth and Schools
Portraits
Library
Menu Toggle
Poems about cricket
Menu Toggle
In Certamen Pilae (About a ball-game) – William Goldwin (1706)
Cricket, An Heroic Poem – James Love (1744)
Surrey Triumphant or The Kentish Men’s Defeat – John Duncombe (1773)
The Kentish Cricketers – John Burnby (1773)
Cricket – The Rev Mr Cotton of Winchester (1775)
The Noble Cricketers – John Wolcot (1778)
The Cryketeers – Ferdinando Fungus (1790)
The Game of Cricket – Rev Samuel Bishop (1796)
Nine from Haygarth
Poems featuring cricket
Menu Toggle
The Echoing Green – William Blake (1789)
Childish Recollections – Lord Byron (1806)
Composed in the Valley near Dover – William Wordsworth (1802)
Later poems about the period
Menu Toggle
Ballard of dead cricketers – Andrew Lang (1884)
England Past and Present 1770-1900 – Alfred Cochrane (c1905)
The cricketers of Hambledon – Bruce Bunt (1928)
19th Century writings
Menu Toggle
A Country Cricket Match – Mary Russell Mitford (1824)
The Cricketers of my Time by John Nyren (1833)
Felix on the Bat – Nicholas Wanostrocht (1845)
The Cricket Field – James Pycroft (1859)
The Cricket Tutor – James Pycroft (1862)
Echoes from Old Cricket Fields – Frederick Gale (1871)
The Game of Cricket – Fredrick Gale (1870)
The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England – Joseph Strutt (1831)
The Hambledon Men – edited by E.V. Lucas (1907)
Modern histories
Menu Toggle
Cricket – Horace Gordon Hutchinson (1903)
A History of Cricket – HS Altham and EW Swanton (1925)
The Ladybird Story of Cricket – Vera Southgate (1964)
Early Cricket – John Arlott (1977)
Early History of Cricket – E.D.R. Edgar (1981)
Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century – Timothy McCann (2004)
Cricket and Community in England: 1800 to the Present Day – Peter Davies (Author), Robert Light (2015)
The game
Menu Toggle
Evolution of bowling, bat and stumps
Laws
Equipment
Techniques
The Field
Spectators
A mock 18th Century game
Grounds
Menu Toggle
White Conduit Fields
The Artillery Ground
Mousley Hurst
Broadhalfpenny Down
Windmill Down
Richmond Green
Dorset Square- the first Lord’s
Other important grounds
Players
Menu Toggle
Listing of Cricketers
The Early Cricket Hall of Fame
Matches
Menu Toggle
Important Matches
Single wicket matches
Matches to Remember
Clubs
Menu Toggle
Star and Garter
Hambledon
Marylebone Cricket Club
Money
Menu Toggle
Gambling
Patrons
Professional players
The Game of Cricket – Rev Samuel Bishop (1796)
