1811 to 1815 English cricket seasons
The years from 1811 to 1815 saw the height and climax of the Napoleonic Wars, which had a catastrophic effect on English cricket by taking an increasing toll of the sport's manpower and investment. Only thirteen historically important matches are on record during the five seasons: one in each of 1811, 1812, and 1813; four in 1814, following Napoleon's exile to Elba in April of that year; and six in 1815, five of them after the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June.[note 1]
Lord's Middle Ground was in use for three years from 1811 to 1813, after the lease on Lord's Old Ground expired. The Middle Ground was requisitioned by Parliament as it lay on the route of the Regent's Canal, then under construction, and the present Lord's ground in St John's Wood was opened at the beginning of the 1814 season. Among the leading players of the time were Lord Frederick Beauclerk, Billy Beldham, E. H. Budd, John Hammond, Thomas Howard, William Lambert, George Osbaldeston, and William Ward.
1811 season
Thomas Lord opened his second ground, now known as Lord's Middle Ground, ahead of the 1811 season. His original ground, today called Lord's Old Ground, had been the home of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) since Lord opened it in 1787. Lord decided to relocate in 1811 because of a rise in the Old Ground rent. He removed all of his turf, and relaid it at the Middle Ground, which was on the Eyre Estate in St John's Wood, west of Regent's Park. More precisely, it was in an area called North Bank at the northern end of Lisson Grove, just south of the present Lord's ground.[2] MCC's members were opposed to the change, and the club followed Lord to the Middle Ground with great reluctance. It is a fact that no MCC team took to the field between May 1810 and June 1813.[3]
There is only one match on record in 1811. This was B. Aislabie's XI versus George Osbaldeston's XI, played 8 and 9 July on the Middle Ground. Osbaldeston's XI won by 8 wickets. Thomas Howard, the noted pace bowler, took at least eight wickets in the match for Osbaldeston's XI.[note 2][4][5]
1812 season
As in 1811, only one match is on record in 1812. George Osbaldeston's XI were again involved, their opponents being Lord F. Beauclerk's XI. The match was played 15 to 17 June on the Middle Ground, and was drawn. Beauclerk scored 86 of his team's 132 in their first innings. Osbaldeston's XI replied with 89, and Beauclerk's XI then scored 114 for a lead of 157. Osbaldeston's XI had reached 124/6 when time expired. Thomas Howard, this time in Beauclerk's XI, was again the best bowler with eight (bowled only) wickets.[6][7]
1813 season
This season was the last for the Middle Ground.
Notes
- ↑ Any match listed in the ACS' Important Match Guide (1981) is historically important, and therefore of the highest standard, whether or not a scorecard might exist. The same applies to numerous matches discovered by researchers since 1981.[1] For further information, see First-class cricket.
- ↑ In this period, dismissal information in scorecards was never comprehensive, and a bowler was only credited with a wicket if the batter was out bowled. If a batter was caught or stumped, only the fielder was credited.
References
- ↑ ACS 1981, pp. 1–40.
- ↑ Altham & Swanton 1962, pp. 52–53.
- ↑ Birley 1999, p. 57.
- ↑ Haygarth 1996, p. 365.
- ↑ "B. Aislabie's XI v G. Osbaldeston's XI, July 1811". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ Haygarth 1996, p. 366.
- ↑ "Lord F. Beauclerk's XI v G. Osbaldeston's XI, June 1812". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
Bibliography
- ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC 85045528.
- 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.
- Haygarth, Arthur (1996) [1862]. Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN 978-19-00592-23-9.
Further reading
- 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.
- Warner, Pelham (1946). Lords: 1787–1945. London: Harrap. OCLC 877106024.