1814 English cricket season
The 1814 English cricket season was the 28th since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The current Lord's was opened and staged its first match. Jem Broadbridge made his debut in historically important matches. Details of four matches are known.[note 1]
Events
- The site of Lord's Middle Ground was requisitioned by Parliament for the building of the Regent's Canal. Thomas Lord contacted the Eyre family, erstwhile owners of the ground, and persuaded them to lease to him another parcel of land in St John's Wood, about half a mile further north at a place called North Bank. This site had previously been a duckpond. In the winter of 1813–14, Lord again had his turf literally dug up and removed. He built a high perimeter fence, a tavern and a pavilion at what became the current Lord's ground.
- On 22 June 1814, MCC played the first match at Lord's against Hertfordshire, then as now a minor county.
- The first match of importance at Lord's was played 13–15 July 1814 when MCC hosted St John's Wood, whose team included Billy Beldham, William Lambert, and William Ward.
- With the Napoleonic War at its height, cricket continued to be badly impacted by the consequent loss of both manpower and investment. Important matches had become few and far between since 1810, and only four are recorded in 1814:
- 13–15 July — MCC v St John's Wood @ Lord's[2]
- 22–23 July — Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI v George Osbaldeston's XI @ Goodwood Park
- A total of twelve players made their known historically important match debuts in this game. One of them was Jem Broadbridge, who went on to become an outstanding player. Others included Charles Andrew, Francis Mellersh, and William Slater.
- 28–29 July — Brighton v Epsom @ Royal New Ground, Brighton
- 2–4 August — Lord Frederick Beauclerk's XI v D. J. W. Kinnaird's XI @ Lord's[3]
- On 20 September, there was a match between Rutland and Nottingham at The Park, which Nottingham won by an innings and 163 runs. This is the first time that Rutland is known to have played as an independent county team.
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.
References
Bibliography
- ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC 85045528.
- Haygarth, Arthur (1996) [1862]. Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN 978-19-00592-23-9.
- Warner, Pelham (1946). Lords: 1787–1945. London: Harrap. OCLC 877106024.
Further reading
- 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.
- 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.