1762 English cricket season

The 1762 cricket season was the 165th in England since the earliest known definite reference to cricket in January 1597 (i.e., Old Style – 1598 New Style). Details have survived of eight important eleven-a-side matches. Chertsey was again the most active club.

The following matches are classified as important:

The source says “the former brought 99 and the latter 101” so the result was probably a win for Chertsey by 2 runs but it is by no means certain. Evidently the stakes amounted to “several hundred pounds”.

This was played for 100 guineas but was undecided. The report says: “...but was not decided, a dispute arising about one of the players being catched (sic) out when Surrey was 50 ahead the first innings. From words they came to blows, which occasioned several broken heads, as likewise a challenge between two persons of distinction. The confusion was so great that the bets were withdrawn.”

The report says: “Played eleven-a-side for a considerable sum”.

When announcing the return match, the Daily Advertiser on Sat 4 September refers to the above by saying that Middlesex won “with great difficulty” but later reports that Middlesex “had five to go in when they beat them”.

NB: It should be pointed out, perhaps, that contemporary reports tended to number the men who have “not yet gone in” and it must be remembered that there are two men who have gone in who are still not out, so when there are five to go in it means that four wickets have fallen and the fifth wicket partnership is intact.

The Daily Advertiser describes the teams, probably quite accurately, as “the County of Middlesex” and “the parish of Chertsey”.

Played for £50. Chertsey was a very strong club at the time (see report of the next two matches) and a game against the rest of Surrey would be a significant fixture. The Daily Advertiser carried the curious sentence: Ordinary at Mr Fowler’s at the White Horse, an Ordinary being an "ordinary dinner".

A report in the Daily Advertiser of Fri 17 September says that the teams are: “the County of Middlesex and London against the famous (sic) Parish of Chertsey with 3 of the best men from Dartford in Kent”. This underlines the afore-mentioned quality of the Chertsey team.

The report also confirms the dates and venues of the two games as above and says: “Each match to begin at 11, and to be played out”.

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