1771 English cricket season

The 1771 English cricket season is notable for the infamous wide bat affair which resulted in a rule being established within the Laws of Cricket whereby the maximum width of the bat has ever since been four and a quarter inches.

Also of great historical significance is the Nottingham v Sheffield match in August.

The following matches are classified as important:

Reported in the Kent Weekly Post aka Canterbury Journal on Tues 2 July and again on Tues 16 July. This match was the first of a series of games this year between teams that were apparently "gentlemen only". The games were also titled Tenterden & Benenden versus Northiam & Peasmarsh.

The Gazetteer advertised both games on Mon 8 July but no post-match reports were found.

Second in the series of gentlemen’s matches (see 3 July above). Two other matches were played possibly in August at Sevenoaks Vine and Laleham Burway, but there are no details and they may again be "gentlemen only" games.

Reported in the St James Chronicle on Thurs 8 August.

Third in the series of gentlemen’s matches (see 3 & 30 July above).

Hambledon scored 65 and 90; All-England took a sizeable first innings lead with 146 and needed only 10-0 to win the game convincingly.

The game was reported in the London Gazetteer on Fri 16 August.

This match and the next one were played by amateur gentlemen. The teams are given and they are local clergy and the like only, although a few names like de Burgh, Ridge and Cotton can be associated with membership of the Hambledon Club. These are therefore minor matches. Harry Peckham is believed to be the "Mr Peckam junior" on the Sussex team.

The source lists the team changes but they make no difference to the minor status of the match.

The reports indicate that the game was not determined on account of a dispute having arisen by one of the Sheffield players being jostled. It seems the intention was for each team to play 3 innings each. The end details we have are that Sheffield was 60 ahead with Nottingham yet to bat. Sheffield scored 81, 62 and 105 for a total of 248, but we don’t know if 105 was an all out total or not. Nottingham had scored 76 and 112 for a total of 188 with another innings in hand.

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