1772 English cricket season

The 1772 English cricket season is notable in cricket statistics because it is from then that surviving scorecards are common. Scorecards have survived of three first-class matches played in 1772. These were all organised, in part at least, by the Hambledon Club and were between Hampshire and All-England.

Hampshire twice defeated All-England but lost the third of the three scorecarded matches before defeating Surrey in a match with no known scorecard. The leading bowlers of the day are understood to have been Thomas Brett of Hampshire and Lumpy Stevens of Chertsey and Surrey, although the scorecards of 1772 have not preserved any bowling or fielding data. The outstanding batsman of the season in terms of known runs scored was John Small of Hampshire, while William Yalden of Chertsey and Surrey also achieved good scores.

The following matches are classified as important:

Nottingham forfeited the match after being dismissed for 14 and then seeing Sheffield score 70 with wickets still in hand. See also the match on 26 August 1771. A pre-match announcement appeared in the (Nottingham) Daily Messenger on Tuesday, 25 May: We are informed that the great Cricket Match which has been so long depending between the Society of Nottingham & that of Sheffield is to be finally determined at Sheffield on Mon., 1 June . . . . The Sherwood youths have been practising for some weeks past, and we are told, the odds at Nottingham are 2 to 1 in their favour. The paper followed up with a report on Friday, 12 June that bewailed the defeat of the Nottingham team.

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