Richard Newland

Richard Newland (1713–1778) was an English cricketer in the mid-Georgian period who played for Slindon Cricket Club and Sussex under the patronage of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond. He also represented various All-England teams. Newland made 26 known appearances from 1741 to 1751: 18 in first-class and 8 in single wicket matches.

Born 1713, Slindon, Sussex, two of his brothers, John (born 1717) and Adam (born 1719), played for Slindon but little is known of them apart from what appears in the match reports. The Newland brothers were the uncles of Richard Nyren, who later became the team captain at Hambledon. Their sister Susan married Richard Nyren senior of Eartham, which is near Slindon.

The earliest recorded mention of the Newland brothers is in a letter dated Thursday 9 July 1741 from the Duchess of Richmond to her husband. She mentions a conversation with John Newland re a Slindon v East Dean match a week earlier at Long Down, near Eartham, Sussex.

In the 1740s, Richard Newland was arguably "the most famous player in England". He was a batting all-rounder and the earliest known left-handed player in cricket history. His bowling style and pace are unknown but, like all bowlers during his career, he used the underarm style. He excelled at both single wicket and the eleven-a-side game.

Newland's career must have begun in the 1730s but there is no mention of him in the sources during that decade. He relied for his opportunities on the 2nd Duke of Richmond, who patronised the Slindon team which eventually became representative of Sussex as a county. This was emphasised in a noted match against Surrey at Merrow Down in September 1741 when, according to Richmond's letters, "poor little Slyndon" beat Surrey "almost in 1 innings".