William Bedle
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Bedle (aka Beddel) | |
| Born |
22 February 1679 Bromley, Kent, England |
|
| Died | 3 June 1768 (aged 89) Dartford, Kent, England |
|
| Batting style | hand unknown | |
| Bowling style | underarm | |
| Role | player | |
| Domestic team information | ||
| Years | Team | |
| c.1701-c.1730 | Dartford Cricket Club | |
| c.1701-c.1730 | Kent | |
| Career statistics | ||
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| Source: G. B. Buckley, 22 May 2008 | ||
William Bedle (22 February 1679 (Julian calendar date, equating to the year 1680 in the Gregorian calendar) – 3 June 1768) was an English cricketer who played for Dartford and Kent in the first quarter of the 18th century. With the possible exception of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, Bedle is the earliest known accomplished player, certainly the earliest who is renowned for his expertise as a player. He was born in Bromley but lived most of his life near Dartford, where he was a wealthy farmer and grazier.
Bedle is the first known cricketer "who achieved great prominence in the game" for it was said of him in his obituary in Lloyd's Evening Post dated 10 June 1768 that he was "formerly accounted the most expert cricket player in England".Rowland Bowen wrote that Bedle was thus "the first in a long line (of the best players in England) that must include Fuller Pilch, W. G. Grace, Jack Hobbs and Walter Hammond". This assessment of his ability means that three things can be deduced: he was a great player; the means of judging a player's prowess were then available; and Bedle's reputation lasted at least a generation after his playing career ended.
Bedle played in the first quarter of the 18th century and his career dates are tentatively given as 1700 to 1725 (ages 21 to 46), though the span could have been much greater. He was a member of Dartford Cricket Club, which was "the greatest Kent team of the first half of the eighteenth century" and which was often representative of Kent as a county. The Dartford club's website records that Bedle was "the first great player in cricketing annals" and "the earliest Dartford cricketer whose name has come down to posterity".
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