1820 English cricket season

1820 English cricket season

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1820 was the 34th season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Fuller Pilch made his first known appearance at Lord's. Details of five historically important eleven-a-side matches are known.^{[note 1]}

Events

• According to Wisden, the original Northamptonshire CCC was founded in 1820 but was subject to substantial reorganisation and reformation in 1878. 1820 also has the earliest mention of wicket-keeping gloves.
• William Ward scored 278 for MCC v. Norfolk at Lord's in 1820, the first known double century and a new world record for the highest individual innings in all forms of cricket, beating James Aylward's score of 167 in 1777. Opinion about the match's status is divided, and Aylward may have held the record until 1826.
• With cricket still recovering from the effects of the Napoleonic War, only a few matches were recorded in 1820:
  • 23 May — Cambridge Town Club v Cambridge University @ Parker's Piece, Cambridge
  • 30 May — Cambridge Town Club v Cambridge University @ Parker's Piece, Cambridge
  • 19–20 June — Gentlemen v Players @ Lord's Cricket Ground^[2]
  • 3–5 July — England v Hampshire @ Lord's Cricket Ground^[3]
• In addition, on 24 July, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) v Norfolk match at Lord's.^[4] This match has dubious provenance.^[5]

Notes

1. Any match listed in the ACS' Important Match Guide (1981) is historically important, and therefore of the highest standard, whether or not a scorecard might exist. The same applies to numerous matches discovered by researchers since 1981.^[1] For further information, see First-class cricket.

References

1. ACS 1981, pp. 1–40.
2. Haygarth, p.430.
3. Haygarth, p.432.
4. Haygarth, p.433.
5. Rae, p.207.

Bibliography

• ACS (1981). A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709–1863. Nottingham: ACS. OCLC 85045528.
• Haygarth, Arthur (1996) [1862]. Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826). Kennington: Frederick Lillywhite. ISBN 978-19-00592-23-9.
• Warner, Pelham (1946). Lords: 1787–1945. London: Harrap. OCLC 877106024.

Further reading

• Altham, H. S.; Swanton, E. W. (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914) (5th ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC 894274808.
• Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-18-54107-10-7 – via Internet Archive.
• Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. ISBN 978-04-13278-60-9.
• Major, John (2007). More Than A Game. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-00-07183-64-7 – via Internet Archive.