1743 English cricket season

This was a three-a-side single wicket game, played 11 July at the Artillery Ground. The six players involved were publicised as "the best in England". They were William Hodsoll (Dartford), John Cutbush (Maidstone), and Val Romney (Sevenoaks) playing as Three of Kent; and Richard Newland (Slindon), William Sawyer (Richmond) and John Bryant (Bromley) playing as Three of England. Hodsoll and Newland were the captains.^[2]

The Daily Advertiser of Thursday, 7 July says Thomas Ridgeway of Sussex was to play alongside Hodsoll and Romney.^[3] Then, on Friday, 8 July, Cutbush, known to have been a clockmaker from Maidstone,^[4] was named instead of Ridgeway. Kent won by 2 runs. The London Evening Post says the crowd was computed to be over 10,000. A return match was arranged at Sevenoaks Vine on Wednesday, 27 July, but it did not come off.^[5][3][6]

Two more single wicket events were arranged in August between Five of London and Five of Richmond. The venues were Richmond Green and the Artillery Ground. Neither result is known.^[2]

On 16 May, Kent played against a combined London, Middlesex & Surrey team (LMS) on Bromley Common.^[7] LMS batted first and scored 97. Kent in reply made 69. In their second innings, LMS had made 112/3 when time was up at eight o'clock (20:00). The match situation was that LMS led by 140 runs with seven wickets in hand. It was initially agreed to continue next day, but Kent later "gave up the match".^[4] The LMS team was also described as Lord Montfort's XI. Montfort was associated with the London club, and seems to have been a noted patron of the game, although this match is the only one with which he can be directly associated. Kent were organised by Lord John Philip Sackville.^[2][8][9]

On Monday, 25 July, London met Addington on the Artillery Ground.^[7] Addington is about 3 miles south-east of Croydon and this was the club's first game in London. They had a very strong eleven for some years at this time and the club immediately accepted the Slindon challenge, in 1744, to play against "any parish in England". Robert Colchin of Bromley and Tom Peake of Chelsfield played for Addington as given men. William Sawyer of Richmond played for London as a given man. Tom Peake, who died in 1767, lived at Chelsfield and Orpington. London batting first made 32 and 74. Addington in their only innings scored 110 and so won by an innings and 4 runs.^[2][5]

London played five matches against Woburn whose team, based at Woburn Park, was organised by the 4th Duke of Bedford. The first two fixtures were on 27 and 28 May at Woburn Park. The teams won one apiece, but by unknown margins.^[7][2] The next game on 13 June, played at the Artillery Ground, may have been intended as a decider. Woburn won by 54 runs.^[7][2][10]

The other two matches were on 1 August at Woburn Park, and on 8 August at the Artillery Ground. Innings totals of both games have been recorded. In the first, London scored 46 and 60; Woburn 72 and 31. London won by 3 runs.^[7][2][11] In the second, Woburn scored 104 and 36; London 93 and 48/9. London won by 1 wicket.^[7][2][11]

A report in the Kentish Weekly Post on 9 July said that Horsmonden Cricket Club, playing at home, had defeated a team from the combined villages of Romney, Cranbrook, and Staplehurst with a return due to take place on 11 July.^[3]

In September, Horsmonden played three matches against London. In these, they were called Horsmonden & Weald. The first match was on 5&6 September at the Artillery Ground.^[7] London won by 1 wicket, and three runs were still required when the last man went in.^[2][12][13] They played again on 12 September, also at the Artillery Ground, and London won by an unknown margin.^{[7][2][12][13]}

There was to be a third match later in the month, but neither the venue nor the result are known.^[12]

There were three matches between London and the Sevenoaks Cricket Club. The first was played 23 and 24 August on Sevenoaks Vine.^[7] London scored 41 and 54; Sevenoaks 49 and 40. Sevenoaks were 24/6 in their second innings at close of play on the 23rd, still needing 23 to win. London won 6 runs.^[2][11] There was a return match, played 29 August, on the Artillery Ground.^[7] The pre-match announcement said: "the match played on Sevenoaks Vine, being won with great difficulty by London, has caused several considerable bets to be laid, between the noblemen and gentlemen then present; 'tis desired all persons will keep the utmost extent of the line". London won again, but by an unknown margin.^[2][12][10]

A third match was to be played 14 September on the Artillery Ground.^[7] It was pre-announced as "the third great match of cricket" between the two. However, the result is unknown.^[2][13]

On 13 June, Dartford played the Rochester Cricket Club at Dartford Brent. Dartford won by 30 runs. This is the first mention of the Rochester club, which is unlikely to have had a connection with the old Rochester Punch Club.^[14] A return match was played 23 June on Marsh's New Ground in Rochester. The result is unknown.^[15]

Six matches took place in which London faced a combined eleven. The teams were Deptford & Greenwich (D&G), Bromley & Chislehurst (B&C), Kingston & Richmond (K&R), and Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Middlesex (BBM).

London played the D&G team at Blackheath on 9 June. D&G won by an unknown margin.^[7][10]

There were two matches between London and the B&C team. The first was played 24 June on Bromley Common, where B&C won "with difficulty".^[7][2] The return match was played three days later on the Artillery Ground. The result is unknown.^[7][2]

London also played the K&R team twice. These matches were played 4 July on Richmond Green, and 18 July on the Artillery Ground.^[7] In the first match, the famous Robert Colchin ("Long Robin") of Bromley Cricket Club played for London as a given man. This is the earliest known mention of Colchin. London won by an unknown margin.^[2][16] In the return match, Colchin again played for London as a given man. Scores are known: London 57 and 117; K&R 55 and 52, so London won by 67 runs.^[2][10]

London and the BBM team played 19 September on the Artillery Ground.^[7] It was announced beforehand that: "the days being short, it is ordered that the wickets be pitched at 10 o’clock. This will be the last great match of the season". London won by 53 runs.^[2][13]

On Monday, 5 September, there was a match at Finningham between teams from Finningham and Stradbroke which is the earliest known reference to cricket in the county of Suffolk.^[17] Stradbroke, who had some given men from Stowmarket, won the match.^[18]

The heavy modern-type ball with wound core and a thick leather cover may have come into use about this time. Ashley-Cooper recorded that a Mr Clout was active in Sevenoaks as "the first cricket ball maker of any pretension".^[2] The better-known equipment manufacturing firm of Dukes was founded 1760 in Penshurst.^[19]

On Tuesday, 26 April, the Daily Advertiser reported that a British Army deserter called Stephen Rose, from Chertsey and aged 21, was "a famous Cricket-Player".^[20]

On 6 June, a game between teams from Shacklewell and Westminster was played at The Cock in Shacklewell, near Stoke Newington. This is evidence of the involvement of the brewing industry in the sport; a number of grounds, ranging from Broadhalfpenny Down to Trent Bridge, were established on fields adjacent to inns and taverns.^[2]

There was a game played 16 June on Walworth Common in which a team from Bermondsey defeated one from Deptford & the King's Yard by an innings and 27 runs. It was clearly a minor fixture, but F. S. Ashley-Cooper helpfully explained that Walworth Common was situated where Westmoreland Road, Faraday Street, and Mann Street stood in 1900. He said the ground was "about three-quarters of a mile from where the Bee Hive Ground afterwards existed". The Bee Hive was Montpelier Cricket Club's home ground.^[2]

There was a match between teams called "Lewes Rape" and "Pevensey Rape" on 3 August. The venue was given as Lewes Down, near the "Horse-Course". Although it was a village match between two Sussex parishes, the stake was "a considerable sum of money".^[6][2] The Lewes Down venue was possibly where Sir William Gage's XI met Edwin Stead's XI in September 1729.^[21][22]