George Kipps
English cricketer (18th century)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Kipps (dates unknown) was an English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period who came from Eltham. He played for Sevenoaks and Kent. He also represented various England teams. A top-class player, and the sport's earliest-known accomplished wicket-keeper, he made numerous appearances in historically important matches, both eleven-a-side and single wicket.[note 1][note 2] His name has sometimes been spelled "Kips".[4]
1744
Earliest-known stumping
The earliest-known instance of a batsman being stumped was in 1744. J. Bryant (i.e., one of the brothers James or John Bryant) of England was dismissed by Kipps, the Kent wicket-keeper. The match was England v Kent on the Artillery Ground. The surviving match scorecard is the first to include dismissal information.[6][7]
- See History of English cricket (1726–1750)#England teams for additional content.
Kipps is cricket's first renowned wicket-keeper. Others in the 18th century were John Bell of Kent, Edward Gill of Buckinghamshire, Tom Sueter of Hampshire, Richard Simmons of Kent, and William Yalden of Surrey.
1746
On 23 June 1746, Kent and Surrey were scheduled to play on the Artillery Ground. Kent's team consisted entirely of players from Bromley, Bexley, and Sevenoaks; these included Robert Colchin, George Kipps (wicket-keeper), John Bowra, James Bryant, John Bryant, and Robert Eures.[6][8]
A combined teams match was played 7 July 1746 at Duppas Hill, Croydon, between Kent & Surrey and Addington & Bromley.[9] The crowd was reported as "nearly ten thousand". George Kipps of Sevenoaks, the renowned wicket-keeper, played as a given man for Addington & Bromley. The title of the fixture indicates the strength of the Addington and Bromley clubs at this time. The London Evening Post on Thursday, 3 July announced: "No person allowed to bring any liquour that don't (sic) live in the parish". Kent & Surrey won by 4 runs.[6][10]
On 14 July 1746, there was a return of the Addington & Bromley v Kent & Surrey match. This one was played on the Artillery Ground. George Kipps of Sevenoaks again played for the Addington & Bromley team as a given man. A report said: "Many hundreds of pounds were lost and won over this match".[6]
1747
- See 1747 English cricket season#Kent v England for additional content.
See also
Notes
- Matches at this time were played on rudimentary pitches with a two-stump wicket. The batter used a curved bat and the bowler delivered the ball with an underarm action by bowling it all along the ground. The sport underwent an evolutionary change in the 1760s when bowlers began pitching the ball, still using an underarm action, and the modern straight bat was introduced in response.[1]
- Scorecard data till at least 1825 was never comprehensive, especially the dismissal information: bowling analyses lacked balls bowled and runs conceded; bowlers were not credited with wickets when the batsman was caught or stumped; in many matches, the means of dismissal were omitted.[2][3]