History of cricket to 1725
Summary of known organised matches (1611–1725)
The table below summarises all of the known organised matches from 1611 to 1725 and does not separate matches by form or status.

History of cricket to 1725

Section Title: Summary of known organised matches (1611–1725)
Table Section Text: The table below summarises all of the known organised matches from 1611 to 1725 and does not separate matches by form or status.

Date	Teams	Venue	Result	Source

unknown date, c.1611	Weald and Upland v Chalkhill	Chevening	result unknown

The earliest known village cricket match; and the earliest known organised match in Kent, in England and in the world. Deduced from a 1640 court case which recorded a "cricketing" of "Weald and Upland" versus "Chalkhill" at Chevening "about thirty years since" (i.e., c.1611).

28 August 1624	Horsted Keynes v West Hoathly	Horsted Keynes	result unknown

The earliest definite mention of cricket in Sussex is dated 1611 but this is believed to be the earliest known organised match in the county.

29 May 1646	Coxheath II v Maidstone IV	Coxheath Common	result unknown

The earliest known example of an "odds" game as two Coxheath players were against four Maidstone players. Possibly a single wicket match and, if so, the earliest known.

c.30 June 1697	"A Great Match"	Sussex	result unknown

A historically significant event which is recorded by numerous sources, starting with G. B.

1 April 1700	series of ten-a-side matches	Clapham Common, near Vauxhall	results unknown

The participants were all "gentlemen" though "others" could attend as spectators. Classification is uncertain, though it must presumably be viewed as a minor event given the limited social status of the participants, the relatively low stakes (£10 and £20 are mentioned in the newspaper report) and the ten-a-side teams.

unknown date, 1702	1st Duke of Richmond's XI v Arundel	Sussex	result unknown

Verified by a receipt for the purchase of brandy which describes the purpose of the transaction (i.e., to celebrate a cricket match).

7 August 1705	West of Kent v Chatham	Maulden	result unknown

The primary source gives the venue as "Maulden" which almost certainly refers to Town Malling. The title "West of Kent" suggests a team representative of several parishes, so this is arguably the earliest known important match in Kent.

26 June 1707	London v Mitcham	Lamb's Conduit Field, Holborn	result unknown

The earliest known important match in Middlesex and possibly the earliest known to involve the original London Cricket Club, though the date of the club's formation is uncertain and the team here might have been an ad hoc London XI.

1 July 1707	Croydon v London	Croydon, possibly Duppas Hill	result unknown

The earliest known important match in Surrey. As with the previous match, it is not known if the teams at this time represented formally constituted clubs and it is possible that both were ad hoc teams drawn from local residents.

8 July 1707	London v Croydon	Lamb's Conduit Field, Holborn	result unknown

A return match to the one on 1 July above. There has been some confusion about the date following a misreading of the original source by H.

23 June 1708	A Canterbury team v Ash Street	venue unknown	A Canterbury team won

Probably a minor local match only but it illustrates the popularity of cricket in Kent. The original source is the diary of one Thomas Minter, a Canterbury resident, who wrote: "We beat Ash Street at Crickets (sic)".

29 June 1709	Kent v Surrey	Dartford Brent	result unknown

From this time, in the 112th season since the sport's earliest definite reference in 1597, there are references to counties in use as team names although it is generally believed that the earliest "inter-county matches" were really inter-parish matches involving two villages on either side of a county boundary.

31 May 1717	"A cricket match"	Sussex	result unknown

Thomas Marchant, a farmer from Hurstpierpoint in Sussex, first mentioned cricket in his diary. He made numerous references to the game, particularly concerning his local club, until 1727.

1 Sept 1718	London v Rochester Punch Club	White Conduit Fields	match abandoned

This match is the earliest known mention of White Conduit Fields as a venue. The game was abandoned on Monday, 1 September 1718, because three Rochester players "made an elopement" in an attempt to have the game declared incomplete so that they would retain their stake money.

early July 1719	London v Rochester Punch Club	White Conduit Fields	London won by 21 runs

The continuation of the September 1718 match (see above entry), which was abandoned by the Rochester players. Following a legal action in which the London players sued for their winnings, the court ordered that the match must be "played out".

19 August 1719	London v Kent	White Conduit Fields	Kent won

Reportedly played for "a considerable sum of money". There is an insight into the priorities of early 18th century cricketers as the contemporary report concludes with: "The Kentish men won the wager" (i.e., the wager was more important than the match).

6 July 1720	Kingston v Richmond	venue unknown	Kingston won

The secondary source is uncertain about the date due to a slight ambiguity in the primary source, a contemporary newspaper published Saturday, 16 July, which refers to "Wednesday last".

9 July 1720	London v Kent	White Conduit Fields	London won

Two London fielders were seriously injured by a clash of heads when chasing the ball. Waghorn speculated that their injuries may have caused a perception that the sport is "dangerous" as the next report he could find was for a match in 1726.

unknown date, 1721	English sailors	Cambay, India	result unknown

Not a match in England, but one involving English sailors of the East India Company, who played a match at Cambay, near Baroda.

18 July 1722	London v Dartford	venue unknown	result unknown

The subject of a letter in The Weekly Journal dated 21 July 1722. It is believed the match took place somewhere in the Islington area, so the exact venue may have been White Conduit Fields.

unknown date, 1723	Surrey v London	Moulsey Hurst	result unknown

The source states that "XI Gentlemen of Surrey played XI of London at Moulsey Hurst during the summer". It is the earliest known mention of Moulsey Hurst as a venue for cricket.

unknown date, 1723	Dartford v Tonbridge	Dartford Brent	result unknown

The subject of a diary entry by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, who wrote: "At Dartford upon the Heath as we came out of the town, the men of Tonbridge and the Dartford men were warmly engaged at the sport of cricket, which of all the people of England the Kentish folk are the most renowned for, and of all the Kentish men, the men of Dartford lay claim to the greatest excellence".

11 June 1724	Dartford v London	Dartford Brent	result unknown

This match is a recent discovery so the next match, which has been in the records a long time, was actually a return.

18 June 1724	London v Dartford	Kennington Common	result unknown

The earliest known match on Kennington Common and a return match to the one on 11 June above.

10 August 1724	Penshurst, Tonbridge & Wadhurst v Dartford	Penshurst Park	result unknown

Recorded in a diary entry by one John Dawson, who may have attended, and described as "a great match". Note that some sources have mistakenly given the venue as "Islington" but contemporary newspapers confirm that it took place at Penshurst Park.

unknown date, 1724	Edwin Stead's XI v Chingford	Dartford Brent	result unknown

Dartford Brent is assumed to have been the venue because of the wording used by a primary source (see below). If, however, the venue was in Chingford, then this is the earliest known match in Essex.

15 July 1725	Sir William Gage's XI v another XI	unknown venue	Gage "shamefully beaten"

Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond wrote to Sir William Gage in July 1725 and issued a challenge for a match to be played at Goodwood.

20 July 1725	2nd Duke of Richmond's XI v Sir William Gage's XI	Bury Hill, Arundel	Richmond's XI won by "above forty"

The subject of Gage's letter to Richmond on 16 July (see above). Richmond had challenged Gage to a match at Goodwood.

Sentence(s)

On Wednesday, 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue and Kingston won.
On 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue and Kingston won.
On 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue where Kingston won.

final_sentence: On Wednesday, 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue and Kingston won.
final_sentence: On 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue and Kingston won.
final_sentence: On 6 July 1720, Kingston v Richmond was played at an unknown venue where Kingston won.