Cricket (1850): vs Yalding

Post date: Mar 21, 2012 5:4:29 PM

Cricket is famously supposed to be the reason why England did not have a revolution at the end of the 18th century (as all classes in society played cricket together).

The following extract is a bit frustrating in attempting to analyse the class of the Wateringbury players as only surnames are quoted: but the Fremlins were undoubtedly wealthy by this time as well as the Leneys; Goodwin is a bit more difficult as although E.J. Goodwin was a wealthy farmer at Cannon Court and Dann's Lane, there was also a wheelwright of this surname. A. W. M. Marshall won the 1st prize at the Kent and Maidstone Cattle show in 1842 for his mare in foal (reported in the Kentish Gazette of 20 December 1842). More work needs to be done. Part of the original of the 'scores' section is indecipherable.

The Lees is the flat river side area by Twyford Bridge, and the Two Brewers Inn , which is now a house, was in Yalding.

Extract from The Era, Sunday 4th August 1850.

WATERINGBURY AND YALDING Clubs.

An annual match between these neighbouring parishes was played on Monday. The latter club has during the last year become materially strengthened, so that they are able to show a bolder front than they for several years previously were enabled to do, from their long run of ill luck. The players met on " The Lees," one of the most beautiful and romantic spots possible, particularly for cricket; it would appear that Nature laid it out expressly for the purpose to which it is now applied.

Wateringbury went in first, kept possession of the wickets for nearly three hours, and marked 109 runs in the time. Goodwin, Cripps, and Shepherd batted in capital style, and made good scores. Hodges, also, in the second innings, " came out," but the rest of his companions seemed to shy the bowling, and had their rewards accordingly.

The Yalding batters stood the fire of Harris and Leney with praiseworthy firmness, and although young hands for public matches, they acquitted themselves like men. Had there been sufficient time to play the match out, Yalding in all probability would have been triumphant, as they had got seven good players to go in for 36 runs-a mere nothing. White, Tomkin, and Lipscombe scored 37 among them, and taking into account the bowling, such a score is highly creditable to their play.

The parties adjourned to time Two Brewers Inn, where the evening was spent with the greatest cordiality.

Score:- WATERINGBURY First innings, 109; second innings, 42; total, 151 of which C. Leney (b Larking) obtained 5 and (c French, Larking) 0, Marshall (c Henham, b French) ' and (run out) 6, F. Leney (c Maynard, b Larking) 7 and ( b Larking) 2, Startup (b Larking) 3 and (b Larking) 0, Shepherd (c Lipscombe, b Larking) 10 and (run out) 1, Hodges (b Larkin ) 6 and (not out) 13, Goodwin (b French) 23 and (c Larking, b French) 5, Harris (b French) 0 and (b Larking) 0, Greenstead (c ?????, b French) ) and (b French) 5, Cripps (not out) ???????????? b French) 3, Fremlin (c French, b Larking) total, 115: of which Tomkin (b Leney) obtained 10 and (b Startup) 2, Norwood (b Harris) 4, G. Larking (b Leney) 4, J. Larking (run out) 7, French (b Leney) 0 and (c Harris, b Startup) 7, White (run out) 17 and (b Leney) 1, Monckton (c Harris, b Shepherd) 6, Lipscombe (not out) 10 and (not out 4, Henham (b Shepherd) 2, Maynard (c Goodwin, b Leney) 0 and (not out) 0, White (b Shepherd) 2; byes, &c., 27 and 12.