List of Norfolk first-class cricketers

This is a list of cricketers who played for Norfolk cricket teams in first-class cricket matches. Norfolk teams played six matches which have been classified as first-class cricket during the early 19th century.[1] A total of 32 men played in the six matches for Norfolk, with three, the Pilch brothers, playing in all six.

The first match in which a Norfolk team took place which is considered first-class took place against MCC at Lord's in 1820.[lower-alpha 1] It is generally accepted that the match was actually organised by Holt Cricket Club with three guest players - E. H. Budd, Felix Ladbroke and Thomas Vigne - added to the side.[lower-alpha 2][4] This was one of only five matches which took place in 1820 to have been retrospectively given first-class status.[5] William Ward, playing for MCC, scored 278 runs in the first innings of the match, batting over three days. This score has generally been considered to be the first double-century scored in first-class cricket.[lower-alpha 3] Ward's score was not beaten in a first-class game until WG Grace scored 344 runs in an innings in 1876.[6][7]

The remaining five matches were played between 1833 and 1836, after the formation of the original Norfolk County Club in 1826 or 1827.[lower-alpha 4][10][8] All five were against Yorkshire sides, essentially teams organised by Sheffield Cricket Club.[lower-alpha 5][12] One match took place in 1833 at Hyde Park, Sheffield, with two being played in both 1834 and 1836, on both occasions with one match was played at Sheffield and one at the New Ground in Norwich.[9] Norfolk regularly played matches against other teams with first-class status throughout the 1830s and 1840s, including MCC and the Cambridge Town Club, but none of these matches have been awarded first-class status.[lower-alpha 6] The County Club had largely ceased to operate by 1848, although matches continued to be played using the name Norfolk.[13][14][15]

The current Norfolk County Cricket Club was established in 1877. The club has played Minor Counties Championship cricket since 1895 and played 26 List A cricket matches between 1965 and 2003.[10][16] Players who played in these matches are listed separately.

B
Name Matches[upper-alpha 1] Seasons[upper-alpha 2] Notes Ref
Richard Bagge 2 1836 Played in both of the 1836 matches against Yorkshire XIs, his only first-class matches. Played other matches for Norfolk teams between 1846 and 1850 and for Swaffham and King's Lynn. Twin brother of William Bagge. [17][18]
William Bagge 2 1836 Played alongside his twin Richard in the two 1836 matches and in 1839 played twice for MCC in two other first-class matches. Was elected MP for West Norfolk in 1837. [19]
James Bird 1 1834 Played in one of Norfolk's matches, having made two first-class appearances for Oxford University in the 1820s.[lower-alpha 7] [20][21][22]
William Brereton 1 1820 The only cricket match Brereton is recorded as playing in was the 1820 match at Lord's. [4][23]
C. Brunton 1 1820 Played in the 1820 match. Nothing else is known of Brunton's cricket career and other than a surname and initial no biographical details are known. [4][24]
E. H. Budd 1 1820 An "accomplished all-rounder" who played for a variety of sides in first-class matches between 1804 and 1831, Budd played in the 1820 match at Lord's as a guest player in his only match for a Norfolk side. [4]

D
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Mathew Daplyn 4 1833–1836 Made seven appearances in first-class matches, four of which were for Norfolk. A Hindringham man, he played other matches for the county between 1842 and 1845. [25]
John Dolphin 1 1834 A clergyman at Antingham and Thorpe Market, Dolphin played for Norfolk sides between 1828 and 1842, making his only first-class appearance for the county in the first of the 1834 matches. He played in a total of six first-class matches, four for Cambridge University between 1825 and 1827 and the other for an England side against Kent later in 1834. [26][27]

E
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
George Englebright 1 1834 Is only known to have played in one cricket match. Englebright batted at number 11 and did not bowl in the 1834 match at Sheffield. [28]

F
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Robert Frost 1 1820 Is only recorded in a single match, playing against MCC in 1820. Frost is known to have been christened at North Elmham in 1820 but no other biographical details are known. [4][29]

G
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Groom 1 1833 All that is known is that Groom played in a single match. Other than a surname there is no biographical information available. [30]
Philip Gurdon 1 1820 After playing at Lord's for Norfolk, Gurdon made a second first-class appearance for Cambridge University in 1822 and is known to have played other matches for Norwich and Norfolk sides. His brothers Edward and William Gurdon both played matches for Norfolk sides, with William making one first-class appearance for Cambridge University in 1825. [31]

H
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Hawkes 1 1836 Played just one first-class match, although Hawkes is also known to have played one other match for the county in 1843. Other than a surname, no biographical details are known. [32]
E. Hogg 3 1833–1836 Is only known to have played in three first-class matches. Other than a surname and initial, no biographical information is known. [33]
Howard 1 1834 Is only known to have made a single first-class appearance, batting at number 11 and not scoring in his only innings during which he was out hit wicket. Other than a surname, no biographical details are known. [34]

K
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Henry Knatchbull 2 1834–1836 Played in 41 first-class matches for a range of sides. After having played twice for Suffolk in 1830, Knatchbull was appointed the vicar of North Elmham in 1833, working in the parish until 1867. During this period he played in both of the first-class matches in Norwich. He played other matches for the county side as well as for sides including Swaffham, Blickling and Holkham during his time in the county. [35][36]

L
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Felix Ladbroke 1 1820 Played in the 1820 match as a guest. Made 29 appearances in first-class matches between 1804 and 1822. [37]
Langford 1 1836 Kept wicket in his single known match. Other than a surname, no biographical information is available. [38]
O. Laws 1 1834 Is known to have played in only a single first-class match for Norfolk. Other than a surname and initial, no biographical information is available. [39]
Edward Leathes 1 1834 Played in five first-class matches, including both of Suffolk's 1830 first-class matches and once for Norfolk. Played for the Norfolk and Norwich club as well as for Bury St Edmunds. [40]

M
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
George Marriott 2 1836 Played in both of the 1836 matches, his only known cricket matches. [41]

P
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Fuller Pilch 6 1820–1836 One of the leading batsmen of his time, Pilch, who was from Horningtoft, played in all six of Norfolk's first-class matches, making his debut in the 1820 match aged 17. Pilch scored the only century made for Norfolk in first-class cricket, scoring 153 not out in the 1834 match at Sheffield. Operated the New Ground in Norwich during the early 1830s with his brother William. In total he played in 229 first-class matches for a number of sides, most frequently for Kent. [42][43][44]
Nathaniel Pilch 6 1820–1836 Played in all six of Norfolk's first-class matches alongside his brothers Fuller and William Pilch. Unlike his brothers he did not play for sides outside of Norfolk. [45]
William Pilch 6 1820–1836 Played in all six of Norfolk's first-class matches alongside his brothers Fuller and Nathaniel. Made a total of eight first-class appearances. [46][47]
Pile 2 1833–1836 Played twice for Norfolk, the only cricket he is known to have played. Other than a surname there are no biographical details. [48]

Q
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
William Quarles 2 1820 Played in the 1820 match. Quarles made a second first-class appearance for Suffolk in 1830 and played for Bury St Edmunds in club cricket. [49]

R
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Thomas Roberts 1 1834 Played in the 1834 match at Sheffield as well as for Norfolk and Norwich sides. [50]
William Roberts 4 1833–1836 Made all of his four first-class appearances for Norfolk as well as playing matches against Suffolk for the county and for the Norfolk and Norwich club. [51]

S
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Francis Semmence 1 1833 His only known appearance in a cricket match was at Sheffield in 1833. [52]
Abraham Spinks 4 1833–1836 All four of Spinks' first-class matches were for Norfolk. [53]

V
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Thomas Vigne 1 1820 Played in the 1820 match as a guest, one of his 60 first-class matches. [54]

W
Name Matches Seasons Notes Ref
Charles Wilkinson 1 1833 Played in eight first-class matches, one for Norfolk and six for Cambridge University. [55]
Charles Wright 3 1834–1836 Played in three first-class matches all for Norfolk. Played in other matches for the side until the 1860s. [56]

Notes
  1. The number of first-class matches played for Norfolk sides.
  2. The seasons during which the player appeared for Norfolk in first-class matches.
  1. Cricket had been played in Norfolk since the 1730s[2] and a side first played using the name Norfolk in 1797, with 33 players taking on an All England XI at Swaffham.[3]
  2. It was common practice at the time for sides to add guests or given men to their regular players for matches. In this case all three more usually played for MCC and it is assumed were added to the Norfolk side to strengthen it.
  3. The Norfolk side, even with the three guest players, is considered to have been weak and was beaten by 417 runs. Ward's innings may well be the major reason that the match has been retrospectively classified as first-class.[4][6][7]
  4. Although played after the formation of the first County Club, the matches were not played by it. The club was an amateur organisation created for gentlemen cricketers. The five matches included professional cricketers such as the Pilch brothers who would have been excluded from membership of the County Club.[8][9]
  5. Sheffield were the dominant side in Yorkshire at the time and played first-class matches in their own right. The Sheffield papers referred to the side as Sheffield rather than Yorkshire, although officially it is considered a Yorkshire side, possibly because they were playing another county. For example, in 1833 nine of the Yorkshire players were from Sheffield.[11]
  6. First-class status was first defined in 1895. Matches prior to this date have sometimes been accorded first-class status when they are deemed to have been played between two sides of an appropriate standard.
  7. CricInfo splits the appearances between two players, one known only as Bird who played in the Norfolk match. CricketArchive credits all three appearances to the same man who later lived in Norfolk.

Sources

Bibliography
  • Birley D (1999) A Social History of English Cricket. London: Aurum. ISBN 978 1 78131 1769
  • Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914 (revised edition). (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-12-21.)
  • Hounsome, K (2015) A Game Well Played - a History of Cricket in Norfolk. Norwich: Hounsome. ISBN 978 0 9932296 0 2

References
  1. First-class matches played by Norfolk, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-12-27. (subscription required)
  2. Hounsome, p.14.
  3. Hounsome, pp.29–33.
  4. Hounsome, pp.41–42.
  5. England domestic season 1820, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  6. Dhole P (2016) William Ward: The banker who bought Lord’s and scored the first First-Class double-hundred, Cricket Country, 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  7. Rae S (2012)} WG Grace: A life. London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571266364 (Available online. Retrieved 2020-12-27.)
  8. Hounsome, pp.138–139.
  9. Hounsome, pp.142–143.
  10. Norfolk County Cricket Club History, Norfolk County Cricket Club. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  11. Yorkshire XI v Norfolk XI, Scorecard, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  12. Throwback Thursday: Sheffield, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  13. Hounsome, pp.138–145.
  14. Birley, p.89.
  15. Miscellaneous matches played by Norfolk, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-12-27. (subscription required)
  16. List A Matches played by Norfolk, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2013-01-01. (subscription required)
  17. Richard Bagge, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-04-07. (subscription required)
  18. Richard Bagge, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  19. William Bagge, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-04-07. (subscription required)
  20. Bird, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  21. James Bird, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-08-22. (subscription required)
  22. James Bird, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  23. William Bereton, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-01-21. (subscription required)
  24. C Brunton, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  25. Matthew Daplyn, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  26. John Dolphin, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  27. Reverend John Dolphin, Silk Weavers and Stay Makers. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  28. George Englebright, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  29. Robert Frost, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-01-22. (subscription required)
  30. Groom, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  31. Philip Gurdon, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  32. Hawkes, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-04-09. (subscription required)
  33. E Hogg, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  34. Howard, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  35. Carlaw, pp.312.
  36. Henry Knatchbull, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-06-30. (subscription required)
  37. Felix Ladbroke, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
  38. Langford, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-10. (subscription required)
  39. O Laws, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-10. (subscription required)
  40. Edward Leathes, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  41. Marriott, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  42. Payne JB Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 Vol 45 Pereira - Pockrich. (Available online at Wikisource. Retrieved 2020-12-27.)
  43. Carlaw, pp.447–451.
  44. Fuller Pilch, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  45. Nathaniel Pilch, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  46. Carlaw, pp.452–453.
  47. William Pilch, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  48. Pile, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  49. William Quarles, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  50. Thomas Roberts, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  51. William Roberts, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  52. F Semmence, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  53. Abraham Spinks, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  54. Thomas Vigne, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  55. Charles Wilkinson, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-07-06. (subscription required)
  56. Charles Wright, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
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