Great Cricket Matches 1772-1800

C.LENNOX’S XI v EARL OF WINCHILSEA’S XI Played at Lord’s Old Ground, Marylebone, July 4, 5, 6, 1797. Earl of Winchilsea’s XI won by four wickets. C.LENNOX’S XI 1 T.Boxall b T.Walker 6 b Bullen 0 2 H.Walker b Wells 6 b Wells 6 3 W.Beldham b Wells 3 c J.Tufton 62 4 W.Fennex b Bullen 4 c H.J.Tufton 9 5 A.Freemantle c T.Walker 12 c Ray 12 6 J.Hammond run out 19 c Ray 32 7 E.Bligh not out 8 c J.Tufton 0 8 C.Lennox c T.Walker 6 c Ray 6 9 T.Mellish b T.Walker 0 c Small 11 10 N.Graham hit wkt 0 st H.J.Tufton 11 11 Hall b T.Walker 0 not out 11 Byes 1 —— —— 65 160 FoW (1): 1- , 2- , 3- , 4- , 5- , 6- , 7- , 8- , 9- , 10-65 FoW (2): 1- , 2- , 3- , 4- , 5- , 6- , 7- , 8- , 9- , 10-160 EARL OF WINCHILSEA’S XI 1 J.Small, jun b Fennex 0 b Boxall 8 2 J.Walker b Fennex 4 not out 8 3 T.Ray c Hammond 7 not out 5 4 T.Walker b Fennex 31 lbw 31 5 R.Robinson b Beldham 52 c Freemantle 25 6 J.Tufton b Fennex 0 c Beldham 9 7 John Wells c Hammond 0 b Boxall 12 8 Earl of Winchilsea b Beldham 9 b Hammond 0 9 H.J.Tufton b Boxall 15 10 G.Louch c Freemantle 4 11 W.Bullen not out 0 Byes 3 3 —— —— 125 (6 wickets) 101 FoW (1): 1- , 2- , 3- , 4- , 5- , 6- , 7- , 8- , 9- , 10-125 FoW (2): 1- , 2- , 3- , 4- , 5- , 6- Earl of Winchilsea’s XI Bowling O M R W O M R W Bullen 1 1 Wells 2 1 T.Walker 3 C.Lennox’s XI Bowling O M R W O M R W Boxall 1 2 Fennex 4 Beldham 2 Hammond 1 Umpires: Close of Play: 1st day: ; 2nd day: . The Hampshire Chronicle reports that ‘the Earl of Winchilsea has made an improvement in the game of cricket, by having four stumps instead of three, and the wickets two inches higher’. SB quotes this report but says that four stumps can have been used only in practice games. However, contemporary press reports suggest, although not unambiguously, that four stumps may have been used in this game. At any rate, the size of the wicket was clearly a live issue at the time. The new code of laws adopted in 1798 retained three stumps, but increased their height from 22 inches to 24, and the length of the bail from 6 inches to 7. 245