1806 English cricket season explained

Previous Year:	1805
Previous Tournament:	1805 English cricket season
Next Year:	1807
Next Tournament:	1807 English cricket season

1806 was the 20th season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The first two Gentlemen v Players matches took place, but the fixture was not played again until 1819.

Honours

• Most runs^[1] – William Lambert 276 (HS 64)
• Most wickets^[1] – Thomas Howard 21

Events

• The inaugural Gentlemen v Players match was held.
• With the Napoleonic War continuing, loss of investment and manpower impacted cricket and only 7 first-class matches have been recorded in 1806:
  • 16–18 June: All-England v Hampshire @ Lord's Old Ground^[2]
  • 30 June: All-England v Surrey @ Lord's Old Ground^[2]
  • 7–9 July: Gentlemen v Players @ Lord's Old Ground^[2]
  • 14–16 July: Surrey v All-England @ Moulsey Hurst^[2]
  • 21 & 25 July: Gentlemen v Players @ Lord's Old Ground^[2]
  • 5–6 August: Kent v All-England @ Bowman's Lodge, Dartford^[2]
  • 25–28 August: Hampshire v All-England @ Itchin Stoke Down^[2]

Debutants

1806 debutants included:

• John Willes (Kent)
• Richard Leigh (Surrey; amateur)

Bibliography

• Book: Haygarth, Arthur . Arthur Haygarth . Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744–1826) . 1862 . Lillywhite .

Further reading

• Book: ACS . Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians . A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709 – 1863 . 1981 . ACS . Nottingham .
• Book: Altham, H. S. . Harry Altham . A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914) . 1962 . George Allen & Unwin .
• Book: Birley, Derek . Derek Birley . A Social History of English Cricket . 1999 . Aurum .
• Book: Bowen, Rowland . Rowland Bowen . Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development . 1970 . Eyre & Spottiswoode .
• Book: Major, John . John Major . More Than A Game . 2007 . HarperCollins .

Notes and References

1. Note that scorecards created in the first quarter of the 19th century are not necessarily accurate or complete; therefore any summary of runs, wickets or catches can only represent the known totals and computation of averages is ineffectual.
2. Haygarth, p.315.