A Grand Cricket Match

 Hertfordshire Mercury on 30th August, 1828.

 

On Wednesday and Thursday last, a Grand Match at Cricket was played on Bernard Heath, St Albans, between eleven gentlemen of this County and eleven of the Bernard Heath Club.

The peculiar interest excited throughout the county as to the termination of this match may well be conceived when it is know that the St Albans players had the boldness to contest this manly game with any eleven picked men in Hertfordshire, more especially when the circumstances is taken into account that some of our county gentlemen do not rank second, either at the bat or in the field, to many of the first players in England; however, the sequel proves that the confidence St Albans had in their own game was by no means a display of ostentation, but the result of down right excellence.

To the Gentlemen of the County, who, by no means left the field with "blushing honours," very high praise is justly due. Lord Verulam, and many gentlemen of the county, in their carriages and on horseback, were on the ground to witness the gymnastic feats of their countrymen. The stumps were pitched about half-past eleven, when the County commenced their first innings; and bets stood about 5 and 6 to 4 on St Albans. At the conclusion of the innings, which proceeded according to our statement underneath, the County scored only 70; the odds were then 3 to 1 on St Albans, who proceeded with their first innings, and terminated by scoring 127, heading the County 57 runs.

The County, like true "Hearts of Oak," went bravely to the contest, and scored 172 at the second innings, making a total of 242, setting up 114 for St Albans to beat, which they did in their second innings with 4 wickets to go down.

At the conclusion of the second innings of the County, the odds had changed in their favour, and 6 to 4 was cheerfully bet. Indeed, such was the spirit of the game in its progress, that, after Messrs Herbert and Hayward had scored a number of runs, Mr. R. Thomas, of the White Hart Inn, in this town, accepted and won a wager of 10 crowns to 1 from a Ware gentleman, that they did not jointly score 45 more runs, which they did to the very figure

The Return Match will be played on Wednesday se'nnight in Ware Park.

COUNTY

1st INNINGS

2nd INNINGS

Mr Barnard, Hitchin

run out, 22

b. by Lacey, 13

Hammond, jun., Hatfield

run out, 1

run out, 2

Lines, Kimpton

b. by Lacey, 3

b. by J. Taylor, 3

Wilkins, Ware

b. by J. Taylor, 4

not out, 20

Jones, Ware

c. by Martin, 4

b. by J. Taylor, 6

Bruton, Kimpton

run out, 5

run out, 17

Cobham, Ware

b. by J. Taylor, 2

b. by Lacey, 15

Nelson, Ware

b. by Lacey, 5

run out, 0

Hart, Hatfield

b. by G. Taylor, 17

b. by Lacey, 22

Hall, Hitchin

c. by Hurst, 1

c. by Martin, 63

Clibbon, Ware

not out, 3

b. by Lacey, 6

BYES

3

5

TOTAL

70

172

ST ALBANS

1st INNINGS

2nd INNINGS

E. Boys, Esq

b. by Nelson, 39

run out, 1

Mr. Hurst

b. by Nelson, 12

run out, 6

Hayward

b. by Nelson, 5

c. by Jones, 19

G. Taylor

b. by Wilkins, 29

b. by Hart, 15

J. Taylor

b. by Wilkins, 3

b. by Hart, 0

Herbert

b. by Nelson, 6

not out , 67

S. Martin, Esq

B. by Hart, 2

 

Lord Grimston

b. by Hart, 9

 

Hon. E. Grimston

st. by Barnard, 5

 

Mr. Lacey

not out, 8

st. by Hammond, 1

Deacon

st by Jones, 0

 

BYES

9

9

TOTAL

127

118

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