Harris brothers (cricketers)
Encyclopedia
John Harris and his brother Joseph (Joe) Harris
(dates of birth and death unknown) were English cricket
ers in the 1740s and 1750s. They both played for the Addington Cricket Club
which had one of the strongest teams in England at the time and for Surrey
.
With the Harris brothers playing, the Addington club first came to prominence on 25 July 1743 when its team defeated London Cricket Club
at the Artillery Ground
by an innings and 4 runs. London made 32 and 74; Addington 110.
John Harris top scored with 47 for Slindon
against London in the 1744 match from which the earliest known scorecard has survived. Later that season, both the Harrises played for All-England
against Kent
in the second match that has a surviving scorecard.
The single wicket
form of the game was very popular in the 1740s and the Harris brothers were frequently involved in matches that attracted high stakes, which underlines what good players they were. They continued playing into the 1750s but unfortunately very little is known about them outside contemporary match reports.
Joe Harris (cricketer)
Joseph Harris and his brother John Harris were English cricketers in the 1740s and 1750s...
(dates of birth and death unknown) were English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ers in the 1740s and 1750s. They both played for the Addington Cricket Club
Addington Cricket Club
Addington is about three miles south-east of Croydon. It is only a small place but Addington Cricket Club fielded one of the strongest cricket teams in England from about the 1743 season to the 1752 season....
which had one of the strongest teams in England at the time and for Surrey
Surrey county cricket teams
Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...
.
With the Harris brothers playing, the Addington club first came to prominence on 25 July 1743 when its team defeated London Cricket Club
London Cricket Club
The original London Cricket Club was formed by 1722 and was one of the foremost clubs in English cricket over the next four decades. It is closely associated with the Artillery Ground, where it played most of its home matches.-Early history of London cricket:...
at the Artillery Ground
Artillery Ground
The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is one of London's most centrally located cricket grounds, situated just off the City Road immediately north of the City of London...
by an innings and 4 runs. London made 32 and 74; Addington 110.
John Harris top scored with 47 for Slindon
Slindon Cricket Club
Slindon Cricket Club was famous in the middle part of the 18th century when it claimed to have the best team in England. It was located at Slindon, a village in the Arun district of Sussex....
against London in the 1744 match from which the earliest known scorecard has survived. Later that season, both the Harrises played for All-England
All-England Eleven
In cricket, the term All-England has been used for various non-international teams that have been formed for short-term purposes since the 1739 English cricket season and it indicates that the "Rest of England" is playing against, say, MCC or an individual county team...
against Kent
Kent county cricket teams
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is the birthplace of the sport...
in the second match that has a surviving scorecard.
The single wicket
Single Wicket
Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
form of the game was very popular in the 1740s and the Harris brothers were frequently involved in matches that attracted high stakes, which underlines what good players they were. They continued playing into the 1750s but unfortunately very little is known about them outside contemporary match reports.