Wikipedia

William Hodsoll

William Hodsoll aka Hodswell (1718; christened 28 October 1718 at Ash-next-Ridley, Kent – 30 November 1776 at Ash-next-Ridley), was an English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period, at a time when the single wicket version of the game was popular. He was an outstanding fast underarm bowler. Mainly associated with Dartford and Kent, he also played for England teams. Although information about Hodsoll's career is limited by a lack of surviving data, he was a top-class player who made numerous appearances in historically important matches, both eleven-a-side and single wicket.[note 1][note 2]

Hodsoll lived in Dartford for many years, and was a tanner.[4]

1743

edit

Three of Kent v Three of England was a three-a-side single wicket game, played 11 July 1743 on the Artillery Ground. The six players involved were publicised as "the best in England". They were William Hodsoll (Dartford), John Cutbush (Maidstone), and Val Romney (Sevenoaks) playing as Three of Kent; and Richard Newland (Slindon), William Sawyer (Richmond) and John Bryant (Bromley) playing as Three of England. Hodsoll and Newland were the captains.[5]

The Daily Advertiser of Thursday, 7 July 1743 says Thomas Ridgeway of Sussex was to play alongside Hodsoll and Romney.[6] Then, on Friday, 8 July, Cutbush, known to have been a clockmaker from Maidstone,[7] was named instead of Ridgeway. Kent won by 2 runs. The London Evening Post says the crowd was computed to be over 10,000. A return match was arranged at Sevenoaks Vine on Wednesday, 27 July, but it did not come off.[8][6][9]

1744

edit

Played for Kent v England at the Artillery Ground on 18 June 1744. Scored 0 & 5* (with Cutbush, one of the final partnership). Took at least 8 wickets in total (4+4), which were all bowled.[10][11]

According to the description of him in Cricket, An Heroic Poem (1745) by James Love, Hodsoll was a fast underarm bowler, and also a useful batsman. This poem was written to commemorate the famous match between Kent and England at the Artillery Ground in 1744, in which Hodsoll played for Kent.[12][10][13]

1745

edit

A game between two "threes" was played Monday, 24 June 1745 in the Artillery Ground. The teams were William Hodsoll's Side, which was William Hodsoll (Dartford), Val Romney (Sevenoaks), and Richard Newland (Slindon) versus Long Robin's Side, consisting of Robert Colchin, John Bryant (both of Bromley), and "J. Harris" (Addington). It is not known which of John or Joe Harris was playing. Hodsoll's Side won by 7 runs.[10]

1747

edit

If it was played, one of the biggest matches of the 1747 season might have been Long Robin's Nine v William Hodsoll's Ten on the Artillery Ground. Planned for 9 July, it was a "scratch match" arranged by members of the London club. The players were mostly from London, Bromley, Dartford, Hadlow, and Slindon. Long Robin's Nine were Robert Colchin, all three—Adam, John, and Richard—Newland brothers, both—James and John—the Bryant brothers, Little Bennett, John Bowra, and Thomas Jure. Hodsoll's Ten were William Hodsoll, Allen, John Bell, Thomas Bell, Broad, Tom Faulkner, one—either Joe or John—of the Harris brothers, and three players from Hadlow who were John Larkin, Jones, and one unnamed team-mate.[14]

Last known match

edit

Hodsoll's last recorded appearance was for Dartford v England on Dartford Brent on 29 July 1752.[15][16]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ↑ Matches at this time were played on rudimentary pitches with a two-stump wicket. The batter used a curved bat and the bowler delivered the ball with an underarm action by bowling it all along the ground. The sport underwent an evolutionary change in the 1760s when bowlers began pitching the ball, still using an underarm action, and the modern straight bat was introduced in response.[1]
  2. ↑ Scorecard data till at least 1825 was never comprehensive, especially the dismissal information: bowling analyses lacked balls bowled and runs conceded; bowlers were not credited with wickets when the batsman was caught or stumped; in many matches, the means of dismissal were omitted.[2][3]

References

edit
  1. ↑ Bowen, Rowland (1965). "Cricket in the 17th and 18th centuries". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. ↑ Webber 1951, pp. 7–10.
  3. ↑ Haygarth 1997, p. 355.
  4. ↑ Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (26 April 1900). "At the Sign of the Wicket". Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. XIX (535). London: Merritt & Hatcher Ltd: 83–85 – via ACS.
  5. ↑ Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (22 February 1900). "At the Sign of the Wicket". Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. XIX (531). London: Merritt & Hatcher Ltd: 20–22 – via ACS.
  6. 1 2 Buckley 1935, p. 17.
  7. ↑ Wilson 2005, p. 45.
  8. ↑ Waghorn 1899, p. 30.
  9. ↑ McCann 2004, p. 25.
  10. 1 2 3 Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (29 March 1900). "At the Sign of the Wicket". Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. XIX (532). London: Merritt & Hatcher Ltd: 35–37 – via ACS.
  11. ↑ "England v Kent; Other matches in England 1744". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Haygarth 1996, p. 1.
  13. ↑ Altham & Swanton 1962, p. 32.
  14. ↑ Ashley-Cooper, F. S. (12 April 1900). "At the Sign of the Wicket". Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. XIX (533). London: Merritt & Hatcher Ltd: 51–53 – via ACS.
  15. ↑ Buckley 1935, p. 29.
  16. ↑ Maun 2011, p. 30.

Bibliography

edit

Further reading

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Hodsoll&oldid=1353822618"