The 1797 English cricket season was the 26th in which matches have been awarded retrospective first-class cricket status and the 11th after the foundation of the Marylebone Cricket Club. The season saw 13 top-class matches played in the country.
Richard Nyren, who was a pioneer of the game with the Hambledon Club died in April.
Matches
A total of 13 top-class matches were played during the season, including matches featuring MCC as well as Hampshire and Surrey sides.
Four matches saw the George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea's XI play a side organised by Charles Lennox. In one of these Winchelsea is reported to have attempted to introduce a fourth stump and to increase the height of the stumps by two inches. The following year saw a new version of the Laws of Cricket introduced which raised the height of the stumps but did not introduce a fourth stump.
First mentions
Players who made their first-class cricket debuts in 1797 included:
References
Further reading
- Altham, H. S. (1962). A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). George Allen & Unwin.
- Birley, Derek (1999). A Social History of English Cricket. Aurum.
- Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. Eyre & Spottiswoode.
- Major, John (2007). More Than A Game. HarperCollins.
