Regaled with a good dinner

foot of page Croydon v London | The challenge | Later matches

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Croydon v London

Teams called Croydon and London are first known to have met in 1707, when they played each other twice in three days, first at Duppas Hill in Croydon, and then at Lamb's Conduit Field in Holborn. The results are unknown, and there is no certainty that either team represented a club of any kind. Croydon are then absent from the sources until re-emerging in 1731.

Ready to eat?

It's possible that some teams named Croydon at the time should really have been called Surrey, and vice-versa, but the Georgians didn't give a Clark Gable about nomenclature—they were only in it for the money. Wagers mattered, team names not a jot.

Obviously, though, we have to call each team something. On balance, it does seem that Croydon is the best choice for matches against London, and Surrey for matches against other counties, but who knows and who really cares?

That said, "Croydon" in 1731 played four matches, all against London, and won all four. They also won a match on Walworth Common in May 1732. The teams met twice in September 1733, first at Duppas Hill, and a return on the Artillery Ground. Both matches were drawn, the second one because of rain.

In 1734, Croydon won a match in late July at Duppas Hill. A return took place on the Artillery Ground on 1 August, and was won by London.

As best as I can understand it, the Croydon team were London's dinner guests after the second match. During the meal, arrangements were apparently made for a third match, presumably sometime in August. It is not known when or where this match was to take place, but Croydon did a "no show".

The challenge

Regaled?

In September, London issued a challenge to cricketers everywhere. This stated the club's intention: "to play with any eleven men in England, with this exception only, that they will not admit of one from Croydon (my italics)".

That was London's response to the non-appearance of Croydon for the match that had been arranged while Croydon were being "regaled with a good dinner"! There is no evidence that the challenge match was ever played.

The challenge was to "any eleven men in England" (excluding anyone from Croydon). Therefore, London wanted to play against a team representing the rest of England, although the limitations of both travel and the spread of top-class cricket at the time meant that "the rest of England" was effectively the Home Counties only.

So, if the challenge match did take place, it was possibly the earliest "All England" match. Personally, however, I would tentatively grant that accolade to Sir William Gage's Hampshire, Surrey & Sussex teams in 1729.

Later matches

There seems to have been a reconciliation during the close season, because the opening match of the 1735 season was between Croydon and London at Duppas Hill. It was played on Whit Tuesday (27 May), and The Weekly Register reported on the 31st that "London beat Croydon with very great ease".

The reconciliation may have been temporary, because it was not until July 1742 that the teams are known to have met again. Croydon had apparently faded from the scene, and are found in sources only occasionally after 1736, when they played three matches against Chertsey.

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