RepresentingBrentford, now in Greater London and then inMiddlesex, the originalBrentford Cricket Club was prominent in the 18th century, taking part in matches from 1730 to 1799. According to surviving records, it had no specific venue and is known to have played atBrentford Court Green,Kew Green,Richmond Green andWalworth Common. Brentford teams are recorded, either individually or jointly with other clubs, in at least twelve matches.
The earliest known mention of Brentford as a cricket club is a series of three four-a-sidesingle wicket matches in 1730 when Brentford playedEdwin Stead'sKent and apparently won.[1]
The first mention of Brentford in an eleven-a-side match is when they playedHampton Cricket Club atMoulsey Hurst on Wednesday, 14 July 1731. The result is unknown but a contemporary newspaper announcement, published a day earlier, states that "above £500 is already laid on their heads, neither side having ever yet been beat".[2] In 1732, a combined Brentford andSunbury team lost toLondon Cricket Club onWalworth Common.[3]
There is then a long gap in the sources until a five-a-side single wicket match againstRichmond in 1767. The result is unknown. A combined Brentford and Richmond team playedEssex in an eleven-a-side match in June 1770. This was onRichmond Green and the result is unknown. In July 1771, there were two matches involving a combined Richmond, Hampton and Brentford team againstChertsey, one of England's strongest clubs at the time. These were played atLaleham Burway and Richmond Green. The results are unknown.
In August 1776, there was a match at theArtillery Ground between London and Brentford. The result is unknown but it was one of the last few significant matches both at the Artillery Ground and involving the original London club, the sport's focus having shifted from London toHambledon. The final known mentions of Brentford's Georgian club occur in June 1799 when the combined Richmond/Brentford team played two matches againstMontpelier.
Known to have been associated with the Brentford club are Cook and Shock White. Cook was active in the 1730s and was "reckoned one of the best bowlers in England".[4] Shock White, who was more than once referred to as "Shock White of Brentford", is known to have been active between 1761 and 1773 at least.[5]
Brentford Cricket Club is unrecorded after 1799. It may have disbanded in the early part of the 19th century when cricket went into decline due to the impact of theNapoleonic Wars. There is no modern equivalent. The nearest club to Brentford isKew Cricket Club in neighbouringKew. This club was established in 1882 through a merger of other local clubs and is currently a member of theThames Valley Cricket League in theECB Premier Leagues.[6]