John Small (cricketer) facts for kids

John Small (born April 19, 1737 – died December 31, 1826) was a very important English cricket player from the 1700s. He had one of the longest careers in cricket history! Born in Empshott, Hampshire, he is often called the best batsman of his time. He was known for being the first to truly master the modern straight cricket bat, which became popular in the 1760s. John Small likely scored the first ever century (100 runs in one turn at bat) in a major cricket match.

Small was a key player for the famous Hambledon Club. This team was so strong that it was considered the top team in England for many years (1766–1771, 1776–1777, 1779, and 1783). John Small also helped create two important rules in the Laws of Cricket: the rule about how wide a bat can be and the addition of the middle stump to the wicket. He was seen as a "superstar" of his time. In 1997, The Times newspaper even named him one of the 100 Greatest Cricketers of All Time. He lived most of his life in Petersfield, where he also ran businesses.

John Small's Cricket Journey

John Small was a star player for the Hambledon cricket team during its best years. We know he was playing for Hambledon by 1764. His name appears on scorecards until 1798, when he was over 60 years old! We don't have many detailed records from the very early days before 1772. However, it's thought he started playing top-level cricket in the 1750s. He might have even played in the first known Hambledon matches against Dartford in 1756.

Early Career Highlights (1764–1771)

The first clear mention of John Small is from the 1764 season. This was when Hambledon played three matches against Chertsey.

In August 1768, Small scored more than 140 runs for Hambledon against Kent. This amazing feat happened at Broadhalfpenny Down. It was very rare to score so many runs back then! A week later, playing against Sussex, he scored "about four-score notches" (around 80 runs) and was still batting when Hambledon won.

In 1769, Hambledon beat Caterham at Guildford Bason. A newspaper report said that Small and another player, John Bayton, showed "the utmost activity and skill" in their batting.

The Bat Width Rule Change

John Small was part of a big moment in cricket history in September 1771. Hambledon was playing against Chertsey at Laleham Burway. In this game, a Chertsey player named Thomas White used a bat that was as wide as the wicket! This might have been to show how wide the new straight bats could be.

Because of this, a new rule was made to limit the bat's width to 4.25 inches. This rule was supported by a written request from Hambledon bowler Thomas Brett. It was also signed by the team captain Richard Nyren and John Small. The original paper with Small's signature is kept at the Marylebone Cricket Club museum at Lord's.

Making History: Scores and Stumps (1772–1775)

From the 1772 season onwards, match scorecards became common. Small played in all three matches recorded that year. He scored the most runs that season with 213 runs in six turns at bat. In the first match, he scored 78 runs for Hampshire against All-England. This was the highest individual score clearly recorded at that time. His team won, showing how valuable he was.

Small's average score in 1772 was about 35.50 runs per turn. This might seem low today, but scores were generally much lower back then.

The Middle Stump Story

John Small also played in "single wicket" matches, where fewer players are on each team. In one such game on May 22–23, 1775, something happened that changed cricket forever. It was a game between a Hambledon team of five players and a Kent team of five. Small was batting and was missed three times by the bowler, Lumpy Stevens. Each time, the ball went right through the two-stump wicket without hitting anything!

Because of this, Lumpy Stevens complained, and the third (middle) stump was added to the wicket. This made it harder for the ball to pass through without hitting anything.

The First Cricket Century

John Small's most famous achievement was scoring the first known century (100 runs or more) in a major cricket match. He scored 136 runs and was still batting (not out) for Hampshire against Surrey in July 1775. This happened at Broadhalfpenny Down. This score beat the previous record of 107 runs set in 1769. Small's century helped Hampshire win the match by a huge 296 runs!

Small's Cricket Style

John Small, along with other great players like Billy Beldham and Tom Walker, helped create what we now see as modern batting techniques. He was known for his strong defense, meaning he was good at protecting his wicket. But he was also a great hitter who used his wrists well to hit the ball. A writer named John Nyren said Small was the "best short runner of his day," meaning he was very quick between the wickets to score runs.

Small rarely bowled, but he was an "admirable fieldsman." This means he was an excellent fielder, always playing in the middle of the field and moving "as active as a hare."

It's sometimes said that Small invented the straight bat. However, it's more accurate to say he was the first batsman to truly master using the straight bat. He also made these bats in his own workshop!

John Small's Life Outside Cricket

John Small's tombstone in the churchyard at St Peter's Church, Petersfield.

John Nyren described Small as a "remarkably well-made and well-knit man" with a "handsome countenance and honest expression."

He was married to Ann (who died in 1802) and had at least five children. Sadly, three of his daughters passed away when they were children. His two sons, Jack and Eli, also became cricket players. Mrs. Ann Small was a big supporter of the Hambledon team. She often went to their matches, even traveling with the team to away games.

Outside of cricket, John Small was first a cobbler. Later, he grew his business to include making cricket bats and balls.

Small was also musical. He could play both the fiddle and the double bass. A big fan of his, John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, sent him a "handsome violin" when he heard about Small's musical talents. Small returned the kindness by sending the Duke two new cricket bats and balls he had made.

John Small's Lasting Impact

John Small's fame comes a lot from what John Nyren wrote about him in his book The Cricketers of My Time. Nyren praised Small highly, saying he "shines among them (the Hambledon players) in all the lustre of a star of the first magnitude." This means he was truly seen as a superstar.

His legacy is summed up well by a short poem that people believe he displayed outside his workshop in Petersfield:

Here lives John Small,
Makes bat and ball,
Pitches a wicket, plays at cricket
With any man in England.

In 1997, a famous cricket writer named John Woodcock included John Small in his list of the 100 Greatest Cricketers of All Time in The Times newspaper.

Images for kids

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  John Small's tombstone in the churchyard at St Peter's Church, Petersfield.