Thomas Pattenden facts for kids
Thomas Pattenden was a famous English cricketer who played in the 1700s. He was born on January 5, 1742, in a village called East Peckham in Kent, England. He also passed away there on November 10, 1791. Thomas was known for playing cricket for teams from Kent. He also had a younger brother, William Pattenden, who played cricket too.
Contents
Thomas Pattenden's Cricket Career
Early Days and Name Confusion
Thomas Pattenden likely played in a game in 1769 where another player, John Minshull, scored the first known "century" (100 runs) in cricket history. This was in a smaller match. It's sometimes hard to be sure if it was Thomas because old records often just said "Pattenden" without a first name.
Thomas played with his brother William in several Kent teams between 1777 and 1781. There was even a game in 1773 where it's unclear if William or Thomas played for Kent against Surrey. This kind of confusion happened a lot with players who had the same last names back then!
A Talented Player
Thomas Pattenden was clearly the better cricket player compared to his brother. His highest score was 72 runs for Kent against Hampshire in 1775. In that game, he played so well that "more money was won and lost than ever known" by people betting on the match!
He also made other great scores, including 52 runs in 1783. This was impressive because he was playing against tough bowlers like Lumpy and David Harris.
Life Outside Cricket
People believe that Thomas Pattenden was an innkeeper in his home village of East Peckham. He might have run the Rose & Crown inn, which was right next to the cricket ground.
