James Bryant (Kent cricketer)

James Bryant (died May 1755, probably at Bromley, Kent) was an English professional cricketer who played important matches during the 1740s. He was mainly associated with Bromley Cricket Club and Kent. Although information about his career is limited by a lack of surviving data, he is known to have made eleven single wicket and eleven important match appearances between 1744 and 1751. His brother was John Bryant.

Cricket career

The first definite mention of James Bryant occurs on Monday, 1 October 1744, in a lucrative "threes" match at the Artillery Ground in which his brother also played. They were on opposite sides: James teamed with Robert Colchin and Joe Harris; John with Val Romney and Thomas Waymark.^[1]

During the next three seasons, the Bryants were regularly involved in senior fixtures, both important and single wicket. In 1747, they played for Kent against All-England in the biggest match of the season.^[1] In early August 1747, there were two single wicket matches at the Artillery Ground which were organised by the 2nd Duke of Richmond. In the first, three of his employees Stephen Dingate, Joseph Rudd and Pye defeated Little Bennett, Tall Bennett and William Anderson. In the second, the same threes were to play again but in a "fives" match with the two Bryants added to the Duke's team and with Tom Faulkner and one of Joe or John Harris to their opponents. The result of the second game is unknown.^[2]

1748 was the great year of single wicket, which has never been more popular before or since. There were five matches in which both Bryants took part and one which featured John only.^[3]

In 1749, the brothers were "given men" playing for Surrey against All-England and then both played for Colchin's invitation XI against Stephen Dingate's team.^[1] There was a tri-series of matches between Kent and Surrey in 1750 with the brothers both playing for Kent, who won the first and third matches of the series, the decider by 1 wicket. Later in the season, they played for Dartford as given men against Addington, Dartford winning the match by 6 runs, and then for Dingate's "fives" team in a tri-series against Tom Faulkner's side.^[1]

James Bryant made his last known appearances in 1751 when he was in the Kent team that lost twice to All-England in May. John did not play in these matches. There were two Bromley v Dartford games later in the 1751 season but it is not known who took part. James Bryant died four years later.^[1]

References

External links

• From Lads to Lord's – James and John Bryant at the Wayback Machine (archived 10 October 2012)

Bibliography

• F. S. Ashley-Cooper, At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742–1751, Cricket Magazine, 1900
• G. B. Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935
• Timothy J. McCann, Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society, 2004
• H. T. Waghorn, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906