George Bennett (cricketer, born 1829)

George Bennett (12 February 1829 – 16 August 1886), sometimes known also as Farmer Bennett,[1] was an English professional cricketer, who played first-class cricket from 1853 to 1873. He was mainly associated with Kent County Cricket Club, and made either 169 or 170 known appearances in first-class matches.[1][2]

George Bennett

Personal information
Born	12 February 1829 Shorne Ridgeway, Kent
Died	16 August 1886 (aged 57) Shorne Ridgeway, Kent
Nickname	Farmer Bennett
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm slow
Role	All-rounder
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1853–1873	Kent
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 169[upper-alpha 1] Runs scored 4,199 Batting average 14.73 100s/50s 1/13 Top score 100 Balls bowled 21,799*[upper-alpha 2] Wickets 612 Bowling average 16.89* 5 wickets in innings 41 10 wickets in match 12 Best bowling 9/113 Catches/stumpings 122/–
Source: CricInfo, 26 March 2017

Bennett was born in Shorne Ridgeway near Gravesend, Kent where he was employed as a bricklayer.[3] He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow roundarm bowler and played in 126 for Kent.[1] He played for several of the representative travelling teams including the United All-England Eleven (1860–1862); All-England Eleven (1864) and the United South of England Eleven (1872). He represented the Players in 1865 and 1866. He took part in the first English tour of Australia as a member of HH Stephenson's XI in Australia in 1861–62.The team travelled to Australia on the SS Great Britain. During the voyage the team practised on deck leading to one passenger receiving a broken nose and cut cheek when he was struck in the face by a belaying pin which George was using as an improvised cricket bat. This incident is recorded in ‘The Cabinet’, the newspaper some passengers wrote during the voyage.[4] He was described by Lord Harris in 1907 in the History of Kent County Cricket as "one of the best all rounders Kent has produced".[3]

He was the first player to be ever given out handled the ball. In a match for Kent against Sussex at County Cricket Ground, Hove in August 1872, he removed a ball from his clothing before he had scored a run.[5]

Notes

1. CricInfo and CricketArchive disagree over the number of matches Bennett played. The CricInfo total of 169 has been used here as the site is not behind a paywall. CricketArchive provides a total of 170 matches. Runs scored and wickets taken are identical for both sources.
2. Due to incomplete scorecards from the mid-19th century, the number of balls bowled and bowling average are approximate

References

• Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, several volumes, Lillywhite, 1862–72
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, several volumes to 1874

1. "Player Profile: Farmer Bennett". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
2. George Bennett, CricInfo. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
3. Monumental Inscriptions of St Peter & St Paul Church, Shorne - recorded by D. E. Williams 2013, Kent Archaeological Society. Retrieved 26 march 2017.
4. https://globalstories.ssgreatbritain.org/_/traveller/8009
5. Frindall, Bill (2009). Ask Bearders. BBC Books. pp. 179–180. ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.

External links

• George Bennett at ESPNcricinfo