Middlesex county cricket teams
have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket
goes back much further than that. Given that the first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford
, it is almost certain that the game had reached Middlesex by the 16th century. Early references to the game in London or Middlesex are often interchangeable and sometimes it is not clear if a particular team represents the city or the county.See : History of cricket to 1725'
As elsewhere in south east England, cricket became established in Middlesex during the 17th century and the earliest village matches took place before the English Civil War
. It is believed that the earliest county teams were formed in the aftermath of the Restoration
The first definite mention of cricket in London or Middlesex dates from 1680 and is recorded in Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket
by G B Buckley
as that book's first entry. The reference "is quite unfit for publication nowadays" but contains, nevertheless, a clear reference to "the two umpires" (it is also the earliest mention of an umpire in what seems to be a cricket connection) and, as Mr Buckley points out, the reference also strongly suggests that the double wicket form of the game was already well known in London.
The earliest known match in Middlesex took place at Lamb's Conduit Field in Holborn
on 3 July 1707 involving teams... Read More