Cambridge Cricket Venues
From 1757
Jesus Green
From 1792
From 1792
Parker's Piece
From 1805
From 1805
Jesus Close
From 1820
Midsummer Common
1821-30
University private
ground Mill Rd
From 1846
Field behind Town Gaol
From 1848
Fenner's
What I am working on at the moment
I have two ongoing projects:
1) Cambridgeshire Cricket 1849-90
2) The Life of F P Fenner
Cambridgeshire Cricket 1849-90
This period contains the best known era of early Cambridgeshire cricket - that of the Cambridgeshire sides from the late 50's to early 70's.
I have trawled local newspapers up to 1881 which means I have a considerable amount on those Cambridgeshire matches and the players involved as well as on the period 1849-56 during which Cambridge cricket kept going through a series of small clubs such as the Cambridge Britannia and the Hope.
There were several county sides in the late 40's and 50's but they did not play other counties and were mainly amateur only sides.
Cambridgeshire sides 1857-71
Cambridgeshire matches of this period were not the product of one Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club.
The first 1857 match against Surrey appears to have been basically a Cambridge University (CU) side with a few Cambridge town professionals. The return match of that season and the following year's match v Surrey look as though they were at least connected with that first match even if not strictly CU sides.
George Tarrant - Cambridge & Cambridgeshire
The Cambridgeshire County Club was formed in 1858 but initially played amateur only matches against mainly local clubs. In its first incarnation it played matches until 1863. It may have continued to exist but lay dormant until reforming in 1866. This second incarnation lasted until 1868.
A Cambridge Town side formed in 1860.
Sides now regarded as Cambridgeshire during this period were organised at various times by the CU, both of the County Clubs, the Cambridge Town Club, by individual players and by public subscription (and possibly by Lord's and Surrey CCC!).
1871-90
Post 1871 Cambridgeshire cricket appears to have retreated to small local clubs, apart from the CU of course, whose success now began to match its status.
Francis Phillips Fenner
F P Fenner is remembered now for the cricket ground which he leased to the Cambridge University CC in 1848. It is still the home of Cambridge University cricket and still bears his name.
In his time, however, Fenner had several other claims to fame. Before he took on ground management he had become Cambridge's leading batsman and bowler, secretary of the "Cambridge Town" and "Cambridge Town and County" Clubs and Club Captain. He was generally regarded as one of the best players in the country.
Both in and away from cricket he was a businessman, running a tobacconist shop from about 1836-61. He was in many ways an archetypal Victorian entrepreneur. Early on in his business he seems to have been acutely aware of the benefits to trade afforded by the University. Accordingly he solicited the custom of university cricketers and clubs in respect of a supply of cricket equipment. He was later to boast that he was sole supplier of such equipment to the University.
This is a very brief and incomplete summary of Fenner's life. I am hoping to gather as much further information on him as I can in order to write a biography. See gaps.