The 1787 cricket season in England is noteworthy for the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) after the opening of Thomas Lord's first ground in the parish of Marylebone, north of London. MCC soon became the sport's governing body with the new ground as its feature venue. The first match known to have been played at Lord's was on Monday, 21 May, between the White Conduit Club and a Middlesex county team. The first match known to involve a team representing MCC was against White Conduit on Monday, 30 July. Including these two, reports and/or match scorecards have survived of numerous eleven-a-side matches played in 1787. Eleven are retrospectively, but unofficially, recognised as first-class.[note 1]
There was one top-class six-a-side single wicket match, played at Lord's, between Kent and Hambledon. Among the season's leading players were batsmen James Aylward and John Small; fast bowler David Harris; and the all-rounders Billy Beldham, Thomas Taylor, Tom Walker and John Wells. The follow-on is first mentioned in sources, having been applied in a match at Hinckley between teams from Leicester and Coventry.
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