On 23 April 1829 Thomas Howard — the Surrey fast underarm bowler who had been the leading pace exponent of the period 1809-1815 — died at Mitcham aged around forty-nine. Howard's death is the closing of one of the major late-underarm-era careers and a marker of the era's mortality.
Howard had taken his first major-match wickets in 1805 and had broken through with his 9-wicket performance at the new Middle Ground in 1809. Through the period 1809-1815 he was the leading fast underarm bowler in England. He retired from major cricket in 1822 and ran a small public house at Mitcham. He died in April 1829.
c. 1780
Howard born at Mitcham
1809
Breakthrough 9-wicket match at the new Middle Ground
1822
Final major match
23 Apr 1829
Dies at Mitcham
The passing of one of the leading bowlers of the late underarm era.
n/a
1811-07-04
The 1811 Lord's season was the leanest of the Middle Ground years. With the Napoleonic blockade at its tightest, willow scarce, professionals diverted to militia service and the betting public's purses thin, only fourteen major matches were played at Lord's all summer. The 1811 season is the clearest measure of cricket's wartime contraction.
Officers vs Civilians
1812-12-15
By the close of 1812 cricket was being played regularly in both Madras and Bombay — the earliest documented fixtures in either Presidency. Garrison officers and civilian East India Company servants ran the matches; the Madras Gazette and Bombay Courier preserved the earliest scoresheets. The Calcutta game (documented 1804) had been joined by all three Presidency capitals.
Kent vs MCC
1813-09-09
On 9-10 September 1813 Kent played the MCC at the Vine, Sevenoaks — the first post-war major match at the historic Kent ground and the start of the Vine's revival as a regular major venue. The Vine had hosted little major cricket since 1808; the September 1813 fixture marked its return to the front rank.