On 8 November 1820 William Ward — banker, batter and rising MCC figure — was elected club treasurer. He held the office for fifteen years. The election placed Ward on the central committee and prepared the ground for his 1825 purchase of the Lord's lease that saved the ground from being sold for housing.
Ward had been an MCC member since 1808. By 1820 he was a senior partner at Ward's Bank, a regular MCC player, and the rising administrative figure of the post-war era. The November 1820 treasurer election made him formally responsible for MCC finances. Beauclerk remained the dominant committee voice, but Ward's financial stewardship became the practical centre of MCC administration.
1808
Ward joins MCC
1820
Elected treasurer
1825
Buys Lord's lease for 5,000 guineas
1835
Steps down as treasurer
Ward served as MCC treasurer until 1835. His 1825 purchase of the Lord's lease for 5,000 guineas saved the ground from sale.
The administrative coronation of one of cricket's great patrons — preparing the ground for his 1825 rescue of Lord's.
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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.