by Abhishek Mukherjee
The accompanying picture, by John Collet, was published in Social Caricature in the Eighteenth Century, in 1770.
The caption reads "Miss Trigger you see is an excellent shot, and forty-five notches [runs] Miss Wicket's just got."
The fauna, the proximity and indifference of the protagonists towards each other, and the wicketkeeper's activities all catch the eye. However, none of that should not take our attention away from the wicket.
A year after this picture was published, the authorities defined both the width of the bat (10.795 cm) and the mass of the ball (between 155.92 and 163.01 grams). These have not undergone significant change.
The wickets, however, consisted of 'two uprights and a crosspiece'. In other words, they looked exactly like the wicket in the picture. If the ball passed through the stumps without disturbing the bail, the batsman was ruled not out.
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The protagonists of the story are John Small and Edward 'Lumpy' Stevens, respectively the greatest batsman and bowler of the 18th century.
Additionally, Small was also the first batsman to popularise the straight bat. Before him, bats resembled hockey sticks (refer to the picture).
Lumpy, on the other hand, was the first to figure out why the cricket ball turned the way it did. Till then bowlers used to roll the ball along the ground. They could also turn the ball, but Lumpy was probably the first to flight the ball, control the flight, pace, and landing – and the turn.
Not only were they the finest cricketers of the era, they were also the greatest innovators.
The match in question was played at the Artillery Ground in Finsbury, the "most important" cricket ground of the pre-Lord's era. It was a five-a-side affair, between Five of Kent and Five of Hambledon. Contests like these were fairly common in days when arranging quality XIs were not easy, mostly due to logistics.
Kent scored 37 and 102. Having scored 92 in the first innings, Hambledon needed just 48. They were 34/4 when Small walked out (they had what we call "last-man batting" these days).
Lumpy soon sent a ball through Small's defence. The ball passed through the stumps.
Not out.
While this was not a common occurrence, one may presume that it was not an everyday affair.
What followed was even more bizarre. Lumpy beat Small's bat again – and once again the ball passed through the stumps.
And then it happened again, thrice in three balls.
Lumpy was not amused, definitely not after Small got the runs for his side.
But Lumpy refused to accept this injustice. He raised the problem to the authorities, requesting a change in law.
Unfortunately, the sport used to be run by the aristocracy in those days – and they were mostly batsmen.
But in the end they gave in. The third stump was added, though it was optional in its early days. For a few years they could choose between two-stump- and three-stump wickets. Then the former faded away.
Lumpy's heartbreaking hat-trick took place on 23 May 1775.
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