Personal information | ||
---|---|---|
Full name | Lord Frederick Beauclerk | |
Born |
London, England |
8 May 1773|
Died | 22 April 1850 Westminster, England |
(aged 76)|
Batting style | RHB | |
Bowling style | slow underarm | |
Role | batting all-rounder | |
Domestic team information | ||
Years | Team | |
1791 to 1825 | Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) | |
Career statistics | ||
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Source: CricketArchive, 13 July 2009 |
Lord Frederick Beauclerk (1773–1850) was an outstanding but controversial English first-class cricketer for 35 years from 1791 to 1825. On his retirement, he served as president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1826.
Beauclerk was the fourth son of the 5th Duke of St Albans and became a clergyman. He was Vicar of St. Michael's Church at St Albans and a Doctor of Divinity.
Born 8 May 1773, London, Beauclerk was a right-handed batsman and a right arm slow underarm bowler who was a recognised all-rounder. He generally fielded at slip. His career spanned the 1791 to 1825 seasons. In his prime, his height was 5 ft 9 in and he weighed between 11 st and 12 st.
He played at Cambridge University where his talent as an accurate slow bowler was spotted by the Earl of Winchilsea, who invited him to play for MCC. Beauclerk's first-class debut was for MCC v Gentlemen of Kent at Lord's Old Ground on 2 & 3 June 1791. Beauclerk was "now but 18 years of age". He played two first-class matches in the 1791 season but then was unavailable until the 1795 season while he completed his studies. He then became a regular and prolific player.
Having started as a bowler, he developed his batting skills and became better known as a hard-hitting batsman, but remained a genuine all-rounder.
Beauclerk played for the Gentlemen in the inaugural and second Gentlemen v Players matches in 1806.
Beauclerk scored 170 as a given man playing for Homerton against Montpelier in 1807, a match not widely recognised as first-class. This score set a world record for the highest individual innings in all forms of cricket that lasted until 1820 when it was beaten by William Ward's score of 278.