Cricket in Dartford

Dartford Cricket Club is widely regarded as one of the world's oldest cricket clubs in continuous existence, with a recorded story stretching back to 1727.

The modern club continues to connect that long history with a large and active community, using Hesketh Park as a home ground that has also staged Kent County Cricket Club fixtures.

Early records are naturally incomplete, but Dartford was already regarded as one of the strongest cricketing sides in England in the early eighteenth century, often mentioned alongside London Cricket Club.

A 1723 journal entry by Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford, described the men of Dartford as claiming the greatest cricketing excellence among the Kentish sides.

Later historical writing has also described Dartford as the leading Kent team of the first half of the eighteenth century, and the club was often seen as representative of Kent in that period.

The club's early story includes William Bedle, one of the earliest known cricketing stars. He was associated strongly with Dartford and was described in his era as the most expert player in England.

His reputation lasted well beyond his own playing career, which shows how important Dartford was in the first generations of organised cricket.

Surviving records point to matches involving Dartford and Kent against London or Surrey teams between 1709 and 1724, during the period when William Bedle was active.

In 1724 Dartford played London in the earliest known match at Kennington Common, near the site that later became The Oval.

The club also appeared in major fixtures later in the century and became the first local team to appear at Lord's in 1811, facing the St John's Wood Club.