The Reverend Charles Powlett (1728 – 29 January 1809) was a patron of English cricket who has been described as the mainstay, if not the actual founder, of the Hambledon Club.
[1] Powlett acted as a Steward at Hambledon, was "the life and soul of the club for many years" and "when the end came, was the last to abandon the sinking ship".
Despite being ordained and a Steward of the club and a member of the Laws of Cricket committee, Powlett was not above gambling on the outcome of matches or of betting against his own team.
Powlett and his associate Philip Dehany, another Hambledon member, decided to bet heavily on Surrey to win.
But then John Small was joined at the wicket by his captain Richard Nyren and the two put on a century partnership which turned the game around.