A genuine all-rounder and the earliest known left-hander of note, Nyren was the captain of Hampshire when its team included players like John Small, Thomas Brett and Tom Sueter.
[1] The first confirmed mention of him as a cricketer was in 1764 when he was named as captain of the Hambledon team that defeated Chertsey by 4 wickets at Laleham Burway on 10–11 September.
Nyren led the team in most of the matches, two of which have no surviving scorecard, but he missed the first-class game against Surrey at Laleham Burway in September.
[16] However, Nyren did play against Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down on 13 July and made his highest known score of 98, sharing a century partnership with Small for the 5th wicket and turning the match in Hampshire's favour.
[17] When Nyren was out, he was confronted by Hambledon stewards Charles Powlett and Philip Dehaney who had bet heavily against Hampshire when the match looked lost.
James Aylward made the then record score in an individual innings with 167 as Hampshire amassed 403, a massive total in 18th century conditions.
[28] He was again taking good wickets in 1781 and 1782, especially in the low-scoring match against Kent at Bourne Paddock in August 1781 when he and Lamborn bowled Hampshire to an eight-run victory.
[30] The Hambledon membership was now in decline as the nobility began to seek a London venue for their cricketing activities and White Conduit was their initial attempt at establishing a metropolitan presence.
[32] He is the earliest of the left-handers listed in Scores & Biographies, others of his time being James Aylward, Tom Sueter, Noah Mann, Robert Clifford, Francis Booker, William Brazier and David Harris, although the latter bowled right-handed.
[32] Ashley-Cooper commented: "Perhaps of all the players who appeared for Hambledon (sic) only William Beldham surpassed him in excellence as an all-round performer – apart, that is, from captaincy".
[35] Nyren was widely considered to be the expert in all cricketing matters and at Hambledon he was "the chosen general of all the matches, ordering and directing the whole".
He would stand his ground even when disagreement arose with the major patrons John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, and Sir Horatio Mann.
[1] Later, its name was changed to the Bat and Ball Inn; it is arguably the most famous pub with a cricketing connection and is still open for business immediately next to the Hambledon Club's ground at Broadhalfpenny Down.
[39] For many years, Nyren and Barber took charge of match day catering at both Broadhalfpenny Down and Windmill Down and Ashley-Cooper's Hambledon Cricket Chronicle reproduces an advertisement that appeared in the Hampshire Chronicle of 28 July 1777: ‘’Ladies and Gentlemen will find an excellent cold collation every day on the Down, at Nyren and Barber's booths‘’.
On 22 June 1778, the Hampshire Chronicle advertised: ‘’NYREN (sic) has laid in a stock of excellent wines and cold provisions, and hopes the air of Stoke Down will, with the Ladies at least, stand in the place of Marbres, Aspiques, Blanc Manges, &c. For good appetite there will be a sufficient quantity of beef, ham, chicken and tarts‘’.
[42] Nyren was Secretary of the Hambledon Club for a time and one of his duties, apparently a thankless task, was to collect from members their subscriptions in arrears.
Just as Nyren, supported by Small and others, was the principal figure in the team, the mainstays among the membership were the Reverend Charles Powlett, Philip Dehany and John Richards.
MCC immediately usurped Hambledon's position as the sport's lawgiver and became the principal club, while Lord's became the new focal point and feature venue within easy reach of the metropolis.
Hambledon carried on for a few more seasons and Hampshire could still put a strong team in the field but "when Richard Nyren left Hambleton (sic) the club broke up, and never resumed from that day (for) the head and right arm were gone".