Cricket in the 18th century was funded by gambling interests and some of the wealthier gamblers, acting as patrons, formed whole teams that were representative of several parishes and even of counties.
That quote is taken from a letter written by Slindon's patron, Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1701 - 1750) in the 1741 English cricket season.
Another good player in the village, although he was an unsavoury one, was the notorious smuggler "Cuddy" whose real name was Edward Aburrow senior.
[2] The first written record of the Slindon team is on 15 June 1741 when they played against Portsmouth at Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle, near Havant in Hampshire.
[1] On Thursday 9 July 1741, in a letter to her husband, the Duchess of Richmond (1706 - 1751) mentioned a conversation with John Newland re a Slindon v East Dean match at Long Down, near Eartham, a week earlier.
[1] In two subsequent letters to his friend the Duke of Newcastle, a future Prime Minister, Richmond spoke about a game on Tuesday 28 July which resulted in a brawl with hearty blows and broken heads.
[1] Soon afterwards, Richmond's wife Sarah, a feisty character in her own right, wrote to him and said she "wish’d..... that the Sussex mobb (sic) had thrash’d the Surrey mob".
She had "a grudge to those fellows ever since they mob’d you" (apparently a reference to the Richmond Green fiasco in August of the 1731 English cricket season).
Pitch conditions in those days heavily favoured the bowlers and to score 40 then would be like making a century on a modern "flat track".
The only notable mentions of Slindon in 1743 are of Richard Newland personally for he established his reputation as an outstanding single wicket performer.
Monday 23 April marked the death of Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet (1695 – 1744) who was one of the greatest of cricket's early patrons, especially in his native Sussex, though it is not actually known if he was involved with Slindon.
[1] In September, Slindon again played London at the Artillery Ground and won, but details including the margin of victory have not survived.
[2] The single wicket form of the game became increasingly popular in the latter half of the 1740s and Richard Newland was often involved but little is recorded of Slindon after its heroics in 1744.
[2] On 5 July 1745, there was a match at the Artillery Ground between two "best elevens", apparently organised by Robert Colchin and Richard Newland, which was advertised rather wordily as Sevenoaks, Bromley & Addington versus Slindon, Horsmonden, Chislehurst & London!
[4] In the 1747 season, Slindon issued challenges in the highly popular (and lucrative) "fives" version of single wicket.
[5] This was the result of a challenge by Slindon, published in the Daily Advertiser on Mon 29 June, to play five of any parish in England, for their own Sum.
The announcement advised interested parties: If it is accepted of by any, they are desir’d to go to Mr Smith, who has Orders to make Stakes for them.
On Saturday 4 July, George Smith announced in the same paper that five of Dartford in Kent, have made Stakes with him, and will play with the above Gentlemen at the Time and Place above mentioned for twenty Pounds.
[2] The last mention of Slindon, now in reality poor little Slyndon, was in a match on 21 and 22 June 1754 against Midhurst & Petworth on Bowling Green, Lavington Common.
Slindon apparently lost by eight wickets [1] and the match seems to mark the great little club's swansong for it was not mentioned in the sources thereafter.