A monument, made of Cornish granite, to the glory of cricket and the contribution made by The Hambledon Club was erected at Broadhalfpenny Down in 1908.
A Grand Match was organised at the end of the season featuring some of the best players from across England. The Spectator described the match as a much-needed tonic, "County cricket, it is true, is still cricket; its professionalism has not yet tainted it, though it has altered it; and though professional cricket is never likely to sink to the depths of some professional football, a vision of the high and sunny spaces in which the old, great games were played is a vision which should help to keep the newer energies pure and strong."
There had been a resurgence in interest in Broadhalfpenny Down thanks to the publication of "The Hambledon Men" by Mr. E. V. Lucas.
Exactly one hundred and thirty-one years before, on September 10th, 1777, on Broad Halfpenny Down, in front of the Little Bat and Ball' Inn which still stands there. All England in 1777 won by 54 runs; they made 146 and 187, and Hambledon made 117 and 162. No better match and no better date could have been chosen for repetition.
The scorecard of that match was reprinted on the back of the scorecard for the 1908 recreation which featured England legends Jessop and CB Fry amongst others. There were no boundaries (everything had to be run) and admission to the match was free; nobody had to make money out of this game. Players were looked after and fed well in the Bat and Ball with a menu including Roast Chicken, Steak and Kidney pie, and Sirloin of Beef.
The game showed how cricket thrives, not just in County Cricket, but on village greens and commons with small pavilions, playing for joy.
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