Rare Cricket Book (1717-1791)-£225,000.

Donated to British Library by Anonymous Donor

‘Cricket. A Collection of All the Grand Matches of Cricket played in England within Twenty Years, viz. from 1771 to 1791’ by William Epps was printed in 1799 and only a handful of copies are known to have ever existed.

William Epps (date of birth unknown–died 1833) was an English cricket writer and historian who was active in the late 18th century. He compiled Grand Matches of Cricket 1771 to 1791, published by Rochester Publishing Co. in 1799.

The writer was working at the very dawn of the collection of cricket statistics and the book is therefore valued as a precious account of the history of the sport.

Grand Matches of Cricket 1771 to 1791 preserves records of the earliest days of the game.

‘The voice of cricket,’ John Arlott, (1914-1991) was given the 18th-century book of scorecards and statistics by his father.¹

Mystery benefactor donates £180k to British Library to buy rare cricket book owned by John Arlott

In 2023 Grand Matches of Cricket 1771 to 1791 was offered by Peter Harrington Rare Books² for £225,000. The copy belonged to iconic cricket commentator and book collector John Arlott. An anonymous cricket enthusiast contributed funds to enable it to be acquired by the British Library. It is now part of the Printed Heritage Collections at the British Library.³

1. Arlott: The Authorised Biography, by David Rayvern Allen, published in 1993, won The Cricket Society Jubilee Literary Award. A second biography, John Arlott, A Memoir, written by his son Tim Arlott, was published in 1994.

2. Peter Harrington Rare Books - First Edition Books, Signed, Inscribed & Collectibles

3. Johnson, Alex (July 2023). One of the World's Rarest Cricket Books Acquired by British Library. Fine Books & Collections.