250th Anniversary of First-Class Cricket

On June 24th 1772, a Hampshire XI took on an All England XI in the first official First-Class cricket match at Broadhalfpenny Down, near Hambledon. At this time, the Hambledon Club was the acknowledged authority on the Laws of Cricket, and responsible for the development of new techniques and the laws of cricket. These varied from the addition of a third stump to the size of the bat.

Now a charitable trust, Broadhalfpenny Down is a beautiful cricket ground which plays host to touring teams, women’s games, and disability cricket.

To celebrate this momentous occasion B3 have made some beautiful cricket bats with specially designed, limited edition stickers.

Available in 5 star (grade 1 English willow) at £395 or 3 star (grade 2) at £295, each bat will have a unique serial number and the limited edition stickers.

David Henderson at Broadhalfpenny Down said, “2022 is a celebration of all things cricket and we are delighted that our collaboration with B3 gives us a chance to raise money to help maintain this historic ground and host more disability cricket matches in the future.”

“It’s an absolute honour to be asked to make some very special bats to mark the 250th anniversary of First Class cricket. We are looking forward to getting involved in a fantastic summer of cricket at Broadhalfpenny Down to celebrate this historical landmark!” enthused Michael Blatherwick, Managing Director of B3.