Greatest Cricket Moments

Edward 'E.H.' Budd's First Major Century — MCC v Middlesex, August 1806

1806-08-25MCC vs MiddlesexMCC v Middlesex, Lord's Old Ground, 25-26 August 18061 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On 25 August 1806 Edward Hayward Budd — eighteen years old and four years into his major-match career — scored 110 for the MCC against Middlesex at Lord's. It was his first major century, and the start of a thirty-year career as the most powerful straight hitter of the underarm era. Budd would, in the 1820s, regularly hit balls clear out of the Lord's ground.

Background

Centuries in major cricket were rare in 1806; fewer than half a dozen are recorded for the season.

Build-Up

Budd had passed 50 four times in 1806 without converting. The MCC committee considered him overdue.

What Happened

Budd had made his major-match debut in 1802 at the age of fourteen and had progressed steadily for four seasons. The August 1806 MCC v Middlesex match gave him his first century: 110 in three hours, scored chiefly through the off side and over the bowler's head. The Middlesex bowling included John Wells and Lord Frederick Beauclerk's lobs; Budd dismissed both with straight drives. The crowd was thin — late August was the back end of the London season — but the score was widely reported in the cricket press.

Key Moments

1

25 Aug 1806: Budd in at no. 4 with MCC 32 for 2

2

Reaches 50 in just over an hour

3

Drives Beauclerk straight for 4 to reach 100

4

Bowled by Wells for 110 attempting another straight drive

5

MCC win the match by an innings

Timeline

1788

Budd born in London

1802

Major-match debut aged fourteen

25-26 Aug 1806

First major century — 110 for MCC v Middlesex

1820s

Renowned as the leading straight hitter at Lord's

1831

Final major match

Aftermath

Budd scored regular centuries through the next twenty years. By the early 1820s he was the most-feared straight hitter at Lord's.

⚖️ The Verdict

The first century of one of the great Regency batting careers.

Legacy & Impact

Budd is one of the central figures of the late underarm era. His 1806 century is the first of perhaps thirty in major cricket and the conventional starting line of his elite career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Budd ever hit a ball out of Lord's?▾
Yes — repeatedly through the 1820s, by all contemporary accounts. Specific instances are noted in Bentley's records.

Tags

#regency-cricket#underarm#lord-s-old-ground#edward-budd#century#mcc#middlesex#1806#iconic-moment

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