John Hammond Keeps Wicket for England — Surrey v England, June 1801

Wicketkeeping in 1801 was performed without gloves or pads. The keeper stood up to every bowler regardless of pace; the technique demanded soft hands and good footwork.

England's regular keeper, the Surrey man Yalden, was injured in a club match on 12 June. The committee turned to Hammond on 13 June.

Hammond had played as a batter for Sussex sides through the late 1790s and was selected for England in 1801 chiefly for his batting. The team's regular keeper was injured in the days before the match, and Hammond — known to keep wicket competently for his village club — was asked to take the gloves. He stumped Tom Walker for 8 in the first innings and the young William Lambert for 3 in the second, both off slow lobs from Beauclerk. Contemporary observers noted that he stood up to all the bowlers, including Tom Howard at near-full pace.

Hammond was retained as England's first-choice keeper for the rest of the season and held the position for most of the next two decades.