Greatest Cricket Moments

First Recorded Professional-Cricketer Wage Scale — MCC, 1836

1836-04-20n/aMCC committee resolution on professional match fees, April 18361 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On 20 April 1836 the MCC committee passed the first formal wage scale for professional cricketers playing at Lord's: £5 for a winning match, £4 for a losing match, with travel expenses paid. The scale standardised what had previously been ad-hoc patron payments and is the foundation entry of organised professional cricket pay.

What Happened

Professional payments before 1836 had varied widely — patrons paid retainers, individual matches set their own purses, and side-betting share-outs added to the totals. The April 1836 MCC resolution standardised payments for matches played at Lord's: £5 winning, £4 losing, plus reasonable travel. The scale was modelled on similar agreements at the Sussex County club. It was widely adopted across major cricket through the late 1830s.

Timeline

20 Apr 1836

MCC committee passes wage scale

Late 1830s

Scale widely adopted in major cricket

1846

All-England Eleven raises market rates

Aftermath

The £5/£4 scale held broadly until the 1850s when William Clarke's All-England Eleven raised market rates substantially. By the 1860s leading professionals could earn £200+ in a good season.

⚖️ The Verdict

The foundation document of organised professional cricket wages.

Tags

#roundarm-era#early-victorian#mcc#professional-cricket#wages#1836#iconic-moment

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