London Counties was a representative cricket side that was formed during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by Charles Jones.
Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, the government issued an order "closing all places of entertainment and outdoor sports meetings".
[Hayes & Hill, p.128.] However, this was soon rescinded and there was instead an emphasis placed on "business as usual" through the war.
Sports began to resume once more with a limited schedule. The
County Championship
The County Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Rothesay County Championship, is the only domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales. Established in 1890, it is organised by the England and Wales Cri ...
was cancelled, but county sides put out teams to play against each other and against representative sides.
Charles Jones formed London Counties, a side that played their games at
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
, and other locations around London. London Counties played its first recorded game, a two-day match against
Northamptonshire XI on 18 May 1940, winning by 128 runs.
They relied primarily on established southern professionals, and gained a reputation for being a team of "hitters and known fast scorers".
During the war years, London Counties formed a friendly rivalry with a British Empire XI, a similarly set up representative side. Both of these sides did a lot of work for war charities.
See also
*
1940 to 1944 English cricket seasons
References
Bibliography
* Nick Hayes and Jeff Hill, ''Millions Like Us – British Culture in the Second World War'', Liverpool University Press, 1999
External links
Wisden Archive
Cultural history of World War II
English cricket in the 20th century
Cricket teams in London
Former senior cricket clubs of England
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