Thomas Sueter (17 April 1750 – 17 February 1827) was an English
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
er who represented
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
as a member of the
Hambledon Club
The Hambledon Club was a social club that is famous for its organisation of 18th century cricket matches. By the late 1770s it was the foremost cricket club in England.
Foundation
The origin of the club, based near Hambledon in rural Hampshire, ...
.
Sueter was a left-handed batsman and, with his contemporary
William Yalden, one of the two most famous wicket-keepers of the 18th century. Sueter and Yalden are the earliest players to be recognised as wicketkeeper/batsmen, since they were specialist keepers who nevertheless justified selection for their batting alone. Sueter played mainly for Hampshire but in his closing seasons he represented
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, probably because of temporary residence in the county, though he evidently returned to Hambledon after he finished playing.
Sueter was a carpenter and builder by trade and
Arthur Haygarth
Arthur Haygarth (4 August 1825 – 1 May 1903) was a noted English amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians. He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Sussex between 1844 and 1861, as wel ...
recorded that above the Hambledon church door in the 1860s was affixed a plaque saying: "Thomas Sueter and Richard Flood, builders, 1788".
Arthur Haygarth
Arthur Haygarth (4 August 1825 – 1 May 1903) was a noted English amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians. He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Sussex between 1844 and 1861, as wel ...
, ''Scores & Biographies'', Volume 1 (1744-1826, Lillywhite, 1862
Sueter began playing in the 1760s and made 67 known first-class appearances from the
1772 season to the
1790 season. He is said "to have been the first (or one of the first) who departed from the custom of the old players, who deemed it a heresy to leave the crease for the ball; but he would get in at it, hit it straight off and straight on, and egad it went as if it had been fired."
Ashley Mote
Ashley Mote (25 January 1936 – 30 March 2020) was a British politician who was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 2004 to 2009. Elected representing the UK Independence Party, he became a non-inscrit one mo ...
, ''John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time"'', Robson, 1998 Sueter was also reckoned an excellent judge of a short run.
[
Like ]George Leer
George Leer (1748 at Hambledon, Hampshire – 1 February 1812 at Petersfield, Hampshire) was a famous English cricketer who played for Hampshire in the time of the Hambledon Club.
Leer began playing in the 1760s. His name has become almost syn ...
, Sueter was a fine singer and he belonged to the choir at his parish church. When he died, according to Haygarth, he left behind him a sovereign in order that an anthem should be sung in the church over his coffin; and this was done. Haygarth records that Sueter's tombstone was still standing in Hambledon churchyard in 1858 with the following inscription:
:::::''Sacred to the memory of THOMAS SUETER, ''
:::::''who departed this life the 17th day of February, 1827, aged 77 years'' [
]
References
Further reading
* H. S. Altham, ''A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)'', George Allen & Unwin, 1962
* Rowland Bowen, ''Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development'', Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
* Ashley Mote
Ashley Mote (25 January 1936 – 30 March 2020) was a British politician who was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 2004 to 2009. Elected representing the UK Independence Party, he became a non-inscrit one mo ...
, ''The Glory Days of Cricket'', Robson, 1997
* David Underdown, ''Start of Play'', Allen Lane, 2000
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sueter, Tom
English cricketers
Hampshire cricketers
English cricketers of 1701 to 1786
1750 births
1827 deaths
Hambledon cricketers
English cricketers of 1787 to 1825
Surrey cricketers
Left-Handed v Right-Handed cricketers
West Kent cricketers
Non-international England cricketers
People from the City of Winchester
Cricketers from Hampshire