Stephen Harding (dates of birth and death unknown) was a noted English

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er of the mid-18th century who played for Chertsey, All-England and

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. Harding was a hard-hitting batsman and a good bowler, although his style and pace is unknown. He featured in single wicket contests and seems to have been a fine all-rounder. Harding is first recorded in May 1751 when he played for All-England v Kent at the Artillery Ground. All-England won by 9 runs and Harding made a significant contribution. Although he had been picked as a bowler, he and an unnamed Chertsey player opened All-England's second innings and scored 51 for the first wicket, with Harding apparently making 50 of these himself and had one hit out of the ground and against a house on Bunhill Row opposite. He was given four for this mighty effort. You could only score six if you were actually able to run that many and to do that you would need the help of overthrows. F S Ashley-Cooper, ''At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742-1751'', ''Cricket'' Magazine, 1900 Soon afterwards, in a return match, Harding played for All-England again and they beat Kent by an innings. In 1759, Harding was a member of the All-England team beaten twice by Dartford Cricket Club. Arthur Haygarth, ''Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826)'', Lillywhite, 1862 He was still making big hits in September 1765, when he played for Chertsey against Richmond on Richmond Green. Helping Chertsey to win by 106 runs, Harding made 24 in four balls with a five, two sixes and a seven. H T Waghorn, ''Cricket Scores, Notes, etc. (1730-1773)'', Blackwood, 1899 That is the last time he is recorded. The bulk of his career was during the 1750s when cricket reports are scarce and he spanned the Seven Years' War which had a disastrous impact on the sport.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Stephen English cricketers English cricketers of 1701 to 1786 Surrey cricketers Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Non-international England cricketers