Buckle Part

[GJH]

Found recently, I think it's part of a buckle, made of copper 5cmx4cm.
Geoff

[nobby]

nice Geoff, they seem to be playing cricket

[Johnboy25]

Nice find Geoff .

[dingdong]

Nice find Geoff,well searched and found ..👍

[handyman [Alan}]

Cricket really took off as a popular public sport in the 1850s. .... there were many matches on the wednesday half day trading days between local butchers stores, traders and others. sometimes so many people wanted to play that a game would be played over 2 innings, where one side had 22 players against anothers 11 ..... this meant that the side with 22 fielded an 11 for the first innings, and then changed the entire team for the second innings.

there were no dedicated pitches in those days you turned up at a local field, pitched stumps and often without any protection played the game.  naturally the scores were not very big, probably due to the variable bounce!

it was known for teams to travel to neighbouring villages up to a 20 mile radius, and they would travel on horseback, or horse and cart to get to them. After the game there was food provided at the local hostelry with entertainment thrown in ... usually poetry recitals -- both clean and vulgar, plus the skills of the local schoolmistress on the piano who would play popular sing along songs at the time. popular songs from that period were from gilbert and sullivan operettas.... after a good nights merriment, the visiting team would make their way home .. many relying on the horse alone to get them there as they were in no fit state!!

To go with the popularity of the sport, items such as buckles, badges etc were produced.

Finally it may surprise you to learn that the cricket season often ran from March to the end of October ..... with games reported to be played in the winter as well, if the weather was good.!

nice find, well done Geoff.

[GJH]

Thanks everyone and many thanks for the great write up Alan, so that makes it Victorian then.
Geoff

[handyman [Alan}]

Thanks everyone and many thanks for the great write up Alan, so that makes it Victorian then.
Geoff

if you look closely at the image Geoff, you will that  neither the batsman or the wicketkeeper is wearing any protection such as pads! so i would date the buckle around 1850 to 1880.

should you ever want to pass it on a cricket lover, i'd like to be first in the queue!

Cheers  and well found.

[GJH]

When it's time to let it go it will be yours Alan 
Geoff

[handyman [Alan}]

When it's time to let it go it will be yours Alan 
Geoff

Thank you Geoff.

[celticspikey]

Very nice piece of history Geoff, well done.