1827 English cricket season

1827 English cricket season

1827 was the 41st season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club. It saw the first playing of the University match and the introduction of roundarm bowling as an accepted way of delivering the ball.

The controversy surrounding roundarm bowling came to a head before the season began and three trial matches were played between Sussex and England. No firm conclusions were drawn in the immediate aftermath of the trials and it was many years before roundarm was formally legalised, but in practice roundarm was adopted in 1827 as its practitioners, especially William Lillywhite and Jem Broadbridge of Sussex, continued to use it with little, if any, opposition from umpires. Underarm bowling did not cease and continued into the twentieth century with George Simpson-Hayward being the last major exponent.

On 22 August, George Rawlins playing for Sheffield against Nottingham became the first batsman to be out hit the ball twice. This has since occurred only six more times in English cricket, and not since 1906.