The 1822 English cricket season was the 36th since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). John Willes brought the roundarm issue to a head and sacrificed his own career in the process. The outstanding batsman James Saunders made his known debut. Details of nine historically important eleven-a-side matches are known.
Events The roundarm issue came to a head in 1822 when, in the match at Lord's, John Willes of Kent opened the bowling and was no-balled for using a roundarm action, a style he had attempted to introduce since 1807. Willes promptly withdrew from the match and refused to play again in any important fixture. Roundarm was a natural reaction to the growing predominance of batsmen over the age-old underarm style of bowling. Its adherents argued that the legalisation of roundarm was essential to restore the balance between batting and bowling. However, high-scoring matches were still comparatively rare owing to vagaries in pitch conditions. Nine matches were recorded in 1822: 20–21 May — Cambridge University v Cambridge Town Club @ University Ground, Cambridge 10–11 June — MCC First XII v MCC Second XII @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.453. 24 June — MCC First XI v MCC Second XI @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.454. 27–28 June — Godalming v Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) @ The Burys, Godalming 1–2 July — Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) v Godalming @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.455. 8–10 July — Gentlemen v Players @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.456. 15–16 July — Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) v Kent @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.458. 25–27 July — Kent v Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) @ West Kent CC, ChislehurstHaygarth, p.460. 12–14 August — England v The Bs @ Lord's Cricket GroundHaygarth, p.463.
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