George Bennett (cricketer, born 1829)

George Bennett (12 February 1829 – 16 August 1886), sometimes known also as Farmer Bennett,[1] was an English professional cricketer, who played first-class cricket from 1853 to 1873. He was mainly associated with Kent County Cricket Club, and made either 169 or 170 known appearances in first-class matches.[1][2]

Bennett was born in Shorne Ridgeway near Gravesend, Kent where he was employed as a bricklayer.[3] He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow roundarm bowler and played in 126 for Kent.[1] He played for several of the representative travelling teams including the United All-England Eleven (1860–1862); All-England Eleven (1864) and the United South of England Eleven (1872). He represented the Players in 1865 and 1866. He took part in the first English tour of Australia as a member of HH Stephenson's XI in Australia in 1861–62.The team travelled to Australia on the SS Great Britain. During the voyage the team practised on deck leading to one passenger receiving a broken nose and cut cheek when he was struck in the face by a belaying pin which George was using as an improvised cricket bat. This incident is recorded in ‘The Cabinet’, the newspaper some passengers wrote during the voyage.[4] He was described by Lord Harris in 1907 in the History of Kent County Cricket as "one of the best all rounders Kent has produced".[3]

He was the first player to be ever given out handled the ball. In a match for Kent against Sussex at County Cricket Ground, Hove in August 1872, he removed a ball from his clothing before he had scored a run.[5]