London, on February 25th, 1774, and are believed to be the first written laws governing the game, when scores were recorded by means of notches cut on the edge of a strip of wood. The following reference to the game is found in the "Collier Letters'" : July 9th, 1745, from James Collier, from London, to his father at Hastings.
"A great cricket match is to be played on Bromley Common, next Fryday, between Kent and All England. The Prince of Wales and all the nobility in town will be present. I hope you will not be angry if I don't set out from London till that morning. Mr. Rowe has promised to accompany me so far, and I am in hopes of entertaining the Club at the Old Swan Inn (Hastings), with particulars of the game, and will certainly produce another poem, because I know a gentleman who is ordered to attend on purpose." [This custom
was brought down to recent times by the cricket poet, Craig, now dead, who regularly attended the Cricket Week at Hastings, and enlivened the patrons with his poetry, ready wit, and smart repartee.] It is probable the game was played in Hastings soon after the date above mentioned. On reference to the plan of the Collier Lands, there will be found a field (No. 33) called the Cricket Field, containing about seven acres, and may be located in the present Priory Road, near the Corporation Water Works. This field belonged to Mr. John Collier, and may have been set apart by him for the game as his son was evidently interested in it.
Coming to a later period the game was for many years played on the East Hill, near "Rocklands." The wood-cut on the next page was found in Ransom's old printing office, [[George Street[[, Hastings, and was used for illustrating the announcement of the matches.
