Class of 1877
Realistically, this class covers all of pre-Test cricket. Do I know much about this era?
... no.
But I think the inductees that I have for this time are fitting.
No honourable mentions here.
Hall of Famer: John Jackson
Like many of this first class, Jackson was a premier bowler - described as the fastest before Tests. His peak was in the late 1850s, and he toured in the first tours to the US and to Australia that England did. His career ended after an injury in 1866, and he faded off the map sadly, dying in a labour house in 1901.
Signature Moment: taking what appears to be a legitimate 109 wickets at an average of 9 in the 1860 season, including 9/34 against Kent.
Fun fact: known for blowing out of his nose after wickets, he was nicknamed Foghorn for that reason.
Hall of Famer: William Lillywhite
Lillywhite is officially listed as the player with the lowest bowling average ever - 1.54. This figure is completely misleading as many of his innings did not have the runs tallied from them, but there is no doubt Lillywhite belongs here regardless. Not only was Lillywhite a good enough cricketer to make it on his play alone, he along with Sussex teammate Jem Broadbridge - a hard cut from this list - were the first bowlers to routinely use the round-arm action, as opposed to underarm.
Signature Moment: In 1837, the season in which roundarm was officially legalised, he took 99 wickets in just ten games.
Fun fact: his nickname was literally "Unparalleled".
Hall of Famer: Alfred Mynn
Mynn followed in the footsteps of Lillywhite and may have been an even better bowler, becoming one of the first to 1000 FC wickets. But the thing with Mynn was that he was arguably the best allrounder in cricket before WG Grace, as he was a very competent batsman too.
Signature Moment: North vs South, 1836. Mynn played through a leg injury that was so debilitating that amputation was considered post-game in order to score 125*, his only first class century.
Fun fact: Like my best friend, he was known for taking a bottle with him to bed... except instead of water, it was filled with beer, which he said was an important part of a cricketer's diet.
Hall of Famer: Fuller Pilch
No greater batsman than Pilch played the game until WG Grace came along. He actually compares well with Lillywhite; both were nicknamed Unparalleled (Pilch for batting, Lillywhite for bowling), and both pioneered a technique we still see today (in the case of Pilch, that would be his style of hitting the ball forward of the wicket).
Signature Moment: Pilch is almost certainly the only player of his era to score centuries against both county powerhouse Sussex and the MCC.
Fun fact: When not playing, Pilch was a tavern keeper, and opened taverns outside of multiple Kent home grounds.
Hall of Famer: John Small
Small was the best player of the 18th century, certainly the best batsman of that era. His Hampshire was the Champion County 10 times during the peak of his powers, and more improtantly, he was a driving force behind many modern staples of cricket - three stumps, straight bat play, and standardised bat width.
Signature Moment: His 136* in 1775 was the first ever century in a match given first-class status - only one was recorded prior and it was not in such a game.
Fun fact: Outside of the game, Small was an accomplished musician who could play fiddle and double bass.
Hall of Famer: Lumpy Stevens
The first great bowler of the game's history, Lumpy was skilled especially in the accuracy department, being the bowler to bowl John Small thrice between his stumps and necessitate the invention of the middle stump. Stevens relied on subtle variations and giving the ball air in order to do his damage.
Signature Moment: Unfortunately most Lumpy records and stats do not exist anymore, but the stump story is verified and is clearly a signature moment of his.
Fun fact: Was, later in life, linked to saving an ensign's life by deflecting a cannonball away from him.
Hall of Famer: Unaarrimin
The 1868 tour of England by an Indigenous Australian team was led by star player Unaarrimin, known also as Johnny Mullagh. In the face of tough conditions and racism, Unaarrimin proved his skill with both bat and ball on the tour, and while he only played one first class game, he averaged 20 with the bat and 10 with the ball in the unofficial matches on said tour.
Signature Moment: Finding match played data from the Indigenous tour is tough, but in his one, later, first class game, he top scored with 36 from No. 10.
Fun fact: Unaarrimin lived in a rabbiter's shack on a station in his post-career days, having elected not to move to a reserve.
Hall of Famer: John Wisden
Wisden took 1100 wickets at 10 using all of roundarm, overarm and underarm bowling, making him the 19th century Sobers. However, while he was a great player, his status as a no-doubt Hall of Famer is for another reason. Wisden launched a book series under his own name in 1864 that is still going in 2025 and is seen as the be-all and end-all of cricket books.
Signature Moment: On the pitch, it would be him bowling all ten South batsmen in the 1850 North vs South game. While others have taken 10 in an innings before and after, Wisden remains the only one to bowl them all.
Fun fact: Wisden's business didn't initially produce the almanac. At first, he manufactured sports equipment - that business was wound up in 1970 and the name officially transferred to the publishing side.
Founding Class:
John Jackson
William Lillywhite
Alfred Mynn
Fuller Pilch
John Small
Lumpy Stevens
Unaarrimin
John Wisden
