In 1788 I find from 'Scores and Biographies' that Hampshire played Surrey at Moulsey Hurst, Surrey being the winners by 9 wickets, while in 1789 Hants played and beat Kent at Bishopsbourne by 29 runs, and in less than a month after defeated England by 44 runs. Earlier in the year, however, on Windmill Downs, Kent defeated Hants by 56 runs. At the commencement of the present century, however, Hampshire cricket was on the wane; but in 1823 Hampshire beat England at Bramshill Park (Sir John Cope's seat) by 5 wickets, while two years later matches were arranged with Sussex, the first fixture at Petworth Park; the home side was victorious by 177 runs, while in the return Hants won by 72 runs.
Like Sussex, cricket in Hants was kept alive by prominent gentlemen in the county; but in the year 1842 Daniel Day, the old Surrey professional, migrated to Southampton, and, mainly through the patronage of Mr Thomas Chamberlayne, Sir Frederick Bathurst, Sir J. B. Mill, and others, he opened the Antelope Inn and ground. Cricket, however, did not prosper, and matches were few and far between. In 1863, however, during the progress of the match Fourteen of Hants v. Surrey, played on the Antelope ground in September, a large county meeting was held at the Antelope Hotel. Mr Thomas Chamberlayne of Cranbury Park took the chair, and Mr G. M. Ede was unanimously elected the first honorary secretary. In 1869 Mr Ede resigned, and was succeeded by Captain Eccles. Still