Arthur Haygarth

Arthur Haygarth (4 August 1825 – 1 May 1903) was a noted English amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians. He played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Sussex between 1844 and 1861, as well as numerous other invitational and representative teams including an England XI and a pre-county Middlesex. A right-handed bat, Haygarth played 136 matches, scoring 3,042 runs and taking 19 wickets with his part-time bowling. Of particular note was his compilation: Frederick Lillywhite's Cricket Scores and Biographies, published in 15 volumes between 1862 and 1879. Though only he out of his brothers would go on to play cricket, he also had two cousins John Haygarth and Edward Haygarth, who played.

In his playing days he was, according to Wisden, a "capable exponent of the game." From 1844 he played for the MCC against pre-county teams, Haygarth would go on to play for a great multitude of teams in his career. As well as the MCC and Middlesex, he played at the invitation of Fuller Pilch for the F Pilch's XI in 1846, for the Earl of Winterton and the Earl of Leicester, Viscount Mountgarret and the Earl of Stamford, for the Fast Bowlers XI, South of England, and Old Harrovians. Though he also played three matches for Sussex, and twelve matches for the England XI, the vast majority of his cricket was for the MCC. He played 69 matches for the club in total, scoring over 1,600 runs including four half-centuries and his career best 97 which came in 1855.

Cricket writer and historian Haygarth assisted with cricket coaching regularly until 1870, walking to Harrow from his home in central London. Meanwhile, he preoccupied himself with writing and amassing information on cricket.

The last 11 editions, bound in red cloth, with gilded lettering and ornamented with an armorial design of a shield embodying the stumps, bat and ball, were produced at the sole expense of the MCC. At this point, however, the MCC opted to discontinue funding as the works were no longer profitable. A green plaque, unveiled in November 2003, commemorates his home.