John Small, Sr

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For other people with the same name, see John Small (disambiguation)

John Small senior (born 1737 at Empshott, Hampshire; died 31 December 1826 at Petersfield, Hampshire) was an English cricketer, generally regarded as the greatest batsman of the 18th Century, and he is believed to have introduced the straight bladed bat instead of the curved bat.

Small was a playing member of the legendary Hambledon Club during its years of greatness. Indeed, it was largely because of him that Hambledon was such a famous club. Although our knowledge of the early years of his career are sketchy due to the lack of detailed records before scorecards became common from 1772, it is believed he began playing in top-class cricket during the 1750s and may well have taken part in the earliest known Hambledon matches, a tri-series against Dartford in 1756. Small was definitely playing for Hambledon in 1768 and his name is found in the club's scorecards right up to 1798 when he was over 60.

Small's most famous feat was to score what is believed to be the first-ever century in a first-class match. He made 136* for Hambledon against Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down on 13 July 1775.

Like so many of his contemporaries, Small's fame is based largely on the testimony paid to him by John Nyren in The Cricketers of My Time. Small received high praise indeed for Nyren declared him to have been "a star of the first magnitude" (i.e., a superstar).