Byron's reputation as a cricketer rests on this match between Eton and Harrow. It was played on the old cricket ground in Dorset Square, August 2, 1805, and ended in a victory for Eton by an innings and two runs. The score is thus given by Lillywhite, in his
Cricket Scores and Biographies of Celebrated Cricketers from 1745 to 1826
(vol. i. pp. 319, 320) —
| HARROW | ||||
| First Innings | Second Innings | |||
| Lord Ipswich | b. Carter | 10 | b. Heaton | 21 |
| T. Farrer, Esq. | b. Carter | 7 | c. Bradley | 3 |
| T. Drury, Esq. | b. Carter | 0 | st. Heaton | 6 |
| —— Bolton, Esq. | run out | 2 | b. Heaton | 0 |
| C. Lloyd, Esq. | b. Carter | 0 | b. Carter | 0 |
| A. Shakespeare, Esq. | st. Heaton | 8 | run out | 5 |
| Lord Byron | c Barnard | 7 | b. Carter | 2 |
| Hon. T. Erskine | b. Carter | 4 | b. Heaton | 8 |
| W. Brockman, Esq. | b. Heaton | 9 | b. Heaton | 10 |
| E. Stanley, Esq. | not out | 3 | c. Canning | 7 |
| —— Asheton, Esq. | b. Carter | 3 | not out | 0 |
| Byes | 2 | Byes | 3 | |
| Totals | 55 | 65 | ||
| ETON | ||||
| —— Heaton, Esq. | b. Lloyd | 0 | ||
| —— Slingsby, Esq. | b. Shakespeare | 29 | ||
| —— Carter, Esq. | b. Shakespeare | 3 | ||
| —— Farhill, Esq. | c. Lloyd | 6 | ||
| —— Canning, Esq. | c. Farrer | 12 | ||
| —— Camplin, Esq. | b. Ipswich | 42 | ||
| —— Bradley, Esq. | b. Lloyd | 16 | ||
| —— Barnard, Esq. | b. Shakespeare | 0 | ||
| —— Barnard, Esq. | not out | 3 | ||
| —— Kaye, Esq. | b. Byron | 7 | ||
| —— Dover, esq. | c. Bolton | 4 | ||
| Byes | 0 | |||
| Total | 122 |
At this match Lord Stratford de Redcliffe remembers seeing a "moody-looking boy" dismissed for a small score. The boy was Byron. But the moment is not favourable to expression of countenance.
[31 — To the Hon. Augusta Byron]
[Castle Howard, Malton, Yorkshire.]