Richard Leigh Sr (dates unknown) was an 18th-century English businessman and cricket patron who ran his own team, R. Leigh's XI, which is known to have played in nine historically important matches between 1793 and 1795. His son, Richard Leigh Jr, played in the 1800s, but there is no record of Leigh Sr having done so.
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Life
Leigh Sr, who resided at Wilmington, near Dartford, was an elected (1793) member of the Hambledon Club and also an early member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He was such a prominent match organiser in the 1790s that the Duchess of Gordon reportedly said to him: "Though I am the first, you are the second match-maker in England, Mr Leigh".
Leigh Sr was the father of the 1800s Kent player Richard Leigh Jr, but it is not known if Leigh Sr was ever a player himself.
R. Leigh's XI
R. Leigh's XI was a scratch team formed by Leigh Sr, which is known to have played in nine important matches from 1793 to 1795, all of them against other scratch teams organised by rival patrons.


