Thomas Boxall

Thomas Boxall (dates unknown) was a famous English cricketer of the late 18th century. He was a very successful right arm bowler, believed to have been fast underarm.

According to Scores and Biographies, Boxall was about 5 ft 5in tall, strong and muscular. He may have been born at Ripley, Surrey but this is uncertain, especially as he played mainly for Kent. He was employed for a long time by the Kent patron Stephen Amherst. Amherst constructed an indoor practice area in a barn so that Boxall could bowl to him during the winter (the Walker brothers of Hambledon also did this at their farm).

Thomas Boxall made his known debut in the 1789 season and had 96 known appearances in major matches from 1789 to 1803.

Near the end of his career, in 1801, Boxall published the earliest known instructional book on cricket called Rules and Instructions for Playing at the Game of Cricket. He died on 19 July 1813 in Kent