▁ ▁Bow ling ▁ ▁W icket - keep ing ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Ear liest ▁cr icket ▁Cr icket ▁had ▁probably ▁reached ▁North am pt ons hire ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁references ▁to ▁cr icket ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁are ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁of ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 1 . ▁On ▁Monday ▁ 1 0 ▁August , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁match ▁at ▁W ob urn ▁Park ▁between ▁a ▁Bed ford shire ▁XI ▁and ▁a ▁combined ▁North ants ▁and ▁Hun ting d ons hire ▁XI . ▁ ▁W ob urn ▁Cr icket ▁Club ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Bed ford ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁becoming ▁a ▁well ▁known ▁club . ▁ ▁On ▁T ues day ▁ 1 8 ▁August , ▁a ▁match ▁played ▁on ▁the ▁Cow ▁M ead ow ▁near ▁North am pton ▁between ▁two ▁teams ▁of ▁am ateurs ▁from ▁North am pt ons hire ▁and ▁Buck ingham shire ▁is ▁the ▁earliest ▁known ▁instance ▁of ▁cr icket ▁being ▁played ▁in ▁North am pt ons hire ▁county . ▁ ▁Origin ▁of ▁club ▁On ▁ 3 1 ▁July ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁the ▁official ▁formation ▁of ▁North ants ▁C CC ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁the ▁George ▁Hotel , ▁K etter ing ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁existing ▁organisation ▁that ▁dated ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁The ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁date , ▁if ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁verified , ▁would ▁make ▁North ants ▁the ▁oldest ▁club