William Pett, who worked out of premises in Upper High Street, is the earliest recorded cricket bat maker in Kent. This bat was made by Robert, his younger brother, whose name is carved on the end of the handle.
The bat is signed by its original owner, Robert Mitchel.
The earliest recorded cricket match to use three stumps instead of two was played at Sevenoaks Vine in 1734. The first scorecards to record an innings on a stroke by stroke basis were used on Sevenoaks Vine in 1769, in a game against Wrotham. In this same game, Sevenoaks’ John Minshull scored the first known century (100 or more runs in a single innings by a batter), with 107.