Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Infobox cricket team
county = Yorkshire County Cricket Club


oneday = Yorkshire Carnegie
secondteam = Yorkshire Colts
coach = Martyn Moxon
captain = Darren Gough
overseas = Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Morne Morkel "(early 2008)"
founded = 1863
ground = Headingley, Leeds
capacity = 20,000
fcdebutvs = Surrey
fcdebutyr = 1863
fcdebutvenue = The Oval
title1 = Championship
title1wins = 31 ("including 1 shared")
title2 = Pro40
title2wins = 1
title3 = FP Trophy
title3wins = 3
title4 = Twenty20 Cup
title4wins = 0
website = [http://www.yorkshireccc.com YorkshireCCC]

Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who represent the historic county of Yorkshire, are one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure. Their limited overs team is called the Yorkshire Carnegie (formerly Yorkshire Phoenix), whose current (2008) kit colours are black with gold trim and the shirt sponsor is Bradford and Bingley (building society).

The club plays most of their home games at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium, Leeds. The club have another significant venue at North Marine Road, Scarborough, which houses the annual Scarborough Festival. Yorkshire has also played games around the county at various locations: notably at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, which was the club's original home; Horton Park Avenue, Bradford; St George's Ground, Harrogate; Anlaby Road, Hull; and Acklam Park, Middlesbrough.

Honours

First XI honours

* Champion County [An unofficial seasonal title proclaimed by consensus of media and historians prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship was constituted] (2) - 1867, 1870; shared (3) - 1868, 1869, 1883
* County Championship (30) - 1893, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1912, 1919, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 2001; shared (1) - 1949
* FP Trophy [Formerly known as the Gillette Cup (1963–1980), NatWest Trophy (1981–2000) and C&G Trophy (2001–2006)] (3) - 1965, 1969, 2002
* National League [Formerly known as the Sunday League (1969–1998)] (1) - 1983
* Twenty20 Cup (0) -
* Benson & Hedges Cup (1) - 1987

econd XI honours

* Second XI Championship (4) - 1977, 1984, 1991, 2003; shared (1) - 1987
* Second XI Trophy (0) -
* Minor Counties Championship (5) - 1947, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1971

Other honours

* Fenner Trophy (3) - 1972, 1974, 1981
* Asda Challenge (1) - 1987
* Ward Knockout Cup (1) - 1989
* Joshua Tetley Festival Trophy (6) - 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998; shared (1) - 1992
* Tilcon Trophy (1) - 1988
* Under-25 Competition (3) - 1976, 1978, 1987
* Bain Clarkson Trophy (1) - 1994

Earliest cricket

:"For information about Yorkshire cricket before the county club was founded, see: Sheffield Cricket Club"

The earliest known references to cricket in Yorkshire are as late as 1751. These relate to local matches in Sheffield and to a game on or soon after Monday 5 August at Stanwick, near Richmond, between the Duke of Cleveland's XI and Earl of Northumberland's XI (the same teams had earlier played in Durham and this is Durham's earliest cricket reference).

On Tuesday 7 July 1761, the "Leeds Intelligencer" (now the "Yorkshire Post") announced a game to be played at Chapeltown the following Thursday (9 July) and this is the first game we know of in the Leeds area.

Sheffield quickly became the main centre for cricket in Yorkshire. In September 1757 a match took place between Wirksworth and Sheffield at Brampton Moor, near Chesterfield. This is the earliest reference to cricket in Derbyshire. It may also be the earliest indication of the Sheffield club that eventually became Yorkshire CCC. Sheffield are recorded in matches against Leeds in 1765 and, more significantly, against Nottingham Cricket Club in August 1771.

The Sheffield club continued to play first-class games into the 19th century. In 1833, the team is referred to as "Yorkshire" for the first time and in 1849 we find the first Yorkshire v Lancashire Roses Match.

Origin of club

On 7 March 1861, a Match Fund Committee to run Yorkshire county matches was established in Sheffield, which had by then been the home of Yorkshire cricket for nearly 100 years. It was from this fund that Yorkshire CCC was founded two years later. This was an exact parallel with the formation of Sussex CCC from a similar fund (1836–1839).

On 8 January 1863, the formation of Yorkshire CCC was agreed at a meeting of the Sheffield Match Fund Committee in the Adelphi Hotel, Sheffield. The club was originally based at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Its current base at Headingley in Leeds was first established in 1888.

Yorkshire CCC played its initial first-class match "versus" Surrey at The Oval on 4, 5 & 6 June. It was a rain-affected draw, evenly balanced. The first captain was Roger Iddison. Mr Michael Ellison was the club's first President and his financial support kept the club afloat in its early years. It was not all plain sailing. In 1865 5 players, George Anderson, George Atkinson, Roger Iddison, Joe Rowbotham and Ned Stephenson refused to play against Surrey after a dispute over the action of a Kent bowler, their colleague in an all-England match against Surrey. Anderson never played for Yorkshire again.

Club history

Golden years

Yorkshire won all seven of their matches in 1867 and their first, unofficial, County Championship. Lord Hawke was appointed Captain in 1883, bringing much needed authority and discipline to an often fractious side. One of the great early figures in the game, Lord Hawke was captain for 28 years, later becoming Yorkshire President and President of MCC.

Yorkshire played their first game at Headingley in 1891 and two years later a major reorganization of the Club saw its centre of operations shift from Sheffield to Leeds. They dominated the early county championship. In 1896 Yorkshire amassed the highest score in county cricket - 887 against Warwickshire at Birmingham and from 1900 to 1902 Yorkshire lost only two Championship matches of 80 played.

Yorkshire went through the 1908 season unbeaten and bowled Northamptonshire out for 42, the lowest aggregate score in English cricket (27 and 15). Lord Hawke resigned as Captain in 1910 and it took the Great War to interrupt Yorkshire's long run of success.

Yorkshire won the first post-war Championship in 1919, a year which saw the debut of the great Herbert Sutcliffe and of Yorkshire legend Emmott Robinson, and remained the dominant force in the County Championship until the Second World War, often dismissing lesser sides without recourse to a third day's play. They won every year from 1922 to 1925 and 7 more times in the 1930s. The team won 25 of their games in 1923, for instance, with Rhodes and Roy Kilner doing the double in these matches alone, 4 other batsmen scored 1,000 runs and 3 other bowlers, including the great George Macaulay, took 100 wickets.

The kingpin of much of this success, Wilfred Rhodes retired in 1930, taking 73 wickets and scoring 478 runs in his final season at the age of 53. JM Kilburn wrote in the Yorkshire Post: "He had bowled at W.G. Grace, and he bowled at Don Bradman. At 20, at 30, at 40 and at 50 he had shown himself master of his world, and his kingdom was never usurped." This colossus was hardly missed however as the brilliant Hedley Verity, another skilful slow left armer, dominated a decade of featherbed batting pitches. The Yorkshire batsmen prospered with Percy Holmes and Sutcliffe putting on a record opening stand of 555 against Essex at Leyton in 1932.

The immaculate Herbert Sutcliffe formed a famous opening partnership with Surrey great Jack Hobbs for England, while Wilfred Rhodes and George Herbert Hirst rank with the finest all rounders the game has ever produced. A 22 year old Len Hutton scored a then world record 364 against Australia at the Oval and returned after the war, despite a serious arm injury, to become England's first professional captain and prove himself perhaps the most complete opening batsman since Jack Hobbs.

Large crowds flocked to the cricket after the Second World War with 47,000 people attending the 3 days of the Roses Match at Bramall Lane in 1946. Yorkshire won the first post-war Championship and mercurial spinner Johnny Wardle made his debut while Bob Appleyard became the first bowler to take 200 wickets in his first full season in 1951. The 50s were dominated by Surrey's unbroken hegemony and stern action was taken. Billy Sutcliffe, Herbert's son, lost the captaincy to 39 year old Bradford League veteran Ronnie Burnet and Wardle was sacked for his 'general behaviour' and writing an article deemed critical of the club. Yorkshire finished out of the top ten for the first time ever in Burnet's first season, but in his second and final stint the club regained the County Championship.

The sixties saw a new Yorkshire team emerge and dominate the first class game. Brian Close was made Captain in 1963 and won the Championship in his first season. Immaculate right-hander Doug Padgett, obdurate opener Geoff Boycott, canny off spinner Ray Illingworth, ever present keeper Jimmy Binks, belligerent left-hander Brian Close, hard hitting Jack Hampshire and 'Fiery' Fred Trueman combined in one of the great county teams. As this team began to break up however, Close was controversially sacked in 1970 and there began a long-running current of unrest in the Club. There was sadness too in 1973 when Bramall Lane, the first home of Yorkshire CCC, was closed after over 400 first class matches.

tarting to struggle

Geoff Boycott captained Yorkshire for most of the 1970s, but success eluded the team, even when Boycott forswore test cricket for 3 years to concentrate on the county game. He was sacked as captain amid much furore after the 1978 season. There were endless problems in a faction ridden dressing room and problems between the Committee and some leading players. 1982 saw a bizarre move in which team manager Ray Illingworth, who had returned to manage the club from Leicestershire, replaced Chris Old as Captain, at the age of 50.

Yorkshire finished bottom of the 17-strong County Championship for the first time in 1983 but won the John Player (later National League) for the first time. Geoffrey Boycott, one of Yorkshire's most iconic players, was not offered a new contract. There was a public outcry, the General Committee resigned, and Boycott eventually was reinstalled as a player - having already been elected to the Committee. Brian Close became Chairman of the Cricket Committee.

In 1984–1985 Team Manager Ray Illingworth was removed from his post, and Boycott was made Vice-Captain. In 1987 Yorkshire, under new Captain Phil Carrick, led the Championship table in mid-summer, and won the Benson and Hedges Cup. Carrick resigned his post in 1989 in a letter to the Committee which urged the recruitment of an overseas professional.

After long having a policy of playing on many 'out' grounds, Yorkshire decided in 1997 to limit play to Scarborough and Headingley. A majority of members supported a plan to build a new ground near Wakefield, but this never came about.

igns of revival

More recently paceman Matthew Hoggard and Manchester born England captain Michael Vaughan have proved major stars for county and country alike, both of them making major contributions to England's recovery of The Ashes in the 2005 season.

In clinching the match against Glamorgan at Scarborough in 2001 the club won its first County Championship since 1968 under the flinty captaincy of locally born David Byas (who returned in 2005 as director of cricket). A poor season followed in 2002 however and the County was relegated to Division Two of the championship. This disappointment was tempered by a memorable victory over Gloucestershire in the final of the C&G Trophy at Lord's. A financial crisis forced an extraordinary general meeting, at which General Committee was replaced by a Board of Management.

A fine Division Two Championship season in 2005, where they remained unbeaten until the last game, meant promotion and Yorkshire began 2006 once again in Division One.

Colin Graves, Chief Executive for three years and chairman of the Club's leading sponsor, Costcutter, was replaced as Chief Executive by Stewart Regan, but retained his place on the Board, becoming Chairman.

Progress stalls

In the 2006 County Championship Yorkshire survived relegation in the last match of the season against Durham. A score of 677-7dec against Durham combined with Nottinghamshire's innings and 245 run defeat by the champions Sussex meant that Yorkshire finished 6th, 2 places and 1 point above the relegation zone.

After the final match of the season Craig White resigned as captain stating: "Now is the appropriate moment to go. I led Yorkshire to promotion last season and we stayed up this year, I am proud of my record and will support to the hilt whoever takes over".cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=White steps down as Tykes skipper | date=2006-09-23 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/5374624.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-09-23 | language = ] Yorkshire fans waved goodbye to a legend in the match against Durham, with Darren Lehmann retiring from the county game. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The consummate overseas pro | date=2006-09-23 | publisher=BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra | url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2006/09/the_consummate_county_pro_1.shtml | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-09-23 | language = ] Left-hander Michael Lumb left the club for Hampshire [cite news | title=Lumb completes Hampshire switch | date=2006-10-31 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/hampshire/6103088.stm | accessdate = 2006-10-31] while Richard Dawson,cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=White steps down as Tykes skipper | date=2006-09-23 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/5374624.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-09-23 | language = ] Richard Blakey and Mitchell Claydon [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Tykes release Blakey and Claydon | date=2006-09-29 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/5391956.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | language = ] were released.

Moxon and Rush bring new hope

At the start of the season the Yorkshire-born Sussex captain Chris Adams was approached to take the vacant captaincy position at the club [cite news | title=Adams completes Yorkshire switch | date=2006-11-01 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/6094064.stm | work = | accessdate = 2006-11-01] However, after being introduced to his new colleagues, Adams staged a dramatic U-turn, stating the role was too much for him. [cite news | title=Adams U-turn over Yorkshire move | date=2006-11-14 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/6148430.stm | work = | accessdate = 2006-11-14] This was a setback for Regan and seemed to put Yorkshire behind schedule with a threadbare squad. However, things began to look up with the announcement of high profile signings Younus Khan [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Yorkshire complete Younis signing | date=2006-10-27 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/6088662.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2006-10-29 | language = ] and Jacques Rudolph. Rudolph signed for the county under the Kolpak Ruling on a three year deal on 23 January 2007. [cite news | title=SA star Rudolph joins Yorkshire | date=2007-01-23 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/6290577.stm | work = | accessdate = 2007-03-03] On 28 February Darren Gough was announced as captain for the 2007 season, rejoining the county after his three year stint at Essex. [cite news | title=Gough back as Yorkshire captain | date=2007-02-28 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/6402055.stm | work = | accessdate = 2007-03-03] Following this appointment, a long running dispute with batsman Anthony McGrath was resolved. [cite news | title=McGrath agrees to stay with Tykes | date=2007-03-02 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/6411673.stm | work = | accessdate = 2007-03-03] The renaissance was complete with the return of Martyn Moxon from Durham as Director of Professional Cricket. In addition to this England Captain Michael Vaughan committed the remainder of his county level career to Yorkshire while leaving the contract open enough that he can play for England whenever available. [cite news |title=Vaughan commits future to Tykes | date=2006-10-16 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/6054796.stm | accessdate = 2006-10-16] Since Vaughan's retirement as captain and subsequent omission from England's one-day side, Yorkshire could expect to see a lot more of the England test captain.

Yorkshire made a record breaking start to the 2007 season against Surrey at the Oval. Debutant centurion Jacques Rudolph and promising all-rounder Adil Rashid put on a record 6th wicket partnership for Yorkshire against Surrey of 190. This was somewhat overshadowed by the magnificent 246 stand between Tim Bresnan and Jason Gillespie (who both made hundreds) which is a Yorkshire record for the 9th wicket. Gillespie's 123* was also a highest score for Yorkshire by a number 10 batsman.

By the time the mid-season break came around, Yorkshire were sitting at the top of the County Championship. The following, rain-hit months saw Yorkshire falter slightly in the Championship, drawing 6 on the bounce and suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of old enemy Lancashire, leaving them win-less since 9 May. In mid-August, Yorkshire turned to Inzamam-ul-Haq, brought in as a replacement for Younus Khan who left for the Twenty20 World Championship, to try to reignite the drive for the Championship title. His debut came on a freezing morning in Scarborough against Warwickshire. Yorkshire skittled the opponents for just 129 in the first innings. After 15 games Yorkshire were still top of the league, however many of their championship rivals had a game in hand on them. After a rained off draw with Hampshire in their last game Yorkshire eventually finished sixth, the exact same position they had finished in the previous season when they had been battling relegation even with 20 more points than their total in the previous season.

Ground history

As with all county cricket clubs, Yorkshire CCC represents the historic county and not any modern or current administrative unit. In Yorkshire's case, this means the three ridings and the City of York, although the club played some home matches outside the historic borders at Abbeydale Park in Sheffield from 1974 to 1996. [cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/727_f.html |title=First-Class Matches played at Abbeydale Park, Sheffield |accessdate=2006-08-10 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |format= |work= |publisher=Cricket Archive |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ] [ [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10070272&c_id=10001043 Vision of Britain: Dore] , [http://www.abcounties.co.uk/cgi-bin/d.pl?searchstring=dore Dore at the ABC's Gazetter of British Place Names] Dore, the site of Abbeydale Park, was a civil parish in Derbyshire until 1934, when it was added to Sheffield, and thus become part of the West Riding of Yorkshire for ceremonial purposes. Groups such as the Yorkshire Ridings Society reject these changes.]

Yorkshire first played at North Marine Road, Scarborough in 1878. This is the venue for the annual Scarborough Festival matches.

were used with great success until recent years.

A move to a new site near Wakefield was mooted but, despite an expensive publicity campaign, this foundered on Yorkshire's inability to secure a cost-effective break of their lease on the ground. Yorkshire currently play most of their home matches at Headingley with two profitable festival weeks in the east coast holiday town of Scarborough.

On 31 December 2005 Yorkshire County Cricket Club purchased the cricket ground for £12 million with the help of a £9 million loan from Leeds City Council. This purchase ensures that Test Cricket continues at the venue with a 15 year staging agreement. On 11 January 2006 the stadium was officially renamed the Headingley Carnegie Stadium as a result of sponsorship from Leeds Metropolitan University and the club announced plans on the 11th January 2006 to rebuild the stand next to the rugby ground with 3,000 extra seats, taking capacity to 20,000. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=New stand and name for Headingley | date=2006-01-11 | publisher= | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/yorkshire/4602134.stm | work =BBC News | pages = | accessdate = 2006-08-10 | language = ] The club also announced plans to redevelop the Winter shed (North) stand on 25th August 2006 providing a £12.5Million Pavilion Complex. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Yorkshire launches lottery to break records | date=2006-08-25 | publisher= | url =http://www.yorkshireccc.com/news/pavilionscheme | work =Yorkshire C.C.C. | pages = | accessdate = 2006-09-19 | language = ]

This following table gives details of every venue at which Yorkshire have hosted a first-class or List A cricket match:

Records

cores

Highest Yorkshire totals

Lowest totals against Yorkshire

Largest margin of runs victory

Defeat after opponents followed on

Batting

Facts and feats

* Yorkshire achieved 4 centuries in one innings when Stanley Jackson (117), Ted Wainwright (126), Bobby Peel (210*) and Lord Hawke (166) all hit tons v Warwickshire in 1896. They have achieved the feat of 3 individual centuries in an innings on 20 occasions, most recently against Surrey at The Oval in 2007.
* The batsman with the highest average for Yorkshire CCC is not Geoff Boycott, Len Hutton or Herbert Sutcliffe. In 88 first-class matches, Darren Lehmann scored 8,532 runs at an average of 68.77 including 26 first-class centuries. In his final innings for the county in September 2006, he made 339, two shy of George Hirst's all time county record. It was the first triple hundred by a Yorkshire batsman since Herbert Sutcliffe at Leyton in 1932.
* Yorkshire posted 356 for 8 declared against Northamptonshire CCC in 1905 and then bowled them out for 27 and 15. George Hirst took 12 for 19 and Schofield Haigh 6 for 19.
* "555", the most famous stand in county history, was posted by Percy Holmes (224*) and Herbert Sutcliffe (313) against Essex CCC on June 16, 1932. After Holmes had been dropped on 3, the pair compiled the 555 in 445 minutes, beating the 554 of fellow Yorkshiremen Jack Brown and John Tunnicliffe. There was a ripple of panic when the score was reassessed as 554 for 1 but a no ball was "discovered" and the final total restored to the new record mark. Bill Bowes and Hedley Verity then bowled Essex out for 78 and 164.
* Len Hutton scored a record 1,294 runs in June 1949 despite 3 consecutive ducks.
* Younus Khan (106 & 202*) is the only player to score a hundred and a double hundred in the same match for Yorkshire.
* WG Grace (318*) is the only player to have a triple hundred against Yorkshire.
* Herbert Sutcliffe (112) and Geoff Boycott (103) are the only men to get 100 hundreds for Yorkshire.
* 6 players have score centuries on debut for Yorkshire, Cecil Tyson (100*), Paul Gibb (157*), Martyn Moxon (116), Ashley Metcalfe (122), Michael Bevan (113*) and Jacques Rudolph (122).
* 3 players have taken all wickets in an innings against Yorkshire, Clarrie Grimmett (10-37 for Australians), Harry Howell (10-51 for Warwickshire and George Wootton (10-54 for All England Eleven).
*The first day of the Yorkshire v Gloucestershire match at Sheffield in July 1953 was interrupted when lumps of ice, some five inches long, cascaded from the sky and forced the players to run for cover. Wisden called it "an astonishing phenomenon" A commercial aircraft jettisoning water overhead was held to blame. The second days play was abandoned for the more prosaic reason of rain.

ee also

* Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2005
* Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2007
* List of cricket grounds in England and Wales
* List of Test cricket grounds

References

External sources

* [http://www.yorkshireccc.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.corridorofuncertainty.co.uk/ The Corridor of Uncertainty]
* [http://ycccsg.cricketarchive.com/ Yorkshire CCC Southern Group]

Further reading

* H S Altham, "A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)", George Allen & Unwin, 1962
* Derek Birley, "A Social History of English Cricket", Aurum, 1999
* Rowland Bowen, "Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development", Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
* J M Kilburn, "A Century of Yorkshire County Cricket", Yorkshire Post, 1963
* Roy Webber, "The Playfair Book of Cricket Records", Playfair Books, 1951
* Playfair Cricket Annual – various editions
* Wisden Cricketers Almanack – various editions
* Yorkshire County Cricket Club Annual – various editions