YCCC - Nav

Compiled by Roy D Wilkinson

1st

1949
Neil SMITH was born at Ossett. A capable wicket-keeper, he made his debut for Yorkshire in the first match of 1970 as an immediate successor to Jimmy Binks.
After just seven matches he gave way to David Bairstow and eventually left Yorkshire for Essex where he became their regular ’keeper until 1981. He died, aged 53, on 4th March 2003.

1954
Leonard HUTTON completed his innings of 205 versus West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica, lasting almost nine hours, it contained twenty-three 4’s and one 6.

1954
Arnold (Arnie) SIDEBOTTOM was born in Barnsley. In a career of 216 first-class matches for Yorkshire from 1973 to 1991 he took 558 wickets at 24.82 with his right-arm fast-medium with a best of 8 for 72 versus Leicestershire at Middlesbrough in 1986. He is now the county’s Bowling Coach. He also played soccer for Manchester United, Huddersfield Town and Halifax Town.

1973
Arthur WOOD died in Ilkley. In a Yorkshire career in contrast to Neil Smith he was the county’s regular wicket-keeper from 1928 to 1946, playing in 408 matches with 855 victims (612 caught and 243 stumped). He scored 8,579 runs at 21.39 with a highest score of 123* versus Worcestershire at Sheffield in 1935 - the season in which he scored 1,237 runs for the county. His Test debut was in ‘Hutton’s Match’ versus Australia at The Oval in 1938 when, going in at the fall of the sixth wicket with the score 770, he made 53. On returning to the pavilion with the score 876 for seven he is alleged to have told spectators ‘Just like silly me - to fail in a crisis’!

2nd

1985
John Allan RICHARDSON died in Scarborough. One of the most prolific batsmen Yorkshire league cricket has known, his business commitments prevented this most talented amateur from playing more than a handful of first-class matches. Between 1936 and 1947 he played only seven matches for the county scoring 308 runs (avg. 30.80). He made his first-class debut in the Gentlemen versus Players match at Scarborough in September 1934.

3rd

1889
John Philip WILSON was born at Gilling East, near Malton. Brother-in-law of Hon F S Jackson he played only nine matches for Yorkshire in 1911-12. His greatest claim to fame was to ride the 1925 Grand National winner on Double Chance.

1903
Joseph Staley DOUGLAS was born in Bradford. A left-arm medium-fast bowler he played 23 matches for Yorkshire over the years 1925 to 1934 taking 49 wickets at 26.73 with a best of 6 for 59 versus Oxford University in 1933. He was a regular 2nd XI player for many years and became a noted coach.

1927
Thomas Henry HIRST died at Meltham, Huddersfield. His only match for Yorkshire was versus Somerset at Hull in 1899 and came about in unusual circumstances. After the match had got underway C E M Wilson injured a hand and was unable to continue. S M J Woods, the Somerset captain, agreed to Hirst taking the place of Wilson and allowed him to both bat and bowl (5* and 0 for 27 in the match).

1940
Cecil Thomas TYSON died in Leeds. He burst upon the first-class scene at the age of thirty-two making 100* and 80* on his debut versus Hampshire at Southampton in 1921. A left-hand batsman he made two further appearances for Yorkshire and, later, a few for Glamorgan whereupon he left the first-class game to concentrate on a successful league career - claiming his professional fees plus income from his job in the mines was much more lucrative.

4th

1845
Ephraim LOCKWOOD was born at Lascelles Hall. In a career which spanned the years 1868 to 1884 he played 214 matches for Yorkshire scoring 7,789 runs (avg.23.25) and taking 141 wickets at 16.06, he also took 164 catches and made two stumpings. His highest score of 208 versus Kent at Gravesend in 1883 was the first double-century for the county. He made his debut opening the innings with John Thewlis, his uncle, versus Surrey at The Oval in 1868. They added 176 (Lockwood 91) - the first century partnership for Yorkshire’s first wicket.

1899
Schofield HAIG took 6 for 11 in South Africa’s second innings at Cape Town. South Africa were bowled out for 35 in just twenty-two overs and four balls leaving England the winners by 210 runs. There were five Yorkshire players in the side - Frank Mitchell, C E M Wilson, Haigh, Frank Milligan and Lord Hawke.

5th

1890
William Arthington WORSLEY (later Sir William Worsley, Bt.), father of the present Duchess of Kent, was born at Hovingham Hall. His only first-class cricket was as captain of Yorkshire for the two seasons 1928-29. He made 722 runs in 50 innings for an average of 15.69 with his highest score being 60 versus Hampshire at Southampton in 1928. He was President of Yorkshire from 1961 to his death in 1973 and was President of MCC in 1961-62.

1928
Roy KILNER died in Kendray Hospital, Barnsley. He had contracted enteric fever whilst coaching in India. Such was the respect and affection in which Yorkshire cricket lovers held him that 100,000 people thronged the streets of Wombwell on the occasion of his funeral. Photographs of the crowds show that the figure was not an overestimate. He played for Yorkshire from 1911 until 1927. A left-hand batsman and unorthodox slow left-arm bowler he played 365 matches making 13,018 runs in 478 innings (avg.30.13) and took 857 wickets at 17.33 - add in his 213 catches and it will be seen that his contribution was immense. He is one of only eight to have scored over 10,000 runs and taken over 500 wickets in a career for Yorkshire. Thousands of boys born during and just following his wonderful career were named after this most endearing of Yorkshire cricketers - your present compiler among them. He was born at Wombwell in October 1890.

6th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

MATTHEW WOOD

26 TODAY

1949
John Thomas MOUNSEY died at Godalming, Surrey. He played 92 matches for Yorkshire from 1891 to 1897 with 55 and 64 in the match versus Hampshire at Southampton in 1896 by far his best performance. In all he scored just over 1,900 runs at 15.63. After leaving first-class cricket he became coach at Charterhouse for almost thirty years. He was born at Heeley, Sheffield on 30 August 2024

1959
Kevin SHARP was born in Leeds. In a career affected by illness and injury, which restricted his appearances to 195 first-class matches during the fifteen seasons (1976 to 1990) he spent with Yorkshire he nevertheless made a valuable contribution to the middle-order. Eleven centuries (highest 181* versus Gloucestershire at Harrogate in 1981) were the highlights of his 8,426 runs at 29.56. He is now Yorkshire’s Batting Coach.

7th

No significant event can be traced for this day

8th

1865
Edward (Ted) WAINWRIGHT was born at Tinsley, Sheffield. A much underrated all-rounder (right-hand bat, off-breaks) he played over 300 matches for the county in the fifteen seasons from 1888 to 1902, scoring over 11,000 runs and taking almost 1,000 wickets and holding 327 catches. The highest of his eighteen centuries was 228 versus Surrey at The Oval in 1899, adding 340 for the 5th wicket with George Hirst (186) - this remains the Yorkshire record for this wicket. After retiring as a player he became coach at Shrewsbury with, for a time, Neville Cardus as his assistant. He died in 1919.

1975
Albert JUDSON died at Bingley. He trod the first-class turf for les than half-an-hour. Called up to play versus Kent at Bramall Lane in July 1920, he bowled just one over before a storm washed out play for the remainder of the match. He was never called on to play again. He did, however, enjoy a long and fruitful career as a professional in the Bradford League for both Keighley and Bingley. He was born at Cullingworth in 1885.

9th

1851
William LAW was born in Rochdale and became the first Lancastrian to play for Yorkshire. An Oxford Blue in the four years 1871-74 he played only four matches for Yorkshire - all during his Oxford days. He was a brilliant fielder and, when captain of Oxford in 1874, welded them into one of the best fielding sides in Oxbridge cricket history. He became vicar of Rotherham and died there in 1892.

1855
Isaac Henry BOTTOMLEY was born at Shelf. An amateur he played only nine matches for Yorkshire (1878-80) his two best innings were 32 in each innings of the match versus Gloucestershire at Sheffield in 1879.

10th

1837
Elisha Barker RAWLINSON was born at Yeadon. On 20, 21 and 22 June 2025 he played for Lancashire versus Yorkshire at Whalley (1* and 14). One week later he played for Yorkshire versus Lancashire at Old Trafford! In all, he made 37 appearances for Yorkshire until 1875 when he emigrated to Australia, and died in Sydney in 1892.

1930
The last day of the last Test Match played by Wilfred Rhodes. It was versus West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica and Rhodes completed the longest career in Test cricket (30 year 315 days) with an analysis of 24 overs, 13 maidens, 22 runs and 1 wicket. At 52 years and 165 days he remains the oldest ever Test cricketer.

11th

1845
Charles Edward ULLERTHORNE was born in Hull. In his 46 innings, in 27 matches, for the county his highest score was 28 versus Surrey at The Oval in 1868 but his main contribution to the side was his brilliant fielding mainly at cover-point in an otherwise undistinguished fielding side. He left the game after the 1875 season and died in May 1904

12th

1950
John Thomas BROWN (Darfield) died. Not to be confused with the opening batsman J T Brown of Driffield. J T Brown, junior, as he was often called, was for a time one of the fastest bowlers in the game. Although his best bowling performance in an innings was 8 for 40 (12 for 109 in the match) versus Gloucestershire at Huddersfield in 1899 perhaps his most destructive was 6 for 19 in nine overs versus Worcestershire at Worcester in the same season. Needing 134 to win Worcestershire were well on their way at 100 for 4 - then Brown struck and Yorkshire won by 11 runs. A dislocated shoulder suffered at Taunton effectively ended his career which spanned the years 1897 to 1903. He was born at Darfield in 1874.

13th

1995
The earliest date Yorkshire have played first-class cricket in this country. It was versus Cambridge University at Cambridge. Martyn Moxon made the earliest first-class century (130) for Yorkshire, closely followed some twenty-five minutes later by David Byas (181).

14th

1893
William Reginald ALLEN was born at Sharlston (near Wakefield). Although heavily built he was a very capable wicket-keeper. The six victims (2 caught and 4 stumped) he claimed versus Sussex at Hove in 1921 rank alongside only eleven other instances for Yorkshire - in addition David Bairstow holds the record with seven. The highest of his 32 innings for the county was 95* versus Hampshire at Hull in 1925 - denied a possible century only when his captain, Arthur Lupton, was dismissed after they had added 41 for the 10th wicket. He died at Normanton in 1950.

1944
Arthur William LUPTON died at Castle Manor, Yeadon - yes the aforementioned! He captained Yorkshire for the three seasons 1925 to 1927. His playing record was modest - only 668 runs at 10.43 and 25 catches in his 104 matches for the county, but he did restore discipline to a side which had lost much esteem among the other counties. At the end of his reign Yorkshire were once again respected opponents. He was born in Bradford in 1879.

15th

1967
Henry WILKINSON died in South Africa. An amateur right-hand batsman he played in 48 matches in the seasons 1903 to 1905, scoring almost 1,400 runs at just under 20 with 113 versus MCC at Scarborough in 1904 as his only century. On that occasion he opened the innings with Hon F S Jackson putting on 146 runs in just about an hour-and-a-half. He was born at Hillhouse, Huddersfield in 1877.

1980
Barry STEAD died at Drighlington. In a spectacular debut versus the Indian tourists at Bradford in 1959 he took 7 for 76 with his left-arm fast-medium. He played only one other match for Yorkshire before moving to Nottinghamshire in 1962 where he remained until 1976. Born in Leeds in 1939 his death was at the early age of forty.

16th

1884
Alonzo DRAKE was born at Parkgate, Rotherham. In the years leading up to the Great War Drake and Major Booth were forging an all-round partnership that could have been the envy of the post-war cricket world. Instead Booth was killed at the Somme in 1916 and Drake died in 1919. Drake was the first to take ten wickets in an innings for Yorkshire in a first-class match (Ted Wainwright had done so previously versus Staffordshire). His 10 for 35 (in 8.5 overs) came in the second innings versus Somerset at Weston-super-Mare in August 1914 - as he had taken 5 for 16 in the first innings his 15 for 51 in the match was then the third best bowling for Yorkshire. In all, in his 156 matches for the county, his left-hand batting scored 4,789 runs at 21.76 and he took 479 wickets at 18.00 with his left-arm slow-medium bowling.
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1974
Horace FISHER died at Middlestown, Horbury. Fisher had the misfortune of being a contemporary of Hedley Verity and so his cricket for the county was, in the main, restricted to when Verity was on representative duty. Over the nine seasons 1928 to 1936 he played 52 times for Yorkshire and took 93 wickets at 28.18 but his place will always remain in the record books as the first bowler to take a hat-trick of lbws. Versus Somerset at Sheffield in 1932 his victims were given out by the legendary umpire Alec Skelding. He was born in Featherstone in 1903.

1997
Matthew WOOD made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in a non-championship match versus Lancashire at Leeds.

17th

1949
Howard Pennett COOPER was born at Great Horton. A right-arm medium-fast bowler, he made his debut versus Lancashire at Sheffield in August 1971. He made 98 appearances in first-class cricket for Yorkshire with a best of 8 for 62 versus Glamorgan at Cardiff in 1975. In all he took 227 wickets for the county at 27.87.

1998
The earliest date on which Yorkshire have played a County Championship match. It was versus Somerset at Leeds, David Byas becoming the player to score the earliest County Championship century (101) for Yorkshire

18th

1901
Wilfred BARBER was born at Cleckheaton. In his early career this right-hand batsman often came into his own when his more illustrious colleagues were away on representative duty. From his debut in 1926 to his retirement in 1947 (he played only one match, versus MCC at Scarborough, in his last season) he made 354 appearances for the county, scored 15,315 runs at 34.26 with 27 centuries and 255 versus Surrey at Sheffield in 1935 as the highest. He was an exceptional out-fielder in the strong fielding side led by Brian Sellers. He died in September 1968.

1960
Peter John HARTLEY was born in Keighley. This most hard-working of bowlers, he was a mainstay of the Yorkshire attack through the late eighties and early nineties before leaving in 1997 to complete his career with Hampshire. Taking 11 for 117 for Hampshire versus Yorkshire at Basingstoke in 1999 he added his name to the exclusive list of Yorkshiremen to have taken ten wickets in a match both for and against their native county - there are only three, Hon F S Jackson and Chris Old are the others.

19th

1933
Harold Dennis BIRD was born in Barnsley. Now an Honorary Life Member of the club, he became a world renowned umpire standing in sixty-six Test matches between 1973 and 1996. He was one of the most respected umpires ever to stand in the first-class game. After a short period of fourteen matches for Yorkshire from 1956 to 1959, he moved to Leicestershire to play in 79 matches for them from 1960 to 1964. His highest score was 181* for Yorkshire versus Glamorgan at Bradford in 1959.

20th

1989
Darren GOUGH made his first-class debut for Yorkshire versus Middlesex at Lord’s.

21st

1998
Yorkshire completed their earliest County Championship match by beating Somerset at Leeds by 215 runs to record their fourth highest Championship victory at the ground by a runs margin.

22nd

1955
James Derek LOVE was born in Headingley. A tall, well-built middle-order right-hand batsman he scored just over 10,000 runs for the county in 247 matches (388 innings) for an average of 31.10. His highest score was 170* versus Worcestershire at Worcester in 1979. He was, for a number of years, Director of Cricket for Scotland.

23rd

1929
Frederick Charles TOONE was knighted for services to cricket. He did not play first-class cricket but was Secretary of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1903 to his death in 1930 after being in that position for Leicestershire from 1897 to 1902. He was manager of three Test tours to Australia - 1920-21, 1924-25 and 1928-29. One of the most astute administrators the game has known.

24th

1973
Sachin Ramesh TENDULKAR was born in Bombay. The first overseas player to appear for Yorkshire. Although able to play in only sixteen matches until called up by India he made an immediate and indelible impression upon the Yorkshire cricketing public during 1992 - his only season with the county.

25th

1848
Thomas ARMITAGE was born in Sheffield. A right-hand batsman and right-arm medium bowler he was also a renowned lob bowler. One of five Yorkshiremen to play in the first ever Test match - versus Australia at Melbourne, he played 52 matches for Yorkshire from 1872 to 1878, scoring just over 1,000 runs (avg. 13.67) and took 107 wickets at 15.08. His best match return was 13 for 46 (6 for 20 and 7 for 26) versus Surrey at Sheffield in 1876. He died in Chicago, USA in 1922.

26th

1990
Craig White made his first-class debut for Yorkshire versus Northamptonshire at Leeds.

27th

1982
Neil Hartley and Kevin Sharp were awarded their county caps.

28th

1979
Norman KILNER died in Birmingham. Brother of Roy he played 69 matches for Yorkshire from 1919 to 1923 without the consistent success the county was seeking. His 1,253 runs included two centuries - 112 versus Leicestershire in 1921 and 102* versus Gloucestershire in 1923. He left for Warwickshire where he became one of their leading run-scorers with over 16,000 runs at 31.89. After retiring as a player he was, for a time, groundsman at Edgbaston and then a first-class umpire.

1986
Yorkshire gained their narrowest victory against Somerset - by 5 runs at Taunton
(albeit in a match in which each team forfeited an innings.)

29th

1993
The first of five annual early-season non-championship fixtures between Yorkshire and Lancashire. These matches were originally intended to ensure a continuing home and away first-class Roses fixture each season. Sadly, in 2003, there will not even be one.

30th

1938
It was not until this season that Yorkshire played first-class cricket in this country in April. It was versus MCC at Lord’s.

1976
The last day of the only Yorkshire match in which six centuries have been scored. Versus Gloucestershire at Leeds, C Johnson (102), J H Hampshire (155*), G Boycott (161*) and R G Lumb (132) scored hundreds for Yorkshire and Zaheer Abbas (188) and Sadiq Mohammad (107) did so for Gloucestershire.