Frizzell County Championship

Northamptonshire versus Yorkshire

at the County Ground, Northampton

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
14, 15, 16 and 17 May 2025

By Roy D Wilkinson

Yorkshire have not won a County Championship match at Northampton since 1984. In nine visits since then Northamptonshire have won four and five have been drawn.

That contrasts with the forty-eight years from 1908, when Northamptonshire gained promotion to the first-class ranks, to 1956 during which time Yorkshire played thirty matches at the Wantage Road ground, won twenty-one, lost only one (in 1911), the remaining eight were drawn. From that first win in 1911 Northamptonshire did not win again at home until 1958.

They also won in 1959 and in 1960. Overall Yorkshire’s record on this ground is: played 59, won 25, lost 13, drawn 21

In the 1958 match George Tribe, the Australian-born slow left-arm wrist-spinner, took a devastating 15 for 31 in the match - yes fifteen wickets for thirty-one runs.

After rain had prevented play on the first day, Yorkshire found Tribe just about unplayable and were all out for 67 - the Australian taking 7 for 22. Only Brian Close played him with any confidence or success and in a composed innings lasting two hours, his 46 was 68% of the Yorkshire total - Frank Lowson and Extras were next highest contributors with 7 each.

Worse was to follow in Yorkshire’s second innings as Tribe completed the rout by taking 8 wickets in 14.2 overs for just 9 runs - in fact his eight wickets were taken in a spell of six overs for only 4 runs and Yorkshire were all out for 65. In between, Northamptonshire were spun out for 107 by Raymond Illingworth (5 for 37) and Johnny Wardle (4 for 38). It was not enough to prevent Northamptonshire winning by nine wickets.

Tribe’s is the third best bowling performance in a match against Yorkshire, exceeded only by Harry Dean’s 17 for 91 for Lancashire, in a non-championship match at Liverpool in 1913, and George Burton’s 16 for 114 for Middlesex at Bramall Lane in 1888.

Northampton was the scene of Fred Trueman’s first century in first-class cricket. In the 1963 match he and Brian Close (in his first Championship match as Yorkshire’s appointed captain)
added 166 for the sixth wicket in just under two hours. This remains the record partnership for this wicket for Yorkshire versus Northamptonshire. Trueman hit three 6’s and nine 4’s in his 104 and with Close making 161 in that partnership and 53* in the second innings, to set up a seven-wicket victory, his captaincy was off to a flying start.

Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe came together as opening partners at the end of June 1919 and at Northampton, in their ninth match at the top of the order, they added 279, which is still the record first-wicket partnership for Yorkshire versus Northamptonshire. Wilfred Rhodes, with 10 for 67 in the match, ensured a Yorkshire win by an innings and 196 runs just after lunch on the second day.

The 1947 match saw two remarkable Yorkshire performances - one with the bat and one with the ball. Ted Lester scored a century in each innings (126 and 142) - only the fifth time the feat had been performed for Yorkshire in a Championship match and which he was to repeat the following season versus Lancashire at Old Trafford. Ron Aspinall took 8 for 42 and 6 for 23 to give him his best bowling figures in a match of 14 for 67. Yorkshire won by 351 runs just before the close of play on the second day. 871 runs, 40 wickets, 246.4 overs in under two days! Compelling watching!

In the 1996 match Michael Vaughan scored 183 for the second time in the season (the first was versus Glamorgan at Cardiff) and this remains his highest score for Yorkshire but since overtaken by his 195 and 197 for England - he also made 183 in the final Ashes Test in January. In the 1996 match 1231 runs were scored for the loss of 24 wickets in 344 overs.

In the 135 first-class matches between the two counties since they first met in 1908, Yorkshire have won 64, lost 25 and 46 have been drawn.

Highest totals: By Yorkshire 673 for 8 wkts dec at Leeds in 2003 By Northamptonshire 531 for 4 wkts dec at Northampton in 1996

Lowest totals: By Yorkshire 64 at Northampton in 1951
By Northamptonshire 15 at Northampton in 1908

Highest individual scores: For Yorkshire 277* by Percy Holmes at Harrogate in 1921
For Northamptonshire 235 by Alan Lamb at Leeds in 1990

Best bowling in an innings: For Yorkshire 9 for 37 by Mark Robinson at Harrogate in
1993
For Northamptonshire 8 for 9 by George Tribe at Northampton in 1958

Best bowling in a match: For Yorkshire 16 for 35 by Bill Bowes at Kettering in 1935
For Northamptonshire 15 for 31 by George Tribe at Northampton in 1958