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Frizzell County Championship
Somerset versus Yorkshire
at The County Ground, Taunton
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
27, 28, 29 and 30 June 2003
Yorkshire will be making their fifty-fifth appearance in first-class cricket at Taunton. Of the 54 so far played Yorkshire have won 27, lost 7 and 20 have been drawn.
Yorkshire did not lose at Taunton from 1903 until 1970. During that time their record was played 27, won 16 and 11 draws.
Somerset’s first win at Taunton was in 1895 when they won by 29 runs, their victory was mainly due to Lionel Palairet, who made 165 in the second innings total of 353, and to Edwin Tyler’s 14 for 247 in the match with his slow left-arm bowling. This remains the best match analysis for Somerset versus Yorkshire at Taunton. In the second innings Tyler took the first of three Somerset hat-tricks versus Yorkshire on this ground. The other two were taken by Yorkshiremen against their native county - Ernest Robson in 1902 and Johnny Lawrence in 1948.
The 1897 match was won by Yorkshire by 5 wickets - but the result was much closer. Needing just 118 to win Yorkshire were well on their way at 88 for 3, soon to become 88 for 5. No real emergency except that the two amateurs, F S Jackson (the captain) and Frank Milligan had left not only the ground, but Taunton. George Hirst and Schofield Haigh ensured that there were no further alarms and put on the required 30 to win.
On the first morning of the match some spectacular batting saw David Denton, going in at 30 for 2, reach exactly 100* before lunch when opener Stanley Jackson was 99*.
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In 1901 it was Lionel Palairet who got the game off to a blistering start for Somerset - he was 101* at lunch on the first day. The end of the match was equally dramatic - Yorkshire winning by just 1 wicket. Needing 240 to win they were in deep trouble at 119 for 6, then came Lord Hawke (52) who, with Ted Wainwright (70) took the score to 212 for 7. The ninth wicket fell with just two required, David Hunter joined Wilfred Rhodes and winning points were safely gathered in.
In 1903 Somerset won by 6 wickets thanks mainly to some lower order heroics by Henry Martin (62), Arthur Newton (47) and Beaumont Cranfield (30*). Between them they took the first innings total from 111 for 7 to 256 all out. Yorkshire could make little headway against Len Braund’s leg-breaks (10 for 128 in the match) or Yorkshireman Ernest Robson with a match return of 7 for 98.
No more wins for Somerset at Taunton until 1970. Brian Close was Yorkshire’s captain and made what many thought was a generous declaration leaving Somerset to get 204 in about 150 minutes. They got them for the loss of four wickets with just over three overs to spare.
Two weeks later Close captained Yorkshire for the last time - versus Somerset at Hull ending with a comprehensive win by an innings and 30 runs.
At Taunton in 1971 Somerset won again - and again Close was deeply involved, this time playing for Somerset. His 102 in a partnership of 142 for the third wicket with Graham Burgess (73) gave Somerset full control and with Tom Cartwright taking 9 for 51 in the match and Kerry O’Keeffe 7 for 111 Yorkshire succumbed by 10 wickets.
Last season Somerset were again the winners, the 263 for 3 wickets they made in the fourth innings of the match is their highest score to win versus Yorkshire.
Yorkshire and Somerset have met 151 times in the County championship since 1891, with Yorkshire winning 83, Somerset 17 and 51 have been drawn.
Highest totals:
By Yorkshire 598 for 5 dec at Bath in 2001
By Somerset 630 at Leeds in 1901
Lowest total:
By Yorkshire 73 at Leeds in 1895
By Somerset 35 at Bath in 1898
Highest individual scores:
For Yorkshire 213 by H Sutcliffe at Dewsbury in 1924
For Somerset 221 by M Burns at Bath in 2001
Best bowling in an innings:
For Yorkshire 10 for 35 by A Drake at Weston-super-Mare in 1914
For Somerset 9 for 41 by L C Braund at Sheffield in 1902
Best bowling in a match:
For Yorkshire 15 for 50 by R Peel at Leeds in 1895
For Somerset 15 for 71 by L C Braund at Sheffield in 1902
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