County Championship

Yorkshire versus Hampshire

at Scarborough

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
23, 24, 25, 26 July 2025

By Roy D Wilkinson


Will a Hampshire player be the one to score the 100th first-class century versus Yorkshire on the North Marine Road ground?

The first was scored by A J Webbe for I Zingari in 1878 and the 99th by David Ripley (born in Leeds) for Northamptonshire in 1999 so we have been waiting for four seasons for the century of centuries to be reached. Just for the record 120 centuries have been scored for Yorkshire at this sea-side ground.

Hampshire have visited Scarborough only four times to play first-class cricket - and of those one was a non-championship fixture. Yorkshire have won twice with two draws, leaving Hampshire searching for their first win.

The last time the two counties met here, in 1984, the game ended in an exciting draw. After rain had washed out the first day, some rapid scoring on the remaining two left Yorkshire needing 302 to win in a minimum of 73 overs. Wickets fell and Yorkshire were soon behind the clock. The ninth wicket fell at 208 with 11 overs left. But Arnie Sidebottom and Steve Oldham batted through to the close to secure a tense draw.

Hampshire first came to Scarborough in 1946. In a match dominated by the ball, Yorkshire won by 56 runs. As in 1984, rain prevented a prompt start, play not getting underway until late afternoon on the first day. Yorkshire’s score of 168 was mainly the result of sturdy batting by Cyril Turner (42) and Alec Coxon’s well struck 51* - ‘Lofty’ Herman doing the damage with 7 for 77 in 39 overs. He shone again in the second innings to take 4 for 29 and finish with 11 for 106 in the match, it remains the second best match figures versus Yorkshire in Championship matches at Scarborough. Arthur Booth’s slow left-arm (4 for 32) and Ellis Robinson’s off-spin (5 for 29) saw Hampshire to a first innings all out 97. Needing 141 to win Hampshire were never in the hunt as Robinson cleaned up with 7 for 24 to give him remarkable match figures of 12 for 53 and Yorkshire victory by 56 runs.

On the second (and last) day of the match 34 wickets fell for 309 runs. Tense, exciting, eventful cricket - with no thought of reference to a pitch committee!!

The 1952 match was also won by Yorkshire, but by the much closer margin of 17 runs. Again it was slow left-arm spin and right-arm off-breaks that secured the winning points. Johnny Wardle returned a match analysis of 8 for 139 and Brian Close 9 for 186. Ted Lester (109), Billy Sutcliffe (57 and 70) and Close (38 and 55 - two 6’s and seven 4’s) were the main contributors with the bat for Yorkshire whilst Neville Rogers (91) and Leo Harrison (101and 58) were Hampshire’s best performers.

The 1961 match was arranged to pit the Champion County (Hampshire) versus the runners-up (Yorkshire). It is a pity that rain intervened in what would otherwise have been an intriguing contest. Hampshire ran up 340 for 6 dec, with Henry Horton making 160*, the highest score of his career. That Yorkshire made a first innings 269 for 7 dec was mainly due to 56 by Raymond Illingworth and 52 from captain Vic Wilson in a 6th wicket partnership of just over the hundred. Roy Marshall, batting with all his well-known panache, made 104 towards the Hampshire declared total of 227 for 6, leaving Yorkshire 299 to win, but at 70 for no wicket the match petered out to a draw.

This was the final first-class match of the season and it is interesting to note that four players in this match each bowled over 1,000 overs from May to September. Fred Trueman bowled 1,180 overs, Raymond Illingworth 1,098, ‘Butch’ White 1,059 and Derek Shackleton an amazing 1,510. Not a lot of time for rest and recuperation!!

Yorkshire have now played 148 County Championship matches versus Hampshire since 1895. 70 have been won, 15 lost and 63 drawn. Plus the additional, drawn, non-championship match at North Marine Road as mentioned above.

Highest totals: By Yorkshire 585 for 3 dec at Portsmouth in 1920
By Hampshire 521 for 8 dec at Portsmouth in 1927

Lowest total:
By Yorkshire 23 at Middlesbrough in 1965
By Hampshire 36 at Southampton in 1898 and at Leeds in 1904

Highest individual scores:
For Yorkshire 302* by Percy Holmes at Portsmouth in 1920
For Hampshire 268 by E G Wynyard at Southampton in 1896

Best bowling in an innings:
For Yorkshire 9 for 29 by A C Williams at Dewsbury in 1920
For Hampshire 8 for 49 by O W Herman at Bournemouth in 1930

Best bowling in a match:
For Yorkshire 14 for 43 by S Haigh at Southampton in 1898
For Hampshire 12 for 145 by Derek Shackleton at Bradford in 1962