Yorkshire versus Worcestershire

at North Marine Road, Scarborough

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
13,14,15 and 16 August 2024

By Roy D Wilkinson


Although Worcestershire were promoted to first-class status, and entered the County Championship, in 1899 they were not invited to appear at Scarborough until 1951. By then they had played Yorkshire sixty-seven times.

If Yorkshire were to maintain their interest in winning the Championship in 1951 it was vital that they beat Worcestershire. The match coincided with the 5th Test versus South Africa at The Oval and Yorkshire were without Leonard Hutton, Frank Lowson, Willie Watson and Don Brennan.

Batting first, Worcestershire were always losing wickets, mainly to Bob Appleyard (3 for 53) and Johnny Wardle (4 for 93 in 49.5 overs) but from 105 for 5 they recovered to 271 all out, thanks to 145 from Don Kenyon and 45* from Dick Howorth.

Yorkshire collapsed to Reg Perks who took 6 for 29 to see Yorkshire all out for 114, only Billy Sutcliffe putting up any resistance with 48. Worcestershire did not enforce the follow-on and perished for 92 - again it was Appleyard and Wardle who did the damage (Appleyard 3 for 35 and Wardle 4 for 38).

Yorkshire needed 250 to retain a chance of the Championship and at 232 for 5 with only 18 required, five wickets in hand and thirty minutes to get them they seemed odd-on to win. But the ninth wicket fell at 241 - nine to win and Fred Trueman joined Vic Wilson, who had batted throughout the innings. Without addition Wilson was caught by wicket-keeper Yarnold off Howorth for 94. The umpire who gave Wilson out was Emmott Robinson and it is alleged that, as he raised his finger, he said ‘Sorry Vic, you’re out - and you’ve just lost the Championship’. It must have hurt Robinson as much, if not more, than Wilson. True or not - it’s a good story!

If the England absentees had played there is little doubt that Yorkshire would have won and given themselves a good chance of going on to win the Championship. Had they done so the history of post-war Yorkshire cricket could have been very different.

718 runs were scored in this match for the loss of 40 wickets - an average of 17.95 runs per wicket.

Worcestershire were last at Scarborough in 1995 and the contrast with 1951 could not have been greater. 1,473 runs were scored for the loss of 17 wickets - an average of 86.64 runs per wicket.

Yorkshire made 600 for 4 dec (David Byas 213, Craig White 107*) and 231 for 3 dec, Worcestershire 453 for 5 dec (Tim Curtis 169*, Steven Rhodes 72*) and 189 for 5 (Philip Weston 68, David Leatherdale 67*). Match drawn.

In between there were four other matches, Yorkshire winning one, in 1964, with three draws.

The closing stages of the 1964 game were much closer than the 94 runs by which Yorkshire won. After being set 207 to win Worcestershire seemed safe from defeat at 81 for 5 with time running out but Raymond Illingworth, with 3 for 19 off 12 overs, Brian Close (1 for none off two overs) and especially Don Wilson, who had a remarkable return of 7.4 overs, 6 maidens, 1 run, 2 wickets saw Yorkshire home with just seven minutes to spare.

However, Yorkshire’s win was not enough to either give them the Championship, nor to prevent Worcestershire winning it for the first time in their history.

Since Worcestershire’s entry into the Championship the teams have met 128 times, Yorkshire have won 64, Worcestershire 18 and there have been 64 draws.

Worcestershire have not won in Yorkshire since winning by an innings and 83 runs at Hull in 1974. Yorkshire have won the last four matches - in 1996 at Worcester, 1997 at Leeds, 1998 at Worcester and in 1999 at Leeds.

Highest total:
By Yorkshire 600 for 4 wkts dec at Scarborough in 1995
By Worcestershire 456 for 8 wkts dec at Worcester in 1904

Lowest totals:
By Yorkshire 62 at Bradford in 1907
By Worcestershire 24 at Huddersfield in 1903

Highest individual score:
For Yorkshire 274* M D Moxon at Worcester in 1994
For Worcestershire 259 D Kenyon at Kidderminster in 1956

Best bowling in an innings:
For Yorkshire 9 for 41 G H Hirst at Worcester in 1911
For Worcestershire 9 for 38 J A Cuffe at Bradford in 1907

Best bowling in a match:
For Yorkshire 14 for 211 W Rhodes at Worcester in 1903
For Worcestershire 13 for 76 J A Cuffe at Bradford in 1907