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Having been officially founded on 8 January 1863, Yorkshire County Cricket Club played its initial first-class match against Surrey at The Oval on 4, 5 and 6 June 1863.

1863–1864

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Yorkshire's first captain was Roger Iddison, a professional cricketer. Surrey scored 315 runs, to which Yorkshire replied with 257. Surrey were bowled out for 60 before the match was drawn.[1][2] The team recorded its first win in the following match against the strong Nottinghamshire team and although they lost the return, they won two and lost only one of the four matches played in their first season.[3]

In 1864, the team won two and lost four of seven matches.[4]

1865–1867: player dispute

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In 1865, the club and players became involved in a dispute. Five players — Roger Iddison, George Anderson, George Atkinson, Joseph Rowbotham and Ned Stephenson — refused to play against Surrey.[5] This concerned a controversy that arose in 1862 when Iddison and Anderson played for an All-England team against Surrey at The Oval and the Kent bowler Edgar Willsher was repeatedly no-balled for using an overarm action by an umpire whom, they claimed, had been appointed by Surrey specifically for that purpose.[5] Anderson stated in 1865 that he "would not play against those who have combined to sweep us from the cricket field altogether if they could".[5]

The dispute was about a point of principle and centred on the right of bowlers to use an overarm action, which had been legalised ahead of the 1864 season.[6] Consequently, with several important players missing, Yorkshire did not win a game in 1865 and were forced to cancel some matches for the 1866 season. The Yorkshire committee and the players came to an understanding in early 1867 after the players apologised, but Anderson never represented the county again.[7]

A cricketer holding a ball posing before a painted backdrop of a field
George Freeman, a key factor in Yorkshire's success in the late 1860s, played for the team mainly between 1865 and 1870, taking 209 wickets in 32 matches.[8]

With the player dispute resolved, Yorkshire won all seven of their matches in 1867, defeating Surrey, Lancashire and Cambridgeshire.[9] As a result, the sporting press proclaimed Yorkshire to be the "Champion County" for the first time.[10]

1868–1870

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The following year, John Thewlis scored the first century for Yorkshire in first-class cricket, against Surrey at The Oval;[11] in 1869, Joseph Rowbotham became the first man to score two centuries in a season for Yorkshire.[12] Yorkshire won four games in both 1868 and 1869; one sports publication regarded Yorkshire as equal champions in the latter year.[13][14] The team won six out of seven in 1870 to be acclaimed as Champion County again.[15] Much of Yorkshire's success in these years came from the bowling combination of George Freeman and Tom Emmett.[16][17]

1871–1872

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Following Freeman's retirement from regular cricket after 1870, Yorkshire declined, winning fewer games in 1871 and 1872 as Gloucestershire rose to a position of dominance in county cricket, driven by the success of W. G. Grace and his brothers. Conscious of the need to strengthen the club, Yorkshire instituted a Colts team of young players,[18] but replaced Iddison as captain at the end of the 1872 season. Rowbotham, another professional, assumed the position.[19] For the 1873 season, county cricket moved a step closer towards an organised competition when the counties agreed qualification rules for players to be eligible for a team; for many years, this was considered to be start of the County Championship. However, the counties did not organise a formal competition and the "Champion County" was still decided by the press; some publications disagreed.[20]

1873–1882

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Despite containing a side with effective players, Yorkshire did not perform as well as expected over the next seasons. The bowling attack was strong, the team contained some experienced players and critics believed Ephraim Lockwood to be the best professional batsman in the country.[21] In 1873, Yorkshire won seven games and lost five and for the following season, Luke Greenwood replaced Rowbotham as captain.[22] The team had an improved record, but although second only to Gloucestershire, Yorkshire lost heavily in both encounters between the teams.[note 1][24] Greenwood retired, Rowbotham resumed the captaincy for 1875,[24] and Lockwood took over in 1876.[25] The team did not perform particularly well in either season,[26] but their worst performance came in 1877, winning two games — but none of the last ten — and losing seven.[27] This placed them eighth out of nine counties.[28] Tom Emmett then took over as captain, but the following two seasons brought mixed results as the team displayed inconsistency, often losing to teams they should comfortably have beaten.[29] Derek Hodgson, in his official county history, suggests a lack of discipline in the team throughout these years was to blame; contemporary reports suggested the team drank too much alcohol to be effective.[28] The players also suffered from public attention, receiving generous hospitality at times which impacted on their performances.[30] In these seasons, the team often began well but to lose form later in the season. The Yorkshire committee were also reluctant to replace the experienced cricketers with younger players. However, off the field, Yorkshire became increasingly successful, and the profits made by the club paid for improvements to be made to the Bramall Lane ground and increased player wages through the introduction of travelling expenses and talent money where good performances were financially rewarded.[23] An influx of what proved to be effective new players saw Yorkshire finish second to Lancashire in the unofficial Championship for 1881, but more significant was the debut for the county of Lord Hawke.[31] The team faded again in 1882, and Emmett was effectively replaced as captain by Hawke.[32]

Notes

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  1. ^ Gloucestershire captain W. G. Grace nevertheless believed that Yorkshire were more worthy champions than his county.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Hodgson, pp.18–19.
  2. ^ "Surrey v Yorkshire in 1863". CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  3. ^ Woodhouse, pp.11–12.
  4. ^ Woodhouse, p.12.
  5. ^ a b c Kilburn, p.10.
  6. ^ Kilburn, p.12.
  7. ^ Hodgson, p.18.
  8. ^ Woodhouse, pp.15—16
  9. ^ Hodgson, p.20.
  10. ^ Woodhouse, p.21.
  11. ^ Hodgson, p.21.
  12. ^ Hodgson, p.22.
  13. ^ Hodgson, pp.22, 24.
  14. ^ Woodhouse, p.25.
  15. ^ Hodgson, p.24.
  16. ^ Woodhouse, p.15.
  17. ^ Hodgson, pp.18—24.
  18. ^ Hodgson, p.27.
  19. ^ Woodhouse, pp.32—33.
  20. ^ "LV County Championship: Constitution of County Championship". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2010 ed.). John Wisden & Co. p. 572. ISBN 9781408124666.
  21. ^ Hodgson, p.28.
  22. ^ Woodhouse, p.37.
  23. ^ a b Hodgson, p.35
  24. ^ a b Woodhouse, pp.40—41.
  25. ^ Woodhouse, p.43.
  26. ^ Woodhouse, pp.43, 46.
  27. ^ Woodhouse, p.50.
  28. ^ a b Hodgson, pp.28—29.
  29. ^ Woodhouse, pp.57, 61.
  30. ^ Hodgson, p.34.
  31. ^ Woodhouse, p.70.
  32. ^ Woodhouse, pp.77—79.

Bibliography

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  • Hodgson, Derek (1989). The Official History of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1852232749.
  • Kilburn, J.M. (1970). A History of Yorkshire Cricket. Stanley Paul. ISBN 0091011108.
  • Woodhouse, Anthony (1989). The History of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0747034087.
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