Hopes for conciliation & memories from the past.

Posted by Tony Hutton

It is with great reluctance that I enter the debate currently raging around Yorkshire county cricket club. I will try to be brief, but of course must start by saying bad mistakes have been made and the people responsible must be punished appropriately. Without doubt Yorkshire have compounded the problem by their unnecessary delays. However it does seem that judgements have been made too quickly by both politicians and the ECB hierarchy (who both need to put their own houses in order) which have precipitated the events which have brought the club into this chaotic situation. 

Certain journalists have also taken a somewhat blinkered approach without the full facts. However thank goodness for people like Mike Atherton, Simon Heffer of the Daily Telegraph and Syed Ahmed in the Times for providing a more reasoned view of the proceedings. I initially welcomed the appointment of Lord Patel, although not sure who appointed him. He faces a difficult job but certainly has the right qualifications. It remains to be seen how well he can assess the full facts of the situation.

In response to many of the uncalled for messages on social media I think it is important to stress that there are many good people involved with Yorkshire County cricket, not least the volunteers involved with the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, which has already done much good work in improving relations with the ethnic communities.

Lord Patel has called for conciliation, but sadly some of the latest pronouncements do little to suggest this. One person who suffered more racial abuse than anyone was Nelson Mandela and surely we can all learn from him what conciliation really means.

Azeem Rafiq in happier times being awarded his county cap by the late John Hampshire 2016.

Returning to the main theme of what this blog is all about, which is more involvement in what happens on the field of play rather than off it, I recently paid a visit to the museum in Thirsk, North Yorkshire and came across a team picture of the Yorkshire side of 1920. Many of those pictured were household names at the time, but there is one mystery man (third from left on the back row). This may have been a local benefit match in Thirsk and the mystery man could be a local lad co-opted into the side.

Apart from the two umpires and the scorer, the players are as follows:-
Back row - Dolphin, A.N. Other, R.Kilner, Waddington, Macauley and Holmes.
Front row - Robinson, Denton, Burton (capt), Rhodes and Sutcliffe.

Looking back on Cricket Archive to try and find the mystery man I came across two remarkable games between Yorkshire and Hampshire that season. The first game was at Headingley at the end of June and Hampshire put the Yorkshire bowlers to the sword in a big way on the first day when they compiled a score of 456-2. Opener George Brown making 232 not out, putting on 183 for the first wicket with Alex Bowell, who was dismissed for 95. Another wicket fell quickly but then Brown put on 269 in partnership with Philip Mead, the legendary Hampshire batsman, who also made 122 not out.

Both Hampshire wickets fell to the bowling of Charles Whiting, a little known opening bowler from the East Riding, who disappeared from the scene very quickly. He could possibly be the mystery man on the picture. The next day brought further disaster for the home side as Yorkshire were quickly bowled out for 159, largely due to bowling of another Hampshire stalwart Alec Kennedy, who took 6-69. Herbert Sutcliffe top scored for Yorkshire with 58.

Hampshire enforced the follow on and Yorkshire were 152-3 at the close of day two with Percy Holmes on 75 not out, partnered by the ever reliable Wilfred Rhodes. However on day three Holmes was quickly out for 78 and despite a valiant effort by Rhodes, who was run out for 64, and a rear guard action from wicket keeper Dolphin with 37, Hampshire achieved victory by an innings and 72 runs. No doubt leading to great celebrations from the visitors captained by Lionel Lord Tennyson.

Notwithstanding all that Yorkshire bounced back at the United Services Ground, Portsmouth at the end of August. In one of their earliest big partnerships Holmes and Sutcliffe put on 347 for the first wicket. Percy Holmes made 302 not out, Sutcliffe 131 and there were sixties from both Denton and Rhodes in a final total of 585-3 declared. The demoralised Hampshire side were dismissed for 131 with five wickets each for Rockley Wilson and Wilfred Rhodes. They followed on and despite a slightly improved showing went for 219, with Rhodes yet again the main destroyer with 6-73.

Yorkshire had turned the tables with a vengeance winning by an innings and 235 runs. In a season when counties all played different numbers of matches the Championship Table was decided on a percentage points system. Middlesex took the title playing only 20 matches, whereas Yorkshire, who finished fourth, played 28.

 Mentioning Wilfred Rhodes we had the pleasure of having a presentation on Zoom last week for Wombwell Cricket Lovers by Patrick Ferriday author of a splendid new book on the great man together with David Frith, who once interviewed Rhodes in his later years. This is a highly recommended book on one of the great periods of Yorkshire County Cricket Club's history.