Many supporters took note of the fact that, in 2018, Yorkshire used no fewer than five captains in the County Championship and they felt that this was unprecedented in recent times. Paul Dyson has delved through the past and found out how rare this occurrence is. The photo of the 1923 team comes courtesy of Brian Sanderson.
Yorkshire played only 13 Championship matches in 2018 – the least they have ever played in any one season since the official competition started in 1890 – and used five captains in those games. The matches and captains are as follows:
| Start date |
Opponents | Venue | Captain | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 |
Notts | Headingley | GS Ballance |
Won by 164 runs |
| April 27 |
Somerset | Taunton | GS Ballance |
Lost by 118 runs |
| May 4 |
Essex | Chelmsford | GS Ballance |
Won by 91 runs |
| May 11 |
Surrey | The Oval | JE Root |
Lost by inns and 17 runs |
| June 20 |
Hampshire | Ageas Bowl | SA Patterson |
Drawn |
| June 25 |
Surrey | Scarboorugh | SA Patterson |
Lost by seven wkts |
| July 22 |
Lancs | Old Trafford | SA Patterson |
Won by 118 runs |
| August 19 |
Worcs | Scarborough | DJ Willey |
Lost by inns and 186 runs |
| August 29 |
Somerset | Headingley | DJ Willey |
Lost by 224 runs |
| Sept 4 |
Notts | Trent Bridge | A Lyth |
Drawn |
| Sept 10 |
Lancs | Headingley | SA Patterson |
Won by 95 runs |
| Sept 18 |
Hampshire | Headingley | SA Patterson |
Drawn |
| Sept 24 |
Worcs | Worcestershire | SA Patterson |
Won by 7 wkts |
In trawling through previous years, it is discovered that 2018 is the fourth season in the official County Championship since it started in 1890 in which Yorkshire have used at least five captains, the details being:
- 1899, 28 matches, 5 captains – Lord Hawke 23, F Mitchell 2, FS Jackson 1, E Smith 1, J Tunnicliffe 1
- 1923, 32 matches, 6 captains – G Wilson 21, W Rhodes 4, ER Wilson 4, P Holmes 1, E Robinson 1, JS Stephenson 1
- 1956, 28 matches, 5 captains – WHH Sutcliffe 18, W Watson 6, FA Lowson 2, JH Wardle 1, JV Wilson 1
Unlike the three other seasons covered in this study, 1923 was a title-winning campaign. (Yorkshire were third in 1899 and seventh in 1956.) So successful was it that the total number of victories – 25, in cluding 13 by an innings – has never been surpassed (Surrey won 23 in 1955) and the county’s only defeat was by a mere three runs. There were 13 consecutive victories and these took up most of June and July.
Six batsmen scored over 1,000 runs, three bowlers each took over 100 wickets and another took 95. On both lists were Wilfred Rhodes and Roy Kilner, the pair being the first duo to perform the double for the county in the same season as each other since 1904. Five of the bowlers averaged 15 or fewer and took 95% of the wickets; four of them coming in the top ten of the national averages.
