When, last season, Adil Rashid became the latest Yorkshire player to complete the 1,000-run and 100-wicket double in List A matches he was the 11th all-rounder to do so for the county. Paul Dyson looks at other players who have achieved the feat, celebrates the most outstanding performers and also marks a special match-performance.
It took just one scoring stroke from Adil Rashid to take his run-tally in List A matches for Yorkshire from 997 to 1,001. It came against Warwickshire at Headingley and was in his 99th such game. Having already taken 125 wickets, the moment assumed greater significance as he had, therefore, completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. It brought to 11 the number of players who have achieved the feat for the county, the full list, in chronological order, being as follows:
| Matches | Runs | Average | Wickets | Average | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RA Hutton | 1965-1974 | 107 | 1075 | 19.54 | 128 | 23.43 |
| CM Old | 1967-1982 | 221 | 2572 | 19.63 | 308 | 18.96 |
| P Carrick | 1970-1992 | 304 | 2159 | 14.11 | 236 | 31.38 |
| GB Stevenson | 1973-1986 | 217 | 1719 | 12.66 | 290 | 23.51 |
| A Sidebottom | 1974-1991 | 236 | 1279 | 15.22 | 260 | 26.60 |
| PJ Hartley | 1985-1997 | 219 | 1609 | 16.76 | 283 | 26.41 |
| D Gough | 1990-2008 | 214 | 1280 | 14.71 | 291 | 23.36 |
| C White | 1990-2008 | 292 | 6384 | 28.12 | 248 | 24.67 |
| GM Hamilton | 1994-2003 | 101 | 1059 | 20.36 | 121 | 23.16 |
| TT Bresnan | 2001-2018 | 175 | 2007 | 21.12 | 190 | 33.03 |
| AU Rashid | 2006-2018 | 104 | 1039 | 20.37 | 135 | 28.61 |
It is very likely that this feat will become less and less achievable. From 1972 to 2002 there were no fewer than three limited-overs competitions and in 1996, when Yorkshire reached the semi-finals in both of the two knock-out tournaments, the county played a total of 27 matches. With the advent of T20 from 2003, which replaced the Benson & Hedges Cup, and the removal of the 40-overs competition in 2013 it is now possible to play in a maximum of only 11 inter-county List A games per season.
The overwhelming majority of the players in the list may all be described as ‘bowling all-rounders’ and the list features all of Yorkshire’s top seven wicket-takers in the format. The notable exception to being placed in this category is Craig White; with his batting average being higher than that for his bowling he can definitely be described as a genuine all-rounder. (White’s run-total is sixth on the all-time list.) The only other player to achieve this status is Chris Old and it is noticeable how much lower his bowling average is compared with the other ten in the list.
Five games after Rashid had completed his career double, there was a remarkable match double from David Willey. This feat has been achieved for Yorkshire on only one previous occasion and consisted of scoring a century and taking four wickets in the same match. In a record-breaking encounter against Lancashire at Old Trafford Willey scored 131; he shared a stand of 235 with Adam Lyth which broke Yorkshire’s second-wicket record and the eventual total of 379 for seven was the county’s highest against any first-class county in all List A cricket.
Not content with that, Willey opened the bowling and although went wicketless in his opening spell he came back later, took four of the last five wickets to finish with four for 59. It was a good job that he did as the hosts, with five wickets remaining needed only 121 from the final 15.1 overs. Later, with two wickets left, they required 21 from the final ten balls. Willey took the last two wickets in the 49th over. With Lancashire finishing on 363 and losing by only 16 runs the colossal 742 runs scored on a glorious early June day represented the highest aggregate in any List A game involving Yorkshire.
The feat of scoring a century and taking four wickets for Yorkshire in a List A match was, previously, unique to Craig White. He took took four for 35 as Surrey made 173 for eight at Headingley in 2002 then scored exactly 100 not out to help steer the hosts to 167 for no wicket in 24.1 overs to secure a ten-wicket D/L victory in a semi-final of the C&G Trophy.
Yorkshire have been very fortunate to have produced so many all-rounders who have made such an impact in limited-overs cricket throughout the 56 seasons of this format. With Tim Bresnan, Rashid and Willey, not to mention Matthew Fisher developing quickly, all continuing in the tradition of those mentioned above, the balance of Yorkshire’s List A line-ups which all-rounders give should be with us for some time to come.
