Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Catcher George Hill is congratulated on helping Ben Coad dismiss Matthew Waite in the first innings of April’s Headingley win over Worcestershire.
Anthony McGrath says the landslide home win over Worcestershire at Headingley in April was the highlight of his first year back at Headingley.
McGrath returned to his home county as head coach late last year and saw the White Rose finish seventh in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship and reach the semi-finals of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup in 2025.
They won four Championship games, three of which came during an unbeaten second half of the campaign.
However, McGrath looked further back to the second week of the summer, when Yorkshire steamrollered Worcestershire by a record-breaking 504 runs inside three days.
Dawid Malan hit a first-innings 98, Dom Bess a second-innings 107, while Ben Coad and George Hill struck four times apiece in the first and second innings respectively.
It was the biggest margin of victory runs wise in the history of the competition, by any county.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ben Allison is bowled by George Hill in the second innings of that Worcestershire win. The visitors fell from 28-0 to 105 all out second time around.
McGrath said: “It’s a difficult question, to be honest.
“But I’d go for the first win here, my first game back, against Worcester.
“Given it was the first game of the season at home, coming back to the club after so long, a record-breaking win, that was a pretty special game.”
Former all-rounder McGrath says he has loved being back on home turf following a successful near decade-long stint with Essex.
“Coming back to the club, there was always that part of it, but it’s a different club to when I left,” he said. “It was almost start again in a way.
“But the club, off the field, is as settled as it can be with the Hundred stuff.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath was asked to pick out his 2025 highlight.
“And I’ve really enjoyed working with the players we’ve got and the support staff as well.
“As you know, from chatting through the season, it’s been frustrating at times. But it’s certainly one I’ve really enjoyed, and I think we’re in a really, really good position to push on.”
McGrath gave his season’s highlight during an Ashes preview show earlier this winter, which bowling coach Mick Lewis was also involved in.
Lewis followed McGrath to Headingley last winter, arriving at the start of March.
The Australian added: “I’ve loved it here. Everyone at the club has been super nice, super embracing. The staff we’ve got are amazing – Jonny Sadler and all those.
“Mags did steal my thunder a bit.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Bowling coach Mick Lewis has loved his first season at Headingley.
“I was going to say my highlight would be the first win at Headingley as well.
“But I think our last game here against Durham where we had 79 minutes of madness in the second innings was brilliant to watch..
“Just to watch the joy on the players faces when they came off was brilliant.”
