100 Years Ago Today: Hampshire Set Platform For Big Yorkshire Win

Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen takes a look back on timely memorable moments in his ‘On This Day’ series.

Yorkshire v Hampshire, County Championship: 26th - 29th June 1920

Almost all of the matches featured in ‘On this Day’ have taken place in the past thirty years. This one is an exception, and has a legitimate claim to be considered the greatest victory in Hampshire’s history – a win almost beyond comprehension.

Hampshire embarked on a three-match northern tour in June and came to Headingley, having lost the first match to Notts, to meet the reigning Champions on this day in 1920.

Hampshire won the toss, chose to bat and George Brown and Alec Bowell put on a first wicket partnership of 183 before Charles Whiting playing the last of six matches for Yorkshire, trapped Bowell leg-before.

Edward Barrett came and went to the same bowler but then Brown was joined by Phil Mead and the two giants batted to the close and a declaration at 456-2 (the great Wilfred Rhodes 0-69).

It is salutary to think that in a fixed-time, Yorkshire bowled 130 overs – it would not happen today.

Brown finished 232* and Mead 122*.

On Monday, only Herbert Sutcliffe (58) resisted long, as Alec Kennedy 6-69 bowled out Yorkshire for 159.

They followed-on and got to 152-3 overnight (Percy Holmes 75*) but once he and Rhodes (run out 64) were dismissed, Kennedy (4-66) and Newman (4-69) finished the job and Hampshire won by an innings and 72 runs.

This match was a triumph for the great Hampshire professionals and so delighted their captain Lionel Tennyson that at Christmas he sent a team photograph from the match to all eleven players.

Hampshire then crossed the Pennines and lost a thriller to the Red Rose by just one run. They needed just 66 to win and reached 53-3 before collapsing (Brown 1, Mead 0).