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Celebrations at Scarborough
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The Scarborough Festival opened with an unusual match MCC v combined services. Not exactly the sort of day's cricket to grab the Tykes' attention but by the end of the week by jove there were celebrations at the seaside town.
At ten past twelve on the final day against Glamorgan David Byas held a catch that ended 33 years of hurt and Yorkshire won the County Championship.
Last man Simon Jones held up the celebrations as hit 46 in just 14 balls, as the ball sailed over the heads of the Yorkshire fielders. Jones the son of former England bowler Jeff hammered six sixes of Darren Lehmann. The towering sixes resembled the six sixes Gary Sobers hit off Glamorgan bowler
Malcolm Nash in an over. That too was 33 years ago. His innings ended when he top edged Lehmann and skied the ball, Byas ran from slip to gully to take the catch which sparked the celebrations. Which for the players did not end till the early hours of the next morning. They were joined in their celebrations by a well-known ex-umpire.
It was fitting that Byas should take the final catch. It was on his home ground and just two days before his 38th birthday. When he held the catch he turned and hugged wicket keeper Dick Blakey. Blakey is the only the member of the team to have won something with the club. 14 years ago he was the youngest member of the team that won the Benson and Hedges cup. Now he is one of the oldest.
After being a loser in many important matches Byas could now speak as a winner. He has won the championship, the Holy Grail for Yorkshire cricket, which eluded: Boycott, Hampshire, Old, Illingworth, Bairstow, Carrick and Moxon.
Just after the celebrations started Byas said: "We have worked hard all season and we are going to enjoy this great day. It's been a magnificent season. We have had a lot of players who have come in and done a good job for us. Some fans may say it has taken us a year longer than it should have."
"The lads have done brilliantly and played some positive cricket. There is no way that the rain was going to stop us. We a strong Yorkshire side and they say a strong Yorkshire means a strong England. We have played our best cricket on good pitches. We have bowled sides out quite cheaply and
at a good rate."
The importance of what he has achieved had not sunk in. "May be when I am sitting on a Saturday morning in the winter I'll look back and say that was a wonderful year."
He then paid tribute to the coaches: "Steve and Arnie are brilliant at bringing the lads through. Wayne has done a magnificent job and he is a great person to work with."
Speaking about the Aussie run machine Darren Lehman, Byas said: "He is a wonderful player. It must be like having Bradman playing for us."
Then Byas mentioned the two young players who have come to the fore in the past three months Steve Kirby and Richard Dawson. Kirby, who signed for Yorkshire in June and has now taken 48 wickets in eight matches. Dawson has taken 28 wickets in seven matches. "They have both played well and both know that they are not the finished article."
Yorkshire coach Wayne Clark who won two four-day competitions in Australia and now the county championship here in his first season: "I am very relieved that it has happen. I think the last month of cricket has been tremendous. They have been ruthless in the way they have gone about it. I have told the lads if they make a mistake make sure you don't do it again. Get out playing a shot and that's the way we have played our cricket. I feel very pleased for them." Clark also mentioned Kirby: "He is fantastic and it is great to have someone out there who lifts the team."
On the final morning Yorkshire needed the four remaining Glamorgan wickets to clinch the title at Scarborough. Resuming at 142 for six needing another 215 to make Yorkshire bat Glamorgan soon lost Davies caught behind off Kirby. Cosker made six before he was caught at slip by Byas again off
Kirby. Steve Watkin hung about for his eight but he fell to Lehmann caught by Blakey. The finish looked to be only moments away. But Jones started hitting sixes. His knock off 46 top scored for Glamorgan and was the highest in his first class career. Together with skipper Adrian Dale who
hit 45 the pair added 56 for the last wicket.
The match was as good as over after the first day. The Tykes dismissed Glamorgan for 223 in only 89 overs. It was a disappointing score after the welsh side had decided to bat after winning the toss. Their batsmen all made a start but could not get a really big score. Dale was their top
scorer with 59 and both Jimmy Maher and Mark Wallace got thirties.
Openers Craig White and Matthew Wood dominated Yorkshire's reply. The pair had to goes at a partnership after Wood was forced to retire after being felled by Jones. White narrowly fell three runs of his career best made at Old Trafford. Wood scored 124 while Byas prolonged the agony for Glamorgan
with 104. Blakey turned the screw fully tight with 54.
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