Memories of title-winning year can inspire younger generation to glory

CRAIG WHITE has no doubt what tipped the scales in Yorkshire’s favour during their last County Championship-winning season in 2001.

“It was the signing of Steve Kirby,” insists the former Yorkshire and England all-rounder and current Yorkshire first-team coach.

“Kirbs came in part-way through the season and blew teams away with his pace and aggression.

“He gave us the X-factor we needed to go and win the title.”

The statistics bear out White’s assertion.

Kirby was Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker that summer with 47 at 20.85, despite playing only 10 of the club’s 16 games.

The circumstances surrounding his signing were quite remarkable.

In early June, England called-up Matthew Hoggard during a game against Kent at Headingley. Yorkshire drafted in Kirby as a mid-match replacement... and the rest is history.

“The tale of 23-year-old Steve Kirby’s performance on his first-class debut, and of the circumstances of his selection, stretched the bounds of belief,” reported Wisden.

“He had been released by Leicestershire after achieving little with their Second Eleven, other than a problematic back. However, he persuaded Yorkshire to give him a trial, and shone brightly enough for them to intend to sign him before long.

“Hoggard’s unexpected call-up by England – after he had taken four wickets on the first day – galvanised Yorkshire. Kirby dashed to Leeds from his Leicester home, was registered, and joined the team with sensational results.

“First, his unbeaten 11 helped secure a fifth batting point and enabled Blakey to reach his fifty. Then, 20 overs of hostile pace brought him seven for 50, the second-best figures by a Yorkshire bowler on Championship debut, equalling Paul Hutchison’s return at Portsmouth in 1997 and bettered only by Wilfred Rhodes’s seven for 24 at Bath in 1898.

“After Nixon and Saggers had dug in on the fourth morning, Kirby ripped out Kent’s last five wickets for nine runs in 29 balls and was given a guard of honour as he left the field.”

In Yorkshire’s next home match, against his old club Leicestershire, Kirby took six wickets in each innings to inspire another crushing win.

His figures of 12-72 were the best at Headingley since Ron Aspinall’s 13-100 against Somerset in 1949 and prompted Jack Birkenshaw, the then-Leicestershire cricket manager, to concede his club “had not been sharp enough” in failing to make Kirby an offer.

“Kirbs was an amazing signing, really,” says White. “All credit to the then-coach, Wayne Clark, for bringing him in.

“Kirbs was fast and in the opposition’s faces all the time. He played an enormous part in 2001.”

Despite Kirby’s Roy of the Rovers contribution, Yorkshire’s success was a genuine team effort.

White, whose appearances were restricted by injuries and international commitments, scored an invaluable 567 runs at 40.50.

Two players – Darren Lehmann and Matthew Wood – topped 1,000 runs, but no bowler captured 50 wickets.

However, such was the consistency of both batting and bowling departments that Yorkshire wrapped up the title with two games to spare.

“All the lads played their part that year,” insists White. “One or two players stood out such as Kirbs and Darren Lehmann, but the key thing was we all chipped in. There were some tremendous characters in that side like Lehmann and McGrath, and we were a happy team.

“We had fun off the field and played seriously and competitively on the pitch.”

Lehmann’s total of 1,416 runs at 83.29 was the standout contribution with the bat.

The Australian hit five hundreds and five fifties, with a top score of 252 against Lancashire at Headingley.

In the Roses game at Old Trafford, White took the plaudits with a career-best 186.

He shared a record opening stand of 309 with Wood in what proved a key victory towards the end of the season.

“We’d lost a day’s play to rain,” remembers White. “We thought we’d might as well get some runs on the board as quickly as possible and then try to have a crack at them.

“Myself and Woody put on 300-odd and we were able to set up the game for the bowlers to exploit.

“Woody batted beautifully and that was a big win at an important time of the season.”

Aided by Clark’s man-management skills and the no-nonsense captaincy of David Byas, Yorkshire were unstoppable.

After beating Northamptonshire in their fourth game, they headed the table, never to be dislodged.

Fittingly, Byas held the catch that clinched the Championship and wrapped up the points against Glamorgan at Scarborough.

It was Yorkshire’s first title since 1968 and the glory days of Brian Close, Fred Trueman, Ray Illingworth et al.

“We hadn’t won the Championship for 33 years and there was a lot of pressure on us to finally win something,” says White. “It was a big relief to finally do that and then, the following year, we won the C&G Trophy.

“Sadly, we got relegated in the Championship, which took some of the gloss off things, but no one can take away what we achieved in 2001.

“It was a year the players and supporters will never forget.”

The current Yorkshire team cannot be compared to the one of 10 years ago.

A young squad does not have the same depth and experience, although it is still capable of winning some silverware.

“It’s a different side now,” reflects White. “We had experience back then whereas we’re relatively inexperienced at the moment.

“To do what we did last year and finish third in the Championship with such a young group of players was a great effort really.

“This team will only get better and the best thing is, they’ve got the ability to play together for many years to come.”

From cricket academy coach to corporate manager... whatever did happen to Yorkshire’s championship heroes of 2001?

DAVID BYAS (captain, 16 games, 853 runs at 44.89): Runs a cricket academy in East Yorkshire and is cricket manager of Scarborough CC. Byas is an ECB Umpires coach and director of sport at Pocklington School, York.

RICHARD BLAKEY (15 games, 405 runs at 27.00; 49 catches, 5 stumpings): Runs his own sporting and corporate event management company in Yorkshire - Richard Blakey Leisure.

MATTHEW WOOD (14 games, 1,060 runs at 48.18): Spent last season playing for Kirkburton in the Huddersfield League.

DARREN LEHMANN (13 games, 1,416 runs at 83.29; 12 wickets at 30.66): Runs a world-renowned cricket academy in South Australia.

GARY FELLOWS (12 games, 455 runs at 28.43; 12 wickets at 33.16): Has been playing for Wrenthorpe since 2007. In 92 games, Fellows has scored 3,529 runs for Wrenthorpe at 56.02 and taken 117 wickets at 16.36.

STEVE KIRBY (10 games, 47 wickets at 20.85): Kirby signed for Somerset at the end of last season after a successful spell with Gloucestershire. Kirby is on a three-year contract at Taunton.

CRAIG WHITE (9 games, 567 runs at 40.50; 16 wickets at 25.62): White is gearing up for his second year as Yorkshire’s first team coach. The former England all-rounder is right-hand man to director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon.

ANTHONY MCGRATH (9 games, 417 runs at 32.07): The only surviving member of the Championship winning side, McGrath, 35, is gearing up for his 17th season at Headingley Carnegie. He will be looking to repeat his performances in 2010, when he passed 1,000 runs in the four-day competition.

RICHARD DAWSON (9 games, 30 wickets at 33.80): The off-spinner was appointed Gloucestershire’s spin bowling coach last November and is taking his ECB Level IV Coaching Award. Dawson, 30, remains registered to play for the first team but his primary focus is now on coaching.

CHRIS SILVERWOOD (8 games, 33 wickets at 19.51): After leaving Middlesex in September 2009, Silverwood had a spell as coach of Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe. Has been Essex’s bowling coach since February last year.

RYAN SIDEBOTTOM (8 games, 27 wickets at 23.92): Has rejoined Yorkshire after leaving Nottinghamshire at the end of last season. Sidebottom is on a three-year contract at Headingley Carnegie.

GAVIN HAMILTON (8 games, 26 wickets at 25.84): The former England and Scotland player announced his retirement last August. Last year brought him his best season in club cricket with Bradford League side East Bierley. Hamilton finished joint-top of the batting averages with 837 runs at 52.3.

MICHAEL VAUGHAN (7 games, 673 runs at 51.76): The former England captain is carving out a new career for himself on BBC Test Match Special. Vaughan is also business development manager for International Sports Management, the Cheshire-based company started by Andrew “Chubby” Chandler which looks after sports stars’ interests.

SCOTT RICHARDSON (7 games, 215 runs at 23.88): Scott now plays in the Bradford League and runs Romida Sports, the cricket equipment company set up by his late father, Mike.

MATTHEW HOGGARD (7 games, 26 wickets at 21.57): The former England paceman, and Ashes hero of 2005, is captain of Leicestershire, where he had an interesting first season in charge. Hoggard led a players’ revolt against former chairman Neil Davidson, who was forced to step down from his position in charge of the County in October after being accused of interfering in team affairs.