By Gary Watton
April 28 2013
Yorkshire were clearly the team to beat in the 1960s as they dominated English cricket from the start of the decade through to 1968. What is most remarkable about the talented personnel that the county possessed was that the likes of Geoffrey Boycott, Brian Close, Raymond Illingworth, and fiery Fred Trueman were such uncompromising characters that this curmudgeonly bunch were just as liable to be as hostile towards one another as they were towards the opposition. The Yorkshire dressing room must have been the scene for numerous 'frank exchanges of views', to coin a phrase. They probably made the debates in the House of Commons look tame by comparison. Also, in spite of the overflowing success, there was the occasional mishap, such as being dismissed for 23 at Middlesbrough in 1965 by Hampshire - an unenviable county record!
County Championship positions
1959: CHAMPIONS
1960: CHAMPIONS
1961: runners-up (champions: Hampshire)
1962: CHAMPIONS
1963: CHAMPIONS
1964: 5th (champions: Worcestershire)
1965: 4th (champions: Worcestershire)
1966: CHAMPIONS
1967: CHAMPIONS
1968: CHAMPIONS
1969: 13th (champions: Glamorgan)
1965 GILLETTE CUP FINAL; at Lord's; versus Surrey; Surrey won the toss
YORKSHIRE: 317 for 4
Boycott c Storey b Barrington 146
Taylor c Barrington b Sydenham 9
Close* c Edrich b Gibson 79
Trueman b Arnold 24
Hampshire not out 38
Wilson not out 11
Extras: 10
SURREY: 142 [40.4 overs]
Stewart* st Binks b Wilson 33
Edrich c Illingworth b Trueman 15
Smith b Trueman 0
Barrington c Binks b Trueman 0
Tindall c Wilson b Close 57
Storey lbw b Illingworth 1
Edwards b Illingworth 0
Gibson lbw b Illingworth 0
Long b Illingworth 17
Arnold not out 3
Sydenham b Illingworth 8
Extras: 8
Illingworth 5-29; Trueman 3-31
Geoffrey Boycott's man of the match innings gave lie to his reputation as a slow accumulator of runs.
YORKSHIRE WON BY 175 RUNS
1969 GILLETTE CUP FINAL; at Lord's; versus Derbyshire; Derbyshire won the toss
YORKSHIRE: 219 for 8
Leadbeater c Taylor b Ward 76
Woodford c Taylor b Eyre 15
Close* c Page b Ward 37
Sharpe b Ward 3
Padgett c Buxton b Rumsey 30
Hampshire c Morgan b Rhodes 2
Hutton not out 29
Binks b Rhodes 4
Wilson c Ward b Rumsey 2
Old not out 3
Extras: 18
Ward 3-31
DERBYSHIRE: 150
Gibbs b Nicolson 19
Smith b Close 26
Morgan* run out 5
Ward c Close b Hutton 17
Buxton c Close b Wilson 34
Harvey b Wilson 3
Page c Wilson b Close 16
Taylor c Leadbeater b Close 2
Eyre not out 14
Rumsey b Wilson 1
Rhodes c Hampshire b Old 6
Extras: 7
Close 3-36; Wilson 3-38
A fine all-round performance from the experienced Brian Close ensured a comfortable triumph.
YORKSHIRE WON BY 69 RUNS
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