A Game Sustained

140 The correspondent’s only complaint was that at times the crowd attempted to disturb the batsman by making a well timed ‘whoop’, another sign of the demonstrative behaviour that became more common in the 1920s. 89 Yorkshire moved on to Leicester and secured another innings victory. Waddington, who took eight wickets in the match, was awarded his county cap. In six weeks he had risen quickly to be one of the most dangerous bowlers in the country and another key part of a new Yorkshire team was falling into place. Waddington and colleagues found Surrey tougher opponents at The Oval, but again the match was drawn at 7.30pm on the second day. Back in Leeds for the game with Middlesex, Rhodes and Rockley Wilson dismissed Middlesex to win by 187 runs, having set them a target of 341 in four and half hours. This was seen as a sporting offer, but the visitors collapsed from 100 for one to 153 all out to give Yorkshire its best win of the season. At this point, Yorkshire were among many who were delighted at the announcement that two-day cricket would be abandoned for 1920. P.F.Warner described it as ‘sheer hard labour’, and ‘Old Ebor’ commented emotionally that it would be remembered as: a nightmare, an orgie of long hours and headaches, a useless drain on physical energies, a scheme that in its own ill-digested parts had a parallel only in the indigestion it created. I pay no respect to its corpse; I would rather kick it. 90 Shortly afterwards, the strange nature of the 1919 County Championship started to be clear. Yorkshire had 26 fixtures arranged but Kent had only 14, having not intended to take the competition too seriously so soon after the war. Towards the end of August, the two sides played each other, with Yorkshire ahead with 52.17 per cent against Kent’s 50 per cent. That game was drawn and Yorkshire’s match at Southampton was then abandoned, with the visitors well on top. The weather now had its say, and with matches involving Yorkshire and Kent both drawn, Yorkshire won A wonderful relief: 1919