First Title For Worcestershire

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 15

First Title For Worcestershire

Worcestershire has won the English county cricket championship for the first time in the 100-year history of the club.

It beat Gloucestershire by an innings and two runs on Tuesday while the only serious challenger for the title, Warwickshire, lost by 17 runs to Hampshire. Worcestershire’s previous best performance was in 1962 when it was second, four points behind Yorkshire. However, last year, without L.

J. Coldwell for most of the season, the county slumped to fourteenth position. Until 1962, the best placing by Worcestershire was joint runner-up in 1907 while in 1949, the county was third. Formed in 1865, the clpb was promoted to first-class status in 1899 but in its early years was nearly always in the bottom half of the championship table. This year the batting of T. W. Graveney, D. Kenyon, M. J. Horton and R. G. A. Headley has been supplemented by the successful bowling of Coldwell, J. A. Flavell and N. Gifford, all of whom have played for England this season. Results of matches which ended on Tuesday were: At Northampton: Northamptonshire 360/9 dec. beat Leicestershire 157 and 167 (J. Larter 4/20, B. Crump 4/41), by an innings and 36 runs. Northamptonshire 10 points. At Worcester: Worcestershire 298/3 dec. beat Gloucestershire 192 and 204 ID. Allen 68; M. Horton 4/50), by an innings and two runs. Worcestershire 10 points.

At Lord's: Middlesex 149 and 168 lost to Kent 315 and 5/1, by nine wickets. Kent 10 points. At Taunton: Derbyshire 281/9 dec. and 166/7 dec. beat Somerset 217/7 dec. and 166 <JU. Allen 7/65), by 64 runs. Derbyshire 10 points. At Nottingham: Nottinghamshire 112 and 267/9 dec. lost to Glamorgan 172 and 208/3, by seven wickets. Glamorgan 10 points. At Southampton: Hampshire 314/6 dec. and 174/2 dec. beat Warwickshire 175 and 296, by 17 runs. Hampshire 10 points. At the Oval: Surrey 307 and 141/8 dec. (D. Wilson 6/51) beat Yorkshire 207 and 184 (R. Jefferson 5/29), by 57 runs. Surrey 10 points.

At Eastbourne: Lancashire 319 and 98/3 dec. lost to Sussex 170/7 dec. and 248/6 <G. Cooper 71). by four wickets. Sussex 10 points. Lancashire two.