The heroes who hit their rivals for six!

THE BRADFORD area has more of its native sons than any other district in a list of Yorkshire's top 100 players of all time, which has been compiled to mark the new millennium.

The gallant 100,picked from those who have graced the club since its formation in 1863 but excluding overseas players, were chosen by myself and three fellow county cricket journalists, plus Yorkshire's official statistician Roy Wilkinson.

No fewer than 16 of the 100 were born in Bradford and district, and there are several others who were born outside the city boundaries but were or are very much identified with Bradford cricket.

These outstanding cricketers include Len Hutton - Pudsey St Lawrence's most famous son - and three former Yorkshire captains in Brian Close, Ray Illingworth and Phil Carrick.

Those born in or around Bradford are: Bob Appleyard (Wibsey), David Bairstow (Bradford), Don Brennan (Eccleshill), Ronnie Burnet (Saltaire), Howard Cooper (Great Horton), Arthur Dolphin (Wilsden), Peter Hartley (Keighley), Frank Lowson (Bradford), Arthur Mitchell (Baildon), Doug Padgett (Bradford), Emmott Robinson (Keighley), Phil Robinson (Keighley), Brian Sellers (Keighley), Phil Sharpe (Shipley), Abe Waddington (Clayton) and Arthur Wood (Fagley).

To the overall list of those with strong Bradford connections I would like to add Yorkshire's greatest fast bowler Fred Trueman, who was born near Stainton in the south of the county, but has made his home in the Dales and who was always strongly supportive of cricket at Park Avenue, which was among his favourite grounds.

Huddersfield district has also produced a wealth of talent, and it is remarkable that Yorkshire's incomparable all-rounders Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst should both hail from the village of Kirkheaton.

Rhodes scored 31,075 runs for Yorkshire - the fifth-highest scorer in the club's history - and claimed a record 3,598 wickets at 16.01 runs apiece. Taking in Test matches and other games, his complete first-class haul of 4,187 wickets is the best in the world.

Hirst struck 32,057 runs for Yorkshire - fourth in the table - and he comes second to Rhodes in the bowling list with 2,484 victims at 18.03.

Topping the batting chart is the Prince of Yorkshire cricket Herbert Sutcliffe, with 35,558 runs with 112 centuries for an average of 50.20.

The only other batsman to complete a century of centuries for Yorkshire is Geoff Boycott, who scored 103 of them while compiling 32,570 runs for an average of 57.85 - the highest of all the county's batsmen. Boycott is third-highest scorer behind Sutcliffe and David Denton (33,282 at 33.83.).

In the bowling ranks, Schofield Haigh and George Macaulay follow Rhodes and Hirst, and then comes Trueman with 1,745 wickets at 17.12.

Although Darren Gough rightly holds a place as one of Yorkshire's greatest fast bowlers, he has so far taken only 362 wickets at 27.14 and is unlikely to play sufficient county cricket to get within a 1,000 wickets of Trueman's final figure.

Yorkshire's A-Z of their super century of stars

1 Bob Appleyard (career 1950-58, matches 133, wickets 642 at 15.42)

2 Ron Aspinall (1946-50, matches 36, wickets 131 at 20.38)

3 David Bairstow (1970-90, matches 429, runs 12,985 at 26.60, catches 907, stumpings 131)

4 Wilf Barber (1926-47, matches 354, runs 15,315 at 34.26, catches 169)

5 Willie Bates (1877-87, matches 202, runs 6,499 at 20.37, wickets 637 at 16.78, catches 163)

6 Jimmy Binks (1955-69, matches 491, runs 6,745 at 14.69, catches 872, stumpings 172)

7 Richard Blakey (1985-99, matches 283, runs 11,972 at 31.01, catches 617, stumpings 47)

8 Arthur Booth (1931-47, matches 36, wickets 122 at 13.80)

9 Major William Booth (1908-14, matches 144, runs 4,244 at 22.69, wickets 557 at 19.17)

10 Bill Bowes (1929-47, matches 301, wickets 1,351 at 15.71

11 Geoff Boycott (1962-86, matches 414, runs 32,570 at 57.85, catches 200)

12 Don Brennan (1947-53, matches 204, catches 280, stumpings 100)

13 John T Brown (1889-1904, matches 345, runs 15,694 at 29.83, wickets 177 at 29.28, catches 188)

14 Ronnie Burnet (1958-59, captain both years, matches 54)

15 David Byas (1986-99, matches 235, runs 12,949 at 35.57, catches 267).

16 Phil Carrick (1970-93, matches 425, runs 9,994 at 22.66, wickets 1,018 at 29.99, catches 183)

17 Brian Close (1949-70, matches 536, runs 22,650 at 31.94, wickets 967 at 24.29, catches 564)

18 Howard Cooper (1971-80, matches 98, wickets 227 at 27.87)

19 Geoff Cope (1966-80, matches 230, wickets 630 at 24.80),

20 Mike Cowan (1953-62, matches 91, wickets 266 at 24.01)

21 Alec Coxon (1945-50, matches 142, wickets 464 at 20.53, catches 124).

22 David Denton (1894-1920, matches 676, runs 33,282 at 33.38, catches 360)

23 Arthur Dolphin (1905-27, matches 427, catches 569, stumpings 260)

24 Alonso Drake (1909-14, matches 156, runs 4,789 at 21.76, wickets 479 at 18)

25 Tom Emmett (1866-88, matches 299, runs 6,315 at 15.07, wickets 1,216 at 12.71, catches 179).

26 George Freeman (1865-80, matches 32, wickets 209 at 9.94)

27 Darren Gough (1989-1999, matches 111, wickets 362 at 27.14)

28 Schofield Haigh (1895-1913, matches 513, runs 10,993 at 19.05, wickets 1,876 at 15.61, catches 276)

29 Louis Hall (1873-94, matches 275, runs 9,757 at 23.28, catches 173)

30 Harry Halliday (1938-53, matches 182, runs 8,361 at 32.03, wickets 101 at 30.88, catches 140)

31 Gavin Hamilton (1994-99, matches 49, runs 1,621 at 30.01, wickets 155 at 25)

32 John Hampshire (1961-81, matches 456, runs 21,979 at 34.61, catches 368)

33 George Harrison (1883-92, matches 59, wickets 226 at 14.49)

34 Peter Hartley (1985-97, matches 195, runs 3,844 at 20.66, wickets 579 at 30.11)

35 Lord Hawke (1881-1911, matches 510, runs 13,133 at 20.26, catches 159)

36 Allen Hill (1871-82, matches 140, wickets 542 at 12.91)

37 George Hirst (1891-1921*, matches 717, runs 32,024 at 34.73, wickets 2,481 at 18.02, catches 518)

38 Percy Holmes (1913-33, matches 485, runs 26,220 at 41.95, catches 319)

39 David Hunter (1888-1909, matches 517, catches 863, stumpings 323)

40 Joe Hunter (1878-88, matches 143, catches 207, stumpings 102)

41 Paul Hutchison (1996-99, matches 29, wickets 120 at 25)

42 Len Hutton (1934-55, matches 341, runs 24,807 at 53.34, wickets 154 at 27.40, catches 278)

43 Richard Hutton (1962-74, matches 208, runs 4,986 at 20.18, wickets 468 at 21.91, catches 160)

44 Ray Illingworth (1951-83, matches 496, runs 14,986 at 27.90, wickets 1,431 at 18.73, catches 286)

45 Hon F S Jackson (1890-1907, matches 207, runs 10,371 at 33.89, wickets 506 at 19.15, catches 129)

46 Paul Jarvis (1981-93, matches 138, wickets 449 at 26.70)

47 Roy Kilner (1911-27, matches 365, runs 13,018 at 30.13, wickets 857 at 17.33, catches 231)

48 Ted Lester (1945-56, matches 228, runs 10,616 at 34.02)

49 Maurice Leyland (1920-46, matches 548, runs 26,180 at 41.03, wickets 409 at 27.08, catches 204)

50 Ephraim Lockwood (1868-84, matches 214, runs 7,789 at 23.25, wickets 141 at 16.06, catches 164)

51 Jim Love (1975-89, matches 247, runs 10,263 at 31.10)

52 Frank Lowson (1949-58, matches 252, runs 13,897 at 37.25, catches 180)

53 Richard Lumb (1970-84, matches 239, runs 11,525 at 31.57).

54 George Macaulay (1920-35, matches 445, runs 5,717 at 17.97, wickets 1,774 at 17.22, catches 361)

55 Ashley Metcalfe (1983-95, matches 184, runs 10,465 at 35.11)

56 Arthur Mitchell (1922-45, matches 401, runs 18,189 at 37.81, catches 406)

57 Martyn Moxon (1981-97, matches 277, runs 18,973 at 43.71, catches 190)

58 Hubert Myers (1901-10, matches 201, runs 4,450 at 18.31, wickets 282 at 25.15).

59 John Newstead (1903-13, matches 96, wickets 297 at 18.70)

60 Tony Nicholson (1962-75, matches 282, wickets 876 at 19.74)

61 Chris Old (1966-82, matches 222, runs 4,785 at 23.22, wickets 647 at 20.72, catches 131)

62 Edgar Oldroyd (1910-31, matches 383, runs 12,891, catches 203)

63 Doug Padgett (1951-71, matches 487, runs 20,306 at 28.55, catches 250)

64 Ted Peate (1879-87, matches 154, wickets 794 at 12.57)

65 Bobby Peel (1882-97, matches 318, runs 9,322 at 19.91, wickets 1,311 at 15.74)

66 George Pinder (1867-80, matches 125, catches 145, stumpings102)

67 Bob Platt (1955-63, matches 96, wickets 282 at 22.65).

68 Wilfred Rhodes (1898-1930, matches 883, runs 31,075 at 30.08, wickets 3,598 at 16.01, catches 586)

69 Emmott Robinson (1919-31, matches 413, runs 9,651 at 25.53, wickets 893 at 21.99, catches 318)

70 Ellis Robinson (1934-49, matches 208, wickets 735 at 20.60, catches 189)

71 Phil Robinson (1984-91, matches 132, runs 6,668 at 35.84)

72 Mel Ryan (1954-65, matches 150, wickets 413 at 22.92).

73 Brian Sellers (1932-48, matches 334, runs 8,949 at 23.18, catches 264)

74 Kevin Sharp (1976-90, matches 195, runs 8,426 at 29.56)

75 Philip Sharpe (1958-74, matches 411, runs 17,685 at 29.72, catches 525)

76 Arnie Sidebottom (1973-91, matches 216, runs 4,243 at 22.33, wickets 558 at 24.82)

77 Chris Silverwood (1993-99, matches 77, wickets 259 at 26.23)

78 Frank Smailes (1932-48, matches 262, runs 5,686 at 19.14, wickets 802 at 20.68, catches 153)

79 Graham Stevenson (1973-86, matches 177, runs 3,856 at 20.84, wickets 464 at 28.56)

80 Bryan Stott (1952-63, matches 187, runs 9,168 at 31.61)

81 Herbert Sutcliffe (1919-45, matches 602, runs 38,558 at 50.20, catches 402).

82 Ken Taylor (1953-68, matches 303, runs 12,864 at 27.37, catches 146)

83 Tom Taylor (1899-1906, matches 82, runs 3,933 at 35.11)

84 Fred Trueman (1949-68, matches 459, runs 6,852 at 15.15, wickets 1,745 at 17.12, catches 325)

85 John Tunnicliffe (1891-1907, matches 472, runs 19,435 at 27.33, catches 665)

86 Cyril Turner (1925-46, matches 200, runs 6,132 at 26.20, wickets 173 at 30.75, catches 181).

87 George Ulyett (1873-93, matches 355, runs 14,157 at 24.11, wickets 457 at 17.90, catches 235).

88 Michael Vaughan (1993-99, matches 108, runs 6,630 at 35.45)

89 Hedley Verity (1930-39, matches 278, wickets 1,558 at 13.70, catches 191).

90 Abe Waddington (1919-27, matches 255, wickets 835 at 19.40, catches 222)

91 Ted Wainwright (1888-1902, matches 352, runs 11,092 at 21.53, wickets 998 at 17.77, catches 327)

92 Johnny Wardle (1946-58, matches 330, runs 5,765 at 15.96, wickets 1,539 at 18.13, catches 210)

93 Willie Watson (1939-57, matches 283, runs 13,953 at 38.22)

94 Craig White (1990-99, matches 139, runs 5,890 at 31.83, wickets 222 at 27.41, catches 103)

95 Ben Wilson (1906-14, matches 185, runs 8,053 at 27.50)

96 Don Wilson (1957-74, matches 392, runs 5,788 at 13.88, wickets 1,104 at 20.49, catches 235)

97 Rockley Wilson (1899-1923, matches 66, wickets 197 at 15.76)

98 Vic Wilson (1946-62, matches 477, runs 20,548 at 31.66, catches 520)

99 Arthur Wood (1927-46, matches 408, runs 8,579 at 21.39, catches 612, stumpings 243).

100 Norman Yardley (1936-55, matches 302, runs 11,632 at 31.95, catches 220).

*In addition, George Hirst played one match in 1929. Batting, bowling and catching/stumping statistics are only given where they have played a part in a player getting into the top 100.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.