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In a world of short attention spans and instant gratification, red-ball cricket struggles to attract attention. The focus is very much, at least globally speaking, on the shorter formats of the game, with T20 the most popular type of cricket. In particular it is the IPL that grabs the eyeballs of the most cricket fans, with the powerful six-hitting and razzamatazz making it a huge success both on the sub-continent and around the world.
Test cricket, in contrast, is struggling, with only the Ashes and to a lesser extent England and Australia’s games with India, able to attract big crowds. In this context it is easy to understand why the four-day domestic game in England has issues getting fans through the turnstiles. It receives little in the way of mainstream television coverage and does not attract too much attention in the print media either.
That said, the County Championship is the breeding ground for England’s future Test stars. It is also where many young players begin as they work towards careers in franchise cricket or to become players who can compete in all formats. The County Championship may not pack out grounds up and down the country but it has a core of dedicated fans. Many of these are cricket traditionalists, though the keen pricing and easy availability of tickets helps the County Championship attract some new fans too.
History Made in County Championship
First played in 1890, the County Championship has some serious history behind it, especially when we consider that the first IPL season came some 118 years later in 2008! Surrey won the first three editions of the County Championship, whilst Yorkshire triumphed in 1893 and 1896. It is the White Rose county that is the most successful overall, having won the competition 33 times in total, 10 more than Surrey.
Yorkshire had been relegated to Division Two but bounced back into the top tier of English cricket for the 2025 season, the 125th edition of the County Championship. They were easily beaten in their first game back in Division One but in their second game they not only won, but made history in the process too.
April 2025 – Biggest Ever Victory
Setting new benchmarks in a competition that dates back to the 19th century and has 124 years of tradition is obviously not easy. However, Yorkshire put Worcestershire to the sword in their recent game that began on the 11th of April, 2025. The hosts won inside three days by a massive 504 runs, which was the biggest ever victory in the entire history of the County Championship.
2002 – Previous Record
The previous record was set relatively recently too, coming in 2002. Just over 20 years ago Surrey thrashed Leicestershire by 483 runs at the Oval. That game was a higher scoring one, with the home county making 494 in the first innings and then declaring on 492/9 in the second after Leicestershire had replied with 361.
Surrey, who had Graham Thorpe in their side and were captained by Adam Hollioake (who made 208 in the second innings) then dismissed their opponents for just 142. Phil DeFreitas and Devon Malcolm were among the Leicestershire side who will be glad to see their record defeat “bettered” by Worcestershire.
Yorkshire Rip Worcester Apart
MATCH REPORT
Record-breaking win over Worcestershire sees Yorkshire return a near-perfect team performance.#YorkshireGrit https://t.co/alehbZoJw8
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) April 13, 2025
In their first game Worcestershire had battled hard to secure an impressive draw, rescuing themselves with a stubborn batting performance in the second innings. It could be a long old season for the Pears if their first two games are anything to go by though. In their opening innings of the 2025 season they collapsed from 70/0 to 154 all out.
They then saw Somerset pile up a massive 670/7 declared. Set a decidedly improbable 517 for victory, they had the time to get there but when they slumped to 116/4 it seemed that defeat was guaranteed. However, a magnificent rearguard action saw them bat out 200 overs for a draw. Skipper Brett D’Oliveira made 121 from 340 balls, with a particularly stubborn 87 not out from Matthew Waite coming from 319 balls. His last-wicket partnership of 19 was a masterclass in resistance, as number 11 Tom Hinley made five not out from 44 balls.
Jordan Thompson’s 58 Balls
However, against Yorkshire, the week-one heroes could find no way to preserve their wickets and slumped to a defeat that gave them an unwanted piece of history on the wrong end of the tournament’s worst ever loss. Worcester won the toss and elected to field which seemed a risky call on a glorious sunny day. Yorkshire didn’t exactly pile on the runs but they scored quickly, making 456 at 4.5 runs an over. Four players passed 60 but none made a century, however, Jordan Thompson’s brisk 70 (58 balls) propelled them to a very decent total.
The Pears then pretty much repeated their poor performance from the first innings against Somerset, this time mustering just 162. Ben Coad took four wickets for Yorkshire, Jack White two and Thompson continued having a good game by taking three for just 27 runs from 14 overs.
What Happened Next
Perhaps surprisingly, though it clearly worked out well in the end, skipper Jonny Bairstow elected not to enforce the follow on. Instead, his side piled up a rapid 315/4, declaring with a mammoth lead after just 56 overs of productive batting. Spinner Dom Bess, batting at three as a nightwatchman, made his first County Championship hundred, hitting 107 from 117 balls. Dawid Malan and Bairstow added a very quick, unbeaten 72 from just 8.3 overs before declaring to set a nominal target of 610.
The away side were never going to reach that but given the determination and grit they showed against Somerset, they might have at least approached the “chase” with some cautious optimism. They reached 28 without loss, batting through most of the first 11 overs, before Yorkshire struck at the end of the 11th.
Worcester then settled themselves, reaching 42/1 and then 72/2, but from that point onwards they collapsed in dramatic fashion. They probably were not aware of the record defeat Surrey had inflicted on Leicestershire but if they were it only seemed to serve as pressure and make things worse, rather than drive any fight.
A Record Breaking Win for Yorkshire!
They went from 90/5 to 91/9, then 105 all out. The wickets were again shared around, with George Hill getting four and White and Thompson getting two apiece. It was a resounding, record-breaking win for Yorkshire, who took 24 points, their opponents earning just three. The match may not have had as many youngsters cheering as games in the Blast or The Hundred at Headingley, but those that were there will remember the time they saw a piece of history and a record that is likely to stand for many years.