Rewind: Yorkshire v Warwickshire, 1962

Most sports lovers of the 21st century understandably regard Bramall Lane as a football venue. The home of Sheffield United, it has hosted the Blades in the Premier League and, currently, their attemp

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2022-05-17T08:22:55.000Z

Most sports lovers of the 21st century understandably regard Bramall Lane as a football venue.

The home of Sheffield United, it has hosted the Blades in the Premier League and, currently, their attempts to get back up to the top flight from the Championship. But Bramall Lane has massive heritage as a cricket venue.

One of the great homes of Yorkshire cricket, from 1890 to 1973 it hosted 244 County Championship games, as well as an Ashes Test (in 1902).

It was also the venue at which a talented teenager called Dennis Amiss scored his maiden first-class half-century.

When the Bears face the White Rose this week, it will be at Yorkshire's Headingley headquarters, but the Bears paid many a championship visit to the Steel City over the years - and their visit in 1962 brought both a notable victory and a glimpse of greatness ahead.

Yorkshire were a real powerhouse in English cricket but one of their former players, Norman Horner, scored 91 to give the Bears a strong foundation to their first innings. A collapse to 200 for five ensued but 19-year-old Amiss made a delightful half-century to lift his side past 300.

Two seasons earlier, Amiss had endured a rather frustrating debut, against Surrey at The Oval, when openers Horner and Billy Ibadulla added an unbroken 377 and nobody else batted! This time, surrounded by stands which had recently witnessed Derek Dougan and Harry Burrows score in Aston Villa's 2-0 win over the Blades, he unveiled his full promise with a skilful 62 on the uncovered wicket.

Amiss lifted Warwickshire to 301 for seven, to which Yorkshire replied with 302 for six (Brian Close 140, Ray Illingworth 107). After the Bears then made just 198 second time round (Amiss 32, Illingworth five for 64), the Bramall Lane faithful, renowned as Yorkshire's most waspish home crowd, were confident of victory.

That confidence grew as, chasing 198, the White Rose reached 65 without loss, but Durham-born slow left armer Ronnie Miller broke the opening stand when Ken Taylor was stumped by Alan Smith. Miller added four more wickets to finish with five for 31 as Yorkshire collapsed from 100 for two to 148 all out.

The Bears won by 49 runs and the knowledgeable cricket-lovers of Sheffield, nursing their post-match pints in the Bramall Lane bar, reflected that young Amiss could play. He was to pass 50 in first class cricket another 313 times.