Greatest Cricket Moments

Schofield Haigh — Yorkshire's Third Bowler in the Hirst-Rhodes Era

1908-08-31Yorkshire, EnglandSchofield Haigh's Yorkshire bowling career, 1900s3 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

Schofield Haigh, the Yorkshire medium-pacer with a sharp off-break, took 158 wickets at 12.51 in the 1902 county season — a strike rate matched in modern English cricket only by Colin Blythe (1912) and Harold Larwood (1931). Often the third bowler behind Hirst and Rhodes in published accounts, Haigh played 11 Tests for England and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1901.

Background

Haigh came from a coal-mining background in the Yorkshire dales. He worked as a teenager in the local pit before being signed by Yorkshire in 1895. By 1898 he was a county regular; by 1900 he was an England Test cricketer.

His bowling action was unusual — he had a sharp 'plunge' at the moment of release that was sometimes thought legal-marginal, but he modified it after the 1898 season and was never called.

Build-Up

Haigh was a senior Yorkshire pro by 1902, the year of his finest season.

What Happened

Schofield Haigh, born in Berry Brow near Huddersfield in 1871, made his Yorkshire debut in 1895 and was a fixture in Lord Hawke's championship-winning sides through the 1900s. A right-arm medium-pacer with a sharp off-break that on damp wickets was almost unplayable, he was the third member of the great Yorkshire bowling trio with Hirst and Rhodes.

Haigh's 1902 season was his finest. He took 158 first-class wickets at 12.51 in just 799 overs — a strike rate of one wicket every 5.05 overs that has been matched in modern English cricket only twice. In 1900 he had taken 163 wickets and helped Yorkshire to their first unbeaten championship season; the May 1908 v Northamptonshire match (Northants 27 and 15) saw him take 6 for 22 alongside Hirst's 12 for 19.

His Test career was less spectacular: 11 matches, 24 wickets at 25.91. He made his Test debut on Lord Hawke's 1898-99 South Africa tour, taking 6 for 11 (bowling unchanged) at Cape Town as South Africa were dismissed for 35. The English selectors, however, generally preferred Hirst, Rhodes and Lockwood to Haigh, and he played his last Test in 1912. He coached at Winchester College after retiring, and died of pneumonia in 1921 aged 49.

Key Moments

1

1898-99: Test debut in South Africa; 6/11 at Cape Town.

2

1900: 163 first-class wickets; Yorkshire unbeaten champions.

3

1901: Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

4

1902: 158 wickets in 799 overs — strike rate of 5.05.

5

1908: 6/22 v Northants in the famous 27-and-15 match.

6

1908: Yorkshire unbeaten champions for the second time.

7

1912: Last Test for England.

8

1913: Retires from Yorkshire.

Timeline

19 March 1871

Haigh born in Berry Brow, Yorkshire.

1895

First-class debut for Yorkshire.

1898-99

Test debut in South Africa; 6/11 at Cape Town.

1900

163 wickets; Yorkshire's first unbeaten season.

1901

Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

1902

158 wickets at 12.51 in 799 overs.

May 1908

6/22 v Northamptonshire in 27-and-15 match.

27 Feb 1921

Dies of pneumonia, aged 49.

Notable Quotes

“On sticky wickets he was practically unplayable.”

— Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1901 (paraphrased)

Aftermath

Haigh continued to play for Yorkshire until 1913. After retirement he became cricket coach at Winchester College, a position he held for several seasons.

He died of pneumonia in February 1921 aged 49 — a relatively early death attributed in some accounts to the after-effects of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic.

⚖️ The Verdict

A bowler whose strike rate was the best in his county for several seasons but whose Test career was limited by the strength of his Yorkshire team-mates. The 1900-1908 Yorkshire dominance was as much Haigh's work as Hirst's or Rhodes's; the published accounts have not always given him equal credit.

Legacy & Impact

Haigh's career first-class wicket total of 2,012 places him among the most prolific English bowlers of the era. His strike rate in 1902 has been bettered in English cricket only twice in over 120 years.

The Yorkshire CCC commemorates Haigh as one of the 'Big Three' bowlers of the Lord Hawke era; the Schofield Haigh Memorial at his birthplace Berry Brow records the local pride in his career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Schofield Haigh?▾
Yorkshire and England right-arm medium-pacer who played 11 Tests between 1898-99 and 1912 and took over 2,000 first-class wickets.
What was Haigh's best season?▾
1902, when he took 158 first-class wickets at 12.51 in 799 overs — a strike rate of 5.05 overs per wicket.
How did Haigh fit into the Yorkshire team?▾
He was the third member of the bowling trio with George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes, contributing crucial wickets through eight championship-winning seasons.
How many Test wickets did Haigh take?▾
24 in 11 Tests at 25.91, including a 6/11 at Cape Town on debut.
Why was Haigh's Test career limited?▾
England's selectors generally preferred Hirst, Rhodes and Lockwood; Haigh was effectively crowded out of the international side by his own Yorkshire team-mates.

Tags

#schofield-haigh#yorkshire#england#1900s#iconic-moment#lord-hawke#hirst#rhodes#off-spin

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