Jack Birkenshaw - Lean Times at Yorkshire and Leicestershire

Lean Times At Yorkshire and Leicestershire

Birkenshaw attended John Lawrence cricket school at Rothwell from the age of seven, and when aged 14 he appeared for Rothwell Grammar School and Yorkshire Schools. He was also a stand-off in the school rugby team. He played cricket for Lofthouse, Farsley and Leeds.

Birkenshaw played a single County Championship match for Yorkshire at the age of 17 in 1958, taking the wicket of Jim Parks in both innings, but did not make another first-class appearance until 1959. That year he took 40 wickets at an average of 27.39, and also played for Minor Counties against the touring Indians; he made a second and final Minor Counties appearance against the South Africans the following year. In all, he played thirty games for Yorkshire, but failed to win his county cap, and in 1961 he moved on to Leicestershire.

For a long while Birkenshaw's performances for Leicestershire were rather disappointing. In his first six years at the club he never took more than 27 wickets in a season, and he had to rely on some useful lower-order contributions with the bat to keep his place in the side. He earned a place in the history books by playing (exclusively as a batsman) in the pioneering Midlands Knock-Out Cup limited-overs tournament in 1962. However, he was capped by the county in 1965, and greater success was lying ahead.