Playing for silver: Yorkshire President Bob Appleyard, left, receives the Duke of Leeds Cup from Major General Andrew Farquhar.

Duke of Leeds Cup for Roses 'wars'

Wars of the Roses! Where would we be without them? Trouble is: with all this chopping and changing between divisions nowadays there are seasons when we MUST do without them.

But without the northern rivals we love to hate the game is not the same...attendance and marketing at both clubs suffer...which is why Yorkshire need to win the Championship or one-day league with Lancashire not too far behind us...but not too close!

These not-too-friendly battles really did take on a military bearing on May 16 when the Deputy Colonel of the new Yorkshire Regiment, Major General Andrew Farquhar, Yorkshire born and bred, loaned the Duke of Leeds Cup - presented to the Green Howards in 1886 - to Yorkshire President Bob Appleyard to be awarded to the winning team whenever a County Championship Roses match is held in Yorkshire.

The 2006 game was drawn - so there was no risk of Lancashire disappearing to the car park with it!

Regimental Secretary Lieutenant Colonel David O'Kelly said: "The Yorkshire Regiment as the county infantry regiment was keen to forge links with Yorkshire County Cricket Club from its launch. There is a strong tradition of playing cricket in the Army as part of its sports and fitness ethos, and the fortunes of the Yorkshire team are followed avidly by the soldiers - even when deployed overseas.

"Over the years officers and soldiers have played cricket nationally: a former officer in the Green Howards, Hedley Verity, is still in the record books as the only man to have taken 10 wickets for 10 runs in First Class cricket.

"During the war he worked first in the former Green Howards Depot in Richmond, where other Yorkshire cricket heroes also spent some time, including Captain Herbert Sutcliffe, Sergeant Leonard Hutton and Lieutenant Norman Yardley."

The Yorkshire Regiment, formed after a review of infantry structures and roles, will consist of four battalions - 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own), 2nd Battalion (Green Howards), 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's Regiment) and 4th Battalion (Territorial Army).

Colonel in Chief will be His Royal Highness The Duke of York.

LET BATTLE COMMENCE: Lancashire chairman Jack Simmons, extreme left, former Yorkshire Chairman and President Robin Smith, Yorkshire President Bob Appleyard, the Yorkshire Regiment's Major General AP (Andrew) Farquhar, and the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun. Bill Hyde.

GREEN HOWARDS: Left-arm spin legend Hedley Verity, left, and all-rounder Norman Yardley in Second World War battledress.
Yardley was to succeed Brian Sellers as captain of Yorkshire and Walter Hammond as captain of England.