▁Hay wood ▁were ▁the ▁county ' s ▁best ▁b ats men . ▁ ▁Thompson ▁and ▁Smith ▁finished ▁playing ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and , ▁during ▁the ▁inter - war ▁period , ▁North am pt ons hire ▁were ▁regularly ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁we aker ▁championship ▁sides . ▁This ▁was ▁ex ac erb ated ▁when ▁Vall ance ▁Ju pp ▁decl ined ▁due ▁to ▁age ▁and , ▁despite ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Nob by ▁Clark , ▁a ▁young ▁left ▁arm ▁fast ▁bow ler ▁from ▁Hun ting d ons hire ▁ ▁who ▁burst ▁onto ▁the ▁scene ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁with ▁ 2 0 ▁w ick ets ▁at ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁ 1 7 . 1 0 ▁and ▁Fred ▁B ake well , ▁an ▁exc iting ▁b ats man ▁who ▁regularly ▁exceed ed ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁runs ▁a ▁season , ▁ ▁North am pt ons hire ▁could ▁only ▁finish ▁above ▁second ▁from ▁last ▁four ▁times ▁between ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁finishing ▁last ▁every ▁year ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁and ▁end uring ▁a ▁run ▁of ▁ 9 9 ▁matches ▁from ▁ 1 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁to ▁ 2 9 ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁without ▁a ▁single ▁championship ▁victory , ▁a ▁record ▁that ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁be aten ▁and ▁doesn ’ t ▁look ▁like ▁being ▁be aten ▁in ▁the ▁future . ▁Things ▁got ▁worse ▁for ▁North am