First-class
45-795: Old Speckled Hen is a bitter beer originally made by the Morland Brewery , but now brewed by Greene King Brewery . Old Speckled Hen was first brewed in 1979 in Abingdon-on-Thames , Oxfordshire in England, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory there on 30 November 1979. Since 2000, when Greene King bought Morland and closed down the Abingdon brewery, it has been made in Greene King's Bury St Edmunds brewery. It
90-486: A 60% increase in availability. Upon acquiring Morland, Greene King almost immediately decided to place emphasis on multi packs, rather than the sale of individual bottles and cans. In 2023, due to the increased production costs, the ABV content in both the bottled and canned versions of Old Speckled Hen was reduced from 5% to 4.8% ABV. According to the website, this was an attempt by Greene King to maintain customer affordability on
135-552: A Monde Selection Quality Award . Old Hoppy Hen was launched in April 2014 and is a hoppy pale ale, inspired by the US craft beer scene. It is made with pale and crystal malts, as well as rye malt, and Chinook hops. Brewed with Pale and Crystal malts alongside Challenger, First Gold and Goldings hops, Old Speckled Hen Low Alcohol attempts to evoke the tastes and aromas of the original Old Speckled Hen but with low ABV. The gluten free beer
180-689: A broken arm in a car crash that also resulted in the fatality of teammate, Reginald Northway . After the Second World War, things could only get better for Northamptonshire and they started by recruiting widely from other counties and countries, bringing in Freddie Brown from Surrey ; the Australians Jock Livingston , George Tribe and Jack Manning; the New Zealander Peter Arnold ; and
225-599: A day are sold in a single pub. In the US, it is available in 32 of the 50 states and reportedly popular in New York City. Old Speckled Hen is also available in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, India, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and Russia. Old Crafty Hen is a 6.5% ABV 'super premium' version of Old Speckled Hen. Released in September 2008, it
270-403: A different direction being taken by the brewery , which believed its future lay in the production of lager . Within a few years, Morland began to re-explore ale production, reviving Old Speckled Hen and launching the draught version in 1990 with considerable success, with Old Speckled Hen proving to be a beer that Morland could market outside their own estate. In January 1993, Old Speckled Hen
315-427: A season, Northamptonshire could only finish above second from last four times between 1923 and 1948, finishing last every year from 1934 to 1938 and enduring a run of 99 matches from 14 May 1935 to 29 May 1939 without a single championship victory, a record that has never been beaten and doesn't look like being beaten in the future. Things got worse for Northamptonshire during this time when Bakewell's career ended due to
360-470: A view to have a 'mini Lord's ' style media centre. This following table gives details of every venue at which Northamptonshire have hosted a first-class , List A or Twenty20 cricket match: The Northamptonshire squad for the 2023 season consists of (this section could change as players are released or signed): This list is compiled of international cricketers who have played Test and/or ODI cricket. It also includes players who have been mentioned in
405-493: A weak batting line-up meant that the team remained close to the bottom of the championship table until Sydney Smith arrived in 1909. After three years in the middle of the table, Northants surprisingly improved to finish second in 1912 and fourth in 1913. Thompson, Smith and William "Bumper" Wells formed one of the strongest attacks in county cricket at the time, whilst Smith and Haywood were the county's best batsmen. Thompson and Smith finished playing after World War I and, during
450-542: A wooden frame covered with gold-speckled black cellulosed fabric. It was used as a runaround for workers in the MG factory in Abingdon and was nicknamed the "owd speck'ld un". In 1979, the MG Factory celebrated the 50th anniversary of the MG Car Company's move from Oxford to Abingdon. They asked Abingdon brewers Morland & Co to create a special commemorative beer for the occasion, for which they would suggest
495-481: Is available in more than twenty different countries in bottles, cans and on tap from cask and keg. The brand has been expanded to include Old Crafty Hen, a 6.5% ABV ale, Hens Tooth, a 6.5% ABV ale, Old Golden Hen, a golden coloured 4.1% beer, and Old Hoppy Hen, a 4.2% ABV pale ale . Old Speckled Hen took its name from an experimental car called the MG Featherlight Saloon . The car's body was made of
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#1732783225176540-473: Is brewed with its usual quality ingredients and to its normal recipe, with the reduction in gluten content achieved through an innovation in the brewing process. A bespoke product stream ensures the beers remain segregated and guarantees that they can be designated as gluten free. The latest addition to Greene King's range of Hen beers, this limited edition ale is bottle conditioned and brewed with malt, hops, pure water and yeast. The tastes and aromas of this beer
585-486: Is full-bodied and warming, with masses of characteristic toffee and fruit, notes of citrus and orange, and a traditional English hop bitterness. The ABV content in this beer is 7%, the highest in Greene King's range of Hen beers. Bitter (beer) Bitter is an English style of pale ale that varies in colour from gold to dark amber, and in strength typically from 3% to 5.5% alcohol by volume . The term "bitter" has been used in England to describe pale ale since
630-473: Is known as either "light" or "heavy" depending on the strength, colour and body. Bitter is traditionally cask conditioned and either dispensed by gravity through a tap in the cask or by a beer engine at "cellar temperature" of 11 to 14 °C (52 to 57 °F). The popularity of craft brewing in North America has led to British-style bitter being brewed there since the 1980s. Bitter belongs to
675-521: Is marketed as combining the tastes of Speckled Hen and a former Greene King brand, 'Old 5X'. Neil Jardine, of Greene King claims that Crafty Hen is "a genuinely exceptional beer". Crafty Hen is significantly stronger than Speckled Hen, having been matured for several years, giving it a less pronounced flavour that varies from one batch to the next. Old Crafty was listed as number three in The Independent 's Top Ten Best Winter Ales . Old Golden Hen
720-535: Is the earliest known instance of cricket being played in Northamptonshire county. On 31 July 1878, the official formation of Northants CCC took place at a meeting in the George Hotel, Kettering based on an existing organisation that dated back to 1820. The 1820 date, if it could be verified, would make Northants the oldest club in the present-day County Championship . The club came to prominence in
765-579: The Cambridge University opening bat and leg-spinner Raman Subba Row . Brown joined as captain in 1949, and led the team to six place in his first season after previous years of disappointment. Under the new leadership of Dennis Brookes (a stalwart batsman for over 20 years), finished second in 1957, their best finish for 45 years. This was mainly due to the bowling attack of Frank Tyson , Vincent Broderick , Michael Allen , George Tribe and Manning. Northamptonshire were widely considered
810-529: The Central London area. Old Speckled Hen's advertising was originated by (now defunct) Saatchi Group agency, RPG in 1987. Terry Symonds, head of RPG Design, designed the new label which was based on the MG Octagon to show the link between MG and Morland. After having researched the brand, he discovered that landlords were often asked about the name, so he suggested carrying a label on the reverse of
855-693: The Minor Counties Championship during the 1890s as, between 1900 and 1904, the bowling of George Thompson and William East was much too good for almost all batsmen at that level. The county applied for first-class status in 1904 and was promoted the following year when it joined the County Championship. They played its inaugural first-class match versus Hampshire CCC at Southampton on 18, 19 & 20 May 1905 when making its County Championship debut. Although Thompson and East proved themselves to be bowlers of high class,
900-548: The Northamptonshire Regiment which was formed in 1881. The name was supposedly a tribute to the soldiers' apparent indifference to the harsh discipline imposed by their officers. Founded in 1878, Northamptonshire (Northants) held minor status at first but was a prominent member of the early Minor Counties Championship during the 1890s. In 1905, the club joined the County Championship and
945-506: The digital television channel Dave . The ten-second adverts, which portray a "crafty fox" seeking out an "elusive hen" and feature the catchphrase "It's different, But it's not a hen", are shown eight times per hour after 9PM on weekdays. Greene King's marketing director said of the deal, "The fit between Dave and Old Speckled Hen is absolutely spot on. Both offer something a little different, witty, and quintessentially British". The Old Speckled Hen livery also appears on fifteen black cabs in
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#1732783225176990-638: The '100 Greats: Northamptonshire County Cricket Club' book. Therefore, making them notable to the county and international cricket scene. England Australia South Africa India Pakistan West Indies New Zealand Zimbabwe Ireland Sri Lanka Scotland A complete list of officially appointed Northamptonshire captains can be found here: List of Northamptonshire cricket captains . Notable captains : Northamptonshire do not automatically award caps to players on their first appearance; instead, they have to be 'earned' through good performances. In recent times, cricketers who are awarded
1035-461: The 2015 edition, the Steelbacks once again won the competition in 2016, defeating Durham by 4 wickets. Most first-class runs for Northamptonshire Qualification – 20,000 runs Most first-class wickets for Northamptonshire Qualification – 800 wickets Team totals Record partnership for each wicket As with all county cricket clubs, Northamptonshire CCC represents
1080-468: The Abingdon area. What had been produced as a one-off celebration brew, proved so popular that a second batch had to be brewed in time for the main celebrations which were to be held in Abingdon over the weekend of the actual anniversary. After the MG factory closed in 1980, production declined and Old Speckled Hen was almost exclusively available only in pubs operated by Morland due to financial constraints and
1125-679: The South African-born batsman Allan Lamb ; fast bowler David Larter ; the hard hitting opener Colin Milburn , whose career was cut tragically short by an eye injury sustained in a car crash; the reliable batsmen David Steele and Rob Bailey ; opening batsman Wayne Larkins ; and all-rounders Peter Willey and David Capel . Several notable overseas players such as Matthew Hayden , Curtly Ambrose , André Nel , Kapil Dev , Mike Hussey , Sarfraz Nawaz , Mushtaq Mohammad , Anil Kumble , Dennis Lillee and Bishen Bedi have starred for
1170-532: The average bitter beer strength in the UK was 4.2%. Northamptonshire County Cricket Club One-day T20 Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales . It represents the historic county of Northamptonshire . Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks – a reference to
1215-549: The beer by paying less on the excise duty to accommodate the increased production costs, whilst still offering the same great taste. Old Speckled Hen was, in 2008 and 2009, rebranded to appeal to a younger audience. As part of this, Greene King, through the Speckled Hen brand, has embarked on a marketing campaign involving sponsorship by the Northamptonshire and Derbyshire County Cricket Clubs and, most notably,
1260-508: The best team in England in the late 1950s and early 1960s, during this time Keith Andrew , Northants best ever Wicket-keeper broke the records of most victims in an innings and a season. Subsequently, the club has seen mixed fortunes. The club has had intermittent success in one-day competitions, but it has still not won the County Championship, although second place was achieved in each of 1957, 1965 and 1976. Nonetheless, it has included several famous players qualified for England, including
1305-429: The bottle, that would tell the story. Terry and his team were responsible for rebranding bitter as 1711 (the year of Morland's foundation) and best bitter as 'Old Masters' (a nod to George Morland, a renowned artist and painter). RPG Design also created a new identity to be carried through pub fascias, vehicle livery etc. Another advertising campaign was part of a drive to appeal to younger drinkers which has also included
1350-552: The club, which was particularly formidable as a one-day batting outfit in the late 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, Lance Klusener and Monty Panesar have been notable players. Northants have recently been criticised for the number of Kolpak players in the team, but for the 2009 season there were only three in Andrew Hall , Johan van der Wath and Nicky Boje , and only one in 2013 in Hall. Northamptonshire have played in
1395-556: The county are within a few days of each other in 1741. On Monday 10 August, there was a match at Woburn Park between a Bedfordshire XI and a combined Northants and Huntingdonshire XI. Woburn Cricket Club under the leadership of the Duke of Bedford was on the point of becoming a well known club. On Tuesday 18 August, a match played on the Cow Meadow near Northampton between two teams of amateurs from Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire
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1440-674: The county for one-day games: for example, at Luton , Tring and Milton Keynes . During the 2022 season, Northamptonshire played in Division One of the County Championship . They also played in the North Division of the Royal London One-Day Cup and the North Division of the T20 Blast . Cricket had probably reached Northamptonshire by the end of the 17th century and the first two references to cricket in
1485-473: The domestic T20 Blast competition since its inaugural season in 2003. They play as the Northants Steeelbacks, taking their nickname from the Northamptonshire Regiment . Under the captaincy of Alex Wakely they first won the competition in 2013, defeating Surrey by 102 runs (D/L). This was the first white ball trophy won by the county since 1992. After finishing runners up to Lancashire in
1530-499: The early 19th century. Although brewers used the term "pale ale", before the introduction of pump clips , customers in pubs would ask for "bitter" to differentiate it from mild ale ; by the end of the 19th century, brewers had begun to use the term as well. During the 20th century, bitter became the most popular type of draught beer sold in British pubs and has been described as "the national drink of England". In Scotland, bitter
1575-543: The ground up until 1994 when the Cobblers moved to Sixfields Stadium . After the football club moved, the ground at the Abington Avenue was demolished and replaced by a new indoor school which includes seating looking on to the ground. In 2009, Northants cricket announced plans to improve the ground by building two new stands on the scoreboard side of the ground, there will also be a permanent commentary box with
1620-625: The historic county and not any modern or current administrative unit. In Northamptonshire's case, this means the county of Northamptonshire and the Town of Northampton , although the club have in the past played some home matches outside the historic borders such as in Luton and Milton Keynes . Northamptonshire first played at the county ground in Northampton in 1905 , and continue to do so till this day even though Northampton Town F.C. shared
1665-412: The inter-war period, Northamptonshire were regularly one of the weaker championship sides. This was exacerbated when Vallance Jupp declined due to age and, despite the arrival of Nobby Clark , a young left arm fast bowler from Huntingdonshire who burst onto the scene at the age of 20 in 1922 with 20 wickets at an average of 17.10 and Fred Bakewell , an exciting batsman who regularly exceeded 1000 runs
1710-450: The name and would also design the octagonal label. Head Brewer Jim Dymore-Brown used a recipe that had been developed by Daniel O'Leary ( brewer and former cooper ) for this. The beer, an amber coloured Pale Ale, was brewed at a gravity of 1050 to denote the 50th anniversary. Twenty-five barrels, 1200 dozen half-pints bottles, were produced, mostly for the promotional activities at MG, but also for limited distribution to Morland houses in
1755-454: The pale ale beer style and can have a great variety of strength, flavour and appearance, from dark amber to a golden summer ale. It can be under 3% abv and as high as 7% with premium or strong bitters. The colour may be controlled by the addition of caramel colouring . It is similar to the India pale ale style of beer, though bitters are less hoppy. A 2020 survey by SIBA found that in 2020
1800-429: The so-called "dual pour font" whereby the tap version is available in two different styles, though this was unconfirmed. Old Speckled Hen is available in bottles, cans, casks, and kegs. The alcohol by volume of both the canned and bottled versions is 4.8%, making it a relatively strong, premium ale, however, the cask version was reduced from 5.2% to 4.5% ABV in 2006 to make it more of a "sessionable beer ", resulting in
1845-399: The weakening of the draught version and the introduction of the advertising slogan "a not so traditional English ale" which featured on an oil painting reproduced in broadsheet newspapers and at 250 London Underground stations. Additionally, the campaign revamped the brand's website, again aimed at a younger audience. The campaign was masterminded by Fallon Worldwide , although the contract
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1890-513: Was elevated to first-class status, since when the team have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club plays the majority of its games at the County Cricket Ground, Northampton , but has used outlier grounds at Kettering , Wellingborough , Rushden and Peterborough (historically part of Northamptonshire, but currently governed with Cambridgeshire ) in the past. It has also used grounds outside
1935-735: Was featured as beer reviewer Michael Jackson's "Beer of the Month" in his regular column for The Independent . The relaunch was thought to be behind an 8.9% interim rise in profits for Morland in June 1997. Greene King announced in December 2003 that, in the light of what it called "foaming" sales of Old Speckled Hen in particular, it was expanding its brewing capacity, having previously been operating at 96% capacity. Fiona Hope, Greene King 's marketing director, speculated in April 2009 that Old Speckled Hen could follow GK's IPA and be made available in
1980-604: Was later taken up by the Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy agency, who devised the television campaign, which cost £ 3.5 million. According to Rob Flanagan, brand controller for Old Speckled Hen, the aim of the campaign was to attract up to 3 million new drinkers to the brand, while appearing to retain its "niche" status amongst established customers. The relaunch was successful, with Greene King reporting "major success". The Hen has been exported to over 40 countries, including Singapore, where 200 pints
2025-543: Was launched in August 2011, it is a light golden ale. Crafted by the master brewer of "Old Speckled Hen", this light golden beer is brewed using pale malts and Tasmanian Galaxy hops giving a light golden colour. A year after being launched in 2011, Old Golden Hen won a Gold Quality Award at the 2012 Monde Selection ’s World Quality Selections The brand became the third member of the Old Speckled Hen family to win
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