In the 1903 English cricket season Middlesex won their first County Championship title, winning eight and losing one of their 18 games in the season. Yorkshire, the defending champions and the only team to have won the Championship thus far in the 20th century, finished third after losing five games, including to Middlesex at Lord's and to Somerset for the third season running. They were, however, the only team to beat Middlesex; at Headingley in August, Yorkshire bowled Middlesex out for 79 in the first innings, and recorded a 230-run win.