Posted by Tony Hutton
Wednesday 24th April - Two games for the price of one today at the Leeds University playing fields, Weetwood. On the main ground Leeds/Bradford UCCE taking on Cambridge UCCE in the last of three days of cricket, made up of a one day game and then a two day game.
Leeds Bradford had the best of both games, winning the one-dayer in the final over thanks chiefly to Irish opening batsman Dougherty with 72. In the two day game two left arm spin bowlers held sway for once with Hawley and Woods giving Leeds Bradford the advantage.
However on the second ground the Leeds University side were playing Manchester University's second XI and unfortunately due to some sort of mix up no umpires had turned up. The Leeds captain walked along the line of ten or so hardened cricket watchers with a plea for at least one of us to umpire the game for the grand sum of £25. Suprisingly none of them grabbed his hand off, although offering to phone a friend, which also proved fruitless.
Eventually former league cricketer Brian Sanderson, and possibly the youngest of the gathered throng, who could not claim medical problems or failing eyesight volunteered to applause all round. Needless to say as the day wore on our attention wandered from the main match to see how Brian was getting on . The players all seemed very gentlemanly, unlike most league cricket these days, and Brian seemed to be having an easy time. He was at least consistent during the first innings, giving no leg before wicket decisions at all.
Things changed however, during the second innings when he gave no less than six Leeds batsman out lbw, including the captain. We feared that his match fee might be withdrawn, but it all ended happily, without acrimony, with a Leeds victory by three wickets and Brian got his well deserved money after doing both ends for almost 100 overs.
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