Posted by Tony Hutton
Sunday 28th June - Yorkshire under 15s play Durham at the New Rover ground in north Leeds.
For years Yorkshire under 15s have carried all before them but today they were well beaten by a very useful Durham side who inflicted a very heavy defeat on them
New Rover is known for it's perfect batting wickets and fast high scoring outfield on the ground created and so carefully maintained by former Headingley groundsman Keith Boyce.
Yorkshire declared on 208 before using up all their possible overs and this proved an expensive mistake as Durham proceeded to compile 212-1, winning by nine wickets.
Thursday 2nd July - again at New Rover and again in perfect weather the Yorkshire under 17s managed a victory, also against Durham, but it was a tight run thing. Durham batted really well to compile 269-9 in 50 overs, but Yorkshire were handicapped by loosing opening bowler Lilley to injury after he had taken 2-11 in his opening spell.
The professional cricket watchers had assembled their chairs in the shade under a hedge near the scoreboard to form a sort of Wimbledon Royal Box, the company and the conversation was again excellent all day as Yorkshire batted their way towards victory. Good innings from Alex Lees from Illingworth, McKendrey from Thirsk and finally Jack Hargreaves who is playing with the Academy saw Yorkshire home with nine balls to spare. Hargreaves hitting a big straight six to win the match.
Much of the conversation centred on why no one has yet written a book on cricket watching eccentrics, complete with cartoon sketches of them all. There is certainly plenty of material to go at.
Saturday 4th July - Yorkshire's Academy side are top of the Yorkshire Premier League and so far unbeaten as they go into today's game against their main challengers York. Unfortunately they are the victims of their own success as Rafiq and Bairstow, their two main men, have progressed to the Yorkshire first team and Joe Root their most consistent batsman is apparently away at an England Under 18 training squad.
The Academy bat first at Weetwood and another England Under 18 candidate, Charlie Roebuck, plays a sparkling innings, dominating the scoring to make 77 out of 114-2, before he was run out.
That was the signal for a dramatic collapse and soon the Academy were 124-7, before captain and coach John Blain came to the rescue with a valuable 37 not out.
The final score of 186 all out did not seem enough against York's powerful batting line up, but the
Academy dismissed prolific scorers Snell and Wilson cheaply before the experienced Simon Mason hit what proved to be a match winning 77. A flurry of wickets near the end gave the Academy a chance with young spinner Randhawa again proving his worth, before the inevitable defeat by three wickets.
However the Academy remain top of the league but with York now pressing strongly. It might have been different if they had been able to field their strongest team. What goes without saying is that Yorkshire still have a huge amount of young cricketing talent at all age levels, but sadly after an amazing victory by Somerset against Yorkshire at Taunton yesterday, scoring 470 to win, the Yorkshire senior side must be at it's lowest point for many years.
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