Cricket Diary 2009 - A wet bank holiday weekend

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 29th August - Yorkshire Academy v Scarborough at Weetwood, Leeds

The previous week, leading up to the Bank Holiday weekend had been wet and miserable - no cricket at all on Wednesday and Friday. The only bright spot was Thursday at Scarborough for the Yorkshire game.

However things had dried out well for today's important Yorkshire Premier league game involving the second and third sides in the table, both chasing leaders York for the title. The home side batted first and although never being fully in control made a workmanlike total of 196-7 in their 55 overs.

It all started very slowly perhaps in view of some suspicions about the wicket. Even the Scarborough Evening News on Thursday said the wicket at Weetwood was not satisfactory and that this game would be played at Headingley. Indeed some of the Scarborough players were on their way to Headingley when the call came to divert to Weetwood.

In the first 18 overs Ballance and Joe Root put on only 33 runs, but then things improved with Root, as so often this season, providing the backbone of the innings with 89. The former Academy spinners James Finch and Simon Tennant both worked hard and both took three wickets.

In reply Scarborough had current Yorkshire player Adam Lyth to open the batting. He has been in splendid form all season and many people feel he should have had more first team games with Yorkshire. Today, despite loosing partners fairly regularly, he dominated proceedings with a splendid 89 and had a good partnership with Finch who made 30, before Lyth was well stumped by young Chadwick off the bowling of Azeem Rafiq.

At 144-5 Scarborough were still in with a chance but two run outs, one a spectacular direct hit by Rafiq turned the tide and when the last over started in the gathering gloom Scarborough needed just seven runs for victory with two wickets to fall. Skipper John Blain took the responsibility to bowl the last over and two singles followed by another one and a run out going for the second off the third ball, still saw Scarborough heading for victory.

Blain then bowled two vital dot balls, so four to tie or six to win off the last ball of the match.
Simon Tennant swung but did not connect and a perfect yorker from Blain demolished the stumps and the Academy had a full eight point win. So the Academy are now second in the table behind York, where they play next Saturday in the title decider.

Sunday 30th August - Yorkshire over 50s v Cheshire over 50s at Savile Park, Castleford.

This game was the national semi-final for over fifties county cricketers for a place in the final at Derby this year and sadly not at Lord's. However two strong sides fought it out in very competitive style in front of a rather sparse crowd. The weather was fine early on but deteriorated later on.

Cheshire batted and made a useful score of 185-7 in their 45 overs. This was largely due to some late hitting by left hander and wicket keeper John Fennah with a fine 36 not out after Gary Cash had top scored with 40. Veteran Tong Park bowler Mick Scott bowled nine tidy overs for only 35 overs, without taking a wicket to add to his incredible career total. The other big name, Murphy Walwyn, a legend in Bradford League circles, bowled just four overs for only eight runs.

Cheshire had by far the best of the weather and soon after the start of the Yorkshire innings it was not only cold, but started to drizzle. People began to speculate as to how a result would be arrived at in the event of an early finish and it turned out that overall scoring rate applied rather than the dreaded Duckworth Lewis formula which only applies to computerised scoring apparently.

Cheshire's lady scorer had to shout to the umpires that the scorers were moving from outside on the pavilion terracing inside the building as their score sheets were getting wet. The players eventually had to follow when the rain got worse as indeed did the light. So with Yorkshire behind the rate, some of the spectators including myself went home to get warm.

Only the following day did we eventually learn that the players had bravely returned and opening batsman John Flintoff from Sessay in particular made a great effort to get Yorkshire in front with 63 not out when the weather drove the players off again for the last time.

When the scorers finished doing their sums, and probably after a re-count, it was discovered that Cheshire had won by 0.15 of a run. So they go through to play Derbyshire in the final on 20th September.

Monday 31st August - Ian Chappell Cup Final - Follifoot 3rd XI v Harden 3rd XI at Ilkley CC and Olicanian CC Twenty/20 competition.

These two grounds in Ilkley are separated only by the Ilkley outdoor swimming pool and lido.
There would not have been many customers there today as most of the water was lying on the two cricket grounds. Indeed the Olicanian cricket week had already been decimated by the bad weather, but today they were determined to play and got off to a prompt start at 10.30 during the morning with four competing clubs taking part.

The first semi-final was won by the home club against Apex cricket club (formerly Farnells).
Then it was time to walk round the corner for the main event, the Airedale and Wharfedale league's third teams cup final. Third teams they may have been, but the organization and facilities were excellent, stewarded car parking on the adjoining rugby club field, public address, programmes, refreshment marquees all adding to the occasion. The only problem being a large area of outfield having to be cordoned off in front of the scoreboard because of the wet conditions.

Follifoot made 187-6 in their forty overs, a total many of the local sages thought would be a winning one. During the tea interval it was of course back next door to see how the second T/20 semi final was going on. This produced a real cliff hanger with a last ball finish with Ben Rhydding(from just down the road) loosing out to the Jesters, a Sunday wandering side. Jesters in fact included many of the leading players from the Aire Wharfe's two top clubs Beckwithshaw and Rawdon. They won by 5 wickets with four off the last ball.

I was joined in my commuting between both grounds by Ian Cockerill from Lancaster for whom this sort of occasion is meat and drink, whereas Peter Mann from Burley stuck with the traditional cup final game, which by now was beginning to look a bit one sided. Harden were loosing wickets rapidly in their run chase of 188 to win and after being 23-4 then 114-7 looked out of it as the rain threatened yet again.

Back to the T/20 final - Olicanian were chasing Jesters' 138-7 and got to 47-5 in eight overs when the black rain clouds raced in over Ilkley Moor. You could see the heavy rain and Ian and I both raced for our respective cars. It absolutely poured down and to my amazement as I set off for home the Twenty /20 players were still out in the middle carrying on regardless.

Again it was next day before I was able to find out what eventually happened in both games.
The players at Olicanian did leave the field eventually and did not reappear. The result was determined by the tournament organiser thinking on his feet and using the count back method to establish what Jesters' score was in the first eight overs of their innings and they were declared winners by four runs.

The third eleven players were more resilient, waiting around until the rain eventually stopped and returning to play the game out to a conclusion, with Harden putting up a good fight until they were finally all out for 165 thus loosing by only 22 runs.

So a very long day for players and spectators but lots of good entertainment and a glimpse of every variety of British weather. A final word of thanks to the Ilkley Moor Vaults were my wife and I enjoyed an excellent lunch in between all this action.

Tuesday 1st September - Yorkshire 2nd XI v Lancashire 2nd XI at Headingley (day 1 of 3)

An important game as the winners or the side getting most points from a draw would win the northern group of the second eleven county championship and play a three day final against the winners of the southern group.

John Blain, the Academy captain and coach, was brought in to bolster Yorkshire's bowling and he obliged early on with three wickets. Lancashire fought back and Gareth Cross, who always gets runs against Yorkshire, made 77 and with Proctor (65) too Lancashire to 250-6 before rain ended play early.

Lancashire declared overnight, presumably to stop Yorkshire getting more bowling points but when Yorkshire's innings was also terminated by the weather they were 211-5. Their target was 250 to get another batting point to bring their points level with Lancashire. If this had happened they would have been declared divisional winners, having won more games than Lancashire.

When rain prevented any further play at all on day three therefore Yorkshire were just 39 runs short of being champions. It really is becoming a game for mathematicians. So Lancashire go into the three day final with Surrey and Yorkshire will try to beat Hampshire 2nd XI next week to go into the one day final.

Wednesday 2nd September - Nidderdale cricket league v MCC at Bishop Monkton

Another mixed forecast but needing a change from Headingley set off for distant Bishop Monkton a prosperous village, just south of Ripon for the annual match between the Nidderdale League (surely one of the biggest in both number of clubs and geographical area) and MCC.
Last season the league side were invited by MCC to play them on the Nursery ground at Lord's and a great time was had by all.

This year back to normal where the game is taken round different village grounds each season.
Bishop Monkton has a splendid new ground and clubhouse, which is also used by the local footballers, bowlers and croquet players as well as doubling as the village hall for many other community events.

So a very pleasant atmosphere and a strong MCC side greeted us on arrival despite the threat of bad weather later. MCC as usual batted first and the opening batsman turned out to be long serving Northumberland Minor Counties captain and wicketkeeper Phil Nicholson. He lost his opening partner and the number three batsmen early on but led the recovery from 5-2 by making a splendid 95 before being bowled. Some late hitting by Toby Drummond, once of the Bradford league but now playing in the Aire Wharfe league, took him to 51 not out with a total for MCC of 201-6 declared.

As the players and guests were entertained to lunch we made our way to the local village pub, the Lamb and Flag, where we learned from the landlord that his establishment had provided the forty lunches required at the cricket club. Obviously a cricketing flavour about the pub with a large picture of Yorkshire heroes of yesteryear, Trueman, Close, Illingworth and Boycott on the wall.

Back to the action with thick black clouds circling the ground. Who should we find opening the bowling for MCC but another Minor Counties stalwart, Adam Sydall of Cheshire. Only last week he took eight wickets in an innings to take Cheshire to the Western Division title. Today he also started well with two wickets in the first over. Nidderdale league 0-2 and soon 33-4. Then it drizzled for a while before turning heavier and the players went off.

We decided to call it a day and once again set off home early. Again thanks to the splendid league website we obtained the full scorecard of the match on the following day to discover that the rain did clear and they played on. The league's middle order did well and took them to a respectable total of 143. Surely it's time this weather improved.