Snow and Custard

Posted by Peter Davies

A new blogging year begins at North Leeds CC - the annual, and very bizarre, Boxing Day challenge match. This year the ground is covered in snow, except for a small, thin rectangular area: the wicket. Big hits pitch in the snow and then stop. Hence the low first-innings total of 70-odd. Ironically, the day was actually quite nice: blue sky, sunshine and nice crisp air. The pavilion was doing a good trade in rather delicate hot dogs and some gorgeous piping hot mince pies, plus tea and coffee. In attendance were 50-odd local cricket enthusiasts, many connected with the Northern Cricket Society. I arrived with David Thorpe and Brian Senior, and my 2009 blogging pal, Tony Hutton, was doing fine work publicising and selling Two Men and a Blog. We had a wander round the boundary edge but were disappointed that the Test match from South Africa wasn't on the pavilion TV. The NCS XI were vanquished on the field and David, Brian and myself headed off for lunch - a gargantuan carvery meal at a pub on Wetherby Road. £3.50 for the mammoth meal was amazing value and the £2 apple and blackberry pie (with custard) also hit the spot.