T20 takes over the season

Posted by Tony Hutton

As Brian Sanderson has already described the T20 competition has now started for county second elevens, and what a poor performance it was before a very small crowd with no atmosphere whatsoever at Headingley yesterday.

The county first teams will soon be turning their attention to this form of the game and even league cricket is involved over the coming Bank Holiday weekend. The Yorkshire Premier league have full league programmes of 'proper' cricket on Saturday and Monday, but will be having a series of T20 games on Sunday at four different venues.

For the benefit of devotees of this illegitimate (to put it politely) form of the game, four different teams will be in action at Castleford, Driffield, Sheffield United and Cleethorpes. There will be three games at each venue starting at 10.00, 13.00 and 16.00. The four winners will presumably go forward to a finals day later on.

The Yorkshire Academy will be in action at Castleford at 10.00 on Sunday morning against the home side. If they win they will play the winners of Harrogate and Barnsley at 16.00.

Proper cricket matches are of course also available, such as the Leeds Area Council
knock out game between Wetherby League and Nidderdale League at Walton, nr Wetherby and the National Village Knock Out regional semi finals between Streethouse and Bardsey and Ackworth and Warley. There is also a full programme of Huddersfield League matches on Monday as well as round two of the Priestley Cup.

Another cause for concern in league cricket circles recently has been the number of games called off due to clubs not being able to raise sides for Sunday or evening games in various cup competitions. I have turned up for advertised games in the Addison Cup (Harrogate Evening league), Wetherby Evening cup and even the Fred Fleetwood Cup on Sundays to find that games have been conceded due to lack of players.

With other clubs struggling to field second elevens on Saturdays this is a worrying trend and perhaps illustrates the lack of dedication by today's generation of players as well as the varied other interests and pressures they are open to.

Perhaps a spell of hot weather, much need by everyone involved with cricket, might help to ease this difficult problem.