Within and Without these Walls

For the third time this season my Saturday afternoon was spent visiting clubs in and around the City of York, covering The York Senior League and The York Vale League. First up, a visit to Heworth where a YSL premier division game was in its first over with Stamford Bridge, the visitors, in the field. After some heavy rain in the last few days the wicket looked green and the outfield slower than we have been used to. I spent an interesting half hour in the company of a Stamford Bridge supporter who was not displeased to see Heworth lose early wickets and they were twenty for three when I left.
Heworth is just off the Malton Road in the north west of York and the playing fields provide two cricket pitches, the headquarters of Heworth Amateur Rugby League and also host York Hockey Club. To say I left is misleading, I merely turned round and watched the beginning of Heworth III against Fulfordgate in the York Vale League Div 2 on the immediately adjacent pitch.Close together they may be, but the two grounds are served by dressing rooms of decidedly differing quality and the scorers were housed in a breeze block construction much inferior to that used by the first team.
From Heworth I moved in a clockwise direction from two o'clock to three o'clock and to the YSL ground of Osbaldwick CC who were taking on Ripon at 'The Leyes'.This has a large, well maintained playing area and Ripon were batting. I always feel Ripon are not quite what one might expect. Their natural home would seem to be The Nidderdale League, but founded in 1810 they were members of The York League from 1920 to 1930 and rejoined in 1949.When I left their openers were still together and they had 80 on the board.
Another short journey this time to four on the York clockface and the University of York playing field at Heslington Lane. When Brian, Mick and Tony visited here with Peter Davies in 2006 there were three games in progress, yesterday just one, in the YVL Div 2 between the University Staff and Westow.Westow were batting on what was by now a very warm afternoon. My stay here was very brief mainly because I could not find anywhere to park that did not involve contravening university regulations.
Abandoning my clockwork movements I drove into the centre of York and to Ovington CC whose ground is across the road from The Knavesmire, York's magnificent racecourse. Ovington had a representative at the meeting in 1933 when the decision was taken to form The York Saturday League, which changed its name in 1988 to the present day, York Vale League, a change that reflected its expansion. At that point Ovington opted not to join,'preferring gentlemen's friendly cricket' but after an unsuccessful application to join The YSL they became members of 'The Vale' in 1960.
They have a thriving junior section and yesterday their first team were thriving against Kelfield, having scored over 80 without loss when I called. Last, and probably least I crossed Tadcaster Road to the Holgate area of the city to find the rather hidden away ground of York RI, themselves members of the league but the not very attractive ground is also where York IV play their home matches. The ground is part of a large sports complex and the chief attraction yesterday was a rugby league match watched by a sizeable crowd, betwen York Lokos and Barnsley Broncos. Seeing some of the crunching tackles I was glad I was brought up in Darlington where that code is not played!
York's opponents were Burton Salmon who had journeyed from their home down the A162,twenty miles south of York.At 74 for 4 they were rather struggling.At a rough count York is home to some 18 clubs, many of whom run first, second, third and even in some cases four teams.Vibrant junior sections are also in evidence and if this interest can be maintained, and more significantly if more people can be found who are prepared to do more than just play, then the future is bright.
Finally an apology. In an earlier posting I referred to one Kevin Gillhouley playing for Yorkshire in 1961, this should have been Keith. I did post a correction by way of a comment on the posting but that may be a good way to hide bad news. In following up that story I found some interesting information about Keith which I will save for another time.Suffice to say that it does link nicely into the history of cricket in York.