Back in action

Posted by Tony Hutton

As Brian has reported, a slight improvement in my health problems has meant that I can now return to my more normal way of life at least for the odd hour or so at grounds near to home.

Unfortunately travelling any distance is still out of the question, so what should have been one of the highlight weeks of my season, taking in visits to Colwyn Bay, Blackpool, Chesterfield and Scarborough just has not happened.

However, the last two days have seen an interesting game at Weetwood where Yorkshire Under 17s were taking on Warwickshire in the semi-final of their national two day competition. I have greatly enjoyed meeting up with so many of my cricket watching friends, who I had not seen for about eight weeks, after the longest mid-season break ever known.

Warwickshire batted on Tuesday and after a solid start, when they put on 79 for the first wicket and progressed to 127-2, suffered from a mid innings collapse which saw them reduced to 163-8. However a ninth wicket partnership of 46 took them to respectability and a final total of 214 all out in 95 overs.

Throughout all the clatter of wickets, Warwickshire's number three batsman with the unlikely name of Jamie Klapper remained unperturbed and was 58 not out at the end of the innings having batted for three and a quarter hours - a real marathon.

Yorkshire's best bowler was spinner Johnathan Booth who finished with excellent figures of 19.4 - 10 - 24 - 5. It has certainly been a spinners wicket here at Weetwood throughout the season, yet it is often late in the proceedings when they
appear.

When Yorkshire batted on Wednesday the opening pair of Henry Chadwick and Johnathan Tattersall were content to take things very quietly against the duo of left arm
pacemen who had bowled out Northants for only 50 last week. The tactic seemed to be to see off danger man Jack Grundy in his opening spell and similar tactics were employed later in the innings when he re-appeared to finish with figures of 14 - 7 - 12 - 1.

With 100 overs in which to reach their target Yorkshire's tactics worked perfectly despite the loss of two wickets, including skipper Jack Leaning, just before lunch.
Again it was the spinners who took the wickets and George Ross followed soon after so that from 80-0 Yorkshire suddenly found themselves 108-3.

Throughout all this Tattersall remained immovable and played the perfect sheet anchor role, a real lesson in concentration which reminded some of the watchers of the young Joe Root, who was to distinguish himself at Scarbrough the following day.
Joined by wicketkeeper Wilson, they put on a valuable fifty partnership.

When Wilson was out Tattersall was on 70 not out and when joined by Rhodes suddenly started to go for the runs, including four fours in an over. Suddenly Yorkshire were in sight of victory before tea and with ten required Tattersall was on 99 not out.
We were not sure whether he knew this or not as the Weetwood scoreboard does not show individual scores. Rhodes hit a four, only six required. The spectators wondered whether Tattersall would not get the strike and be stuck on 99.

However it worked out well with Tattersall going to a highly deserved century and winning the match in the last over before tea, with still 25 overs to spare.
At last a great victory for a Yorkshire side and they now go forward to play Surrey in the national final on September 1st and 2nd at Grace Road, Leicester.

This is the venue shown on the Yorkshire website, despite many of the parents present thinking it was going to be the Oval or Canterbury.

Good to be back.