Yorkshire Academy do it yet again

Posted by Tony Hutton

Torkshire Premier League - Yorkshire Academy v York at Weetwood, Leeds.

After their eventful win over York last Sunday at the same venue in the cup semi-final, the Academy entered this league game full of optimism that they could once again beat the top side in the league for the third time this season.

York could have used the excuse last weekend that they were not at full strength, but not today with the return of the league's leading bowler, left arm spinner Dan Woods, who was away playing for Cheshire last week.

York batted first and found themselves facing up to Ajmal Shahzad, who played for England not long ago. He was having a try out after injury and soon proved his fitness by clean bowling opener Simpson for nought. Ben Coad the left arm seamer soon got rid of the dangerous Duncan Snell, who was out lbw for only 5.

So with the score only 7-2 York really were in trouble but an excellent partnership between Liam McKendry and skipper Wood took the score to 77 before McKendry was well caught on the boundary off a dreadfully short ball from Ross. How often does the bad ball get a wicket ?

At this stage I left proceedings in order to watch the Rugby League Challenge cup final on TV. It proved to be a much closer game than expected with two bad refereeing errors robbing Leeds of possible victory. No doubt we will hear more from Brian Sanderson who went to Wembley to watch the game.

With help of the admirable Total Cricket Scorer website I was able to keep up to date with events at Weetwood and to my great surprise found that Coad had taken 6-31 and reduced York to 138-9 when rain stopped play.

It rained for quite a long time and as a result many league games throughout Yorkshire were abandoned. I had switched my attention to the T20 finals on TV by this time but shortly before six o'clock realised the rain had stopped so checked on Total Cricket Scorer and sure enough, after a gap of almost three hours, play had re-started at Weetwood. York had been bowled out and the Academy had just started their reply.

Back I went, and after some confusion the electronic scoreboard got the overs remaining right and revealed that only 26 overs remained - so roughly half the overs York had taken to make 143. Shahzad opened the batting presumably in a pinch hitter role but was soon bowled by Kay for only 9.

The dangerous Woods, who played his university cricket on this ground, opened from the other end with his left arm spin. With his track record in this league you would have put money on him bowling the young Academy side out or at least in containing their victory charge.

He did in fact get the next wicket getting the prolific Academy captain Alex Leeds lbw for 26. Jack Leaning, in excellent form recently, carried on the attack and kept the rate around the required six an over. However when given out lbw to Kay for 44 he showed his displeasure in no uncertain manner. According to one York supporter he hit the ball harder than some of his fours.

Lilley had already gone cheaply, also to Kay, so 115-4 with only four overs remaining and thirty more runs required looked a difficult target for youngsters Ross and Tattersall. Leaning had already hit Woods for one huge six and Ross proceeded to hit two equally long hits to turn the game and the match was won with a four off the first ball of the last over.

Ross finished on 40 not out, a real match winning innings and Tattersall kept his head at the other end with ten runs off only nine balls. Alas poor Woods, taken off with two overs remaining with figures of 11-0-51-1. So another excellent victory for this very young side. As last week when Lilley bowled them out, Coad this time was the match winner with the ball.

They can look forward to the Yorkshire League cup final against Scarborough with some confidence. It seems likely that this will be played at Weetwood on Sunday 4th September.