Yorkshire Academy finishing the season in style

Posted by Tony Hutton

Yorkshire Academy v Scarborough (Yorkshire Premier League Cup Final) at Weetwood

A large crowd gathered at Weetwood, including many who had made the journey from the seaside through torrential rain in the York area. The Academy are really finishing the season on a roll, having beaten league champions elect York twice in recent weeks, they won away at Sheffield United on Monday and again at Castleford yesterday.

Not to be forgotten also many of the team were involved in Yorkshire's splendid national Under 17 county championship win at Leicester against Surrey on Friday.
Chasing Surrey's 325 they won in style by six wickets, with George Ross making a century. I only discovered the result on arrival at Weetwood, due to the sad lack of news in the press or any website.

However back to today, Scarborough batted first and Wainman was fit again to open the bowling with skipper John Blain, although Alex Lilley was still unfit. Blain got rid of dangerman Harland early on and the other opener Simpson was caught behind off Ben Coad for 23. Wicket keeper Tennant with 31, Lincolnshire Minor Counties player Bansil also 31 and skipper Rinke 21, all fell when they looked likely to stay longer.

So from 105-3 wickets began to fall with great regularity against some accurate bowling from all the Academy bowlers. Coad had the best figures of 3-17, but five different bowlers all took a wicket each and Scarborough's lack of scoring power is shown by the fact that there were no less than twelve maiden overs when the innings closed at 157-9 after fifty overs.

The weather improved from cloudy to bright sunshine as the Academy, as they have done so often recently, knocked off the runs with great ease. The power of Alex Lees, with over 800 league runs behind him, and the deft touches of James Tattersall, much younger and smaller, put on a match winning partnership of 142.

Scarborough's total was passed in only 28.3 overs with Lees 90 not out after another 90 at Castleford yesterday. Tattersall who starred with his spin bowling with five wickets yesterday, was out for 44 - yet another mature innings from the youngster.
Lees hit nine fours and three sixes into the woods at the far end.

So still in bright sunshine, John Blain was presented with the huge Solly Sports Cup by league secretary Colin Adamson and the large crowd gathered round the presentation area to take pictures of the winning side. As somebody said 'not bad two trophies in three days'. So Yorkshire's excellent batch of young players have brought some silverware to the club in a season which in other respects has been so dissappointing.