Students triumph at Weetwood

posted by John Winn

As I drove to Weetwood this morning the skies did not look promising but in the event the threatened rain did not make it so far north and the students of Leeds/Bradford University followed up their good work of yesterday and not long after tea completed a famous victory over a Sussex side containing a number of players with first team experience.
A number of pcws were present when play was called and were rather puzzled by Leeds/Bradford's cautious approach and it was not until the last pair of higginbottom and Thomas came together that progress rose above pedestrian and their unbeaten stand had reached 19 when a declaration was made leaving Sussex 8 overs to get through before lunch which they duly did. Their progress through this period was slow and suggested that they felt the target of 256 was not achievable. Openers Finch and Adkins scored at little more than two an over and it was not until the second wicket fell bringing Matthew Machen to the crease that things livened up and he was joined in a stand of 96 by South African Kirk Werners, scoring at a rate that suggested a possible victory. Machen's 76 was  at more than a run a ball but when he became one of six victims for Ivan Thomas and Gondal was bowled next ball the innings declined rapidly to 176 all out, victory for the students by 79 runs.
Whilst nowhere near as cold as Scarborough had been yesterday umpire Millns was overheard to say he had on nine layers of clothing. The prospects for club cricket in Yorkshire seem a little better for this weekend and for some clubs that means three days cricket with league commitments on Saturday and Monday and cup matches on Sunday, in a number of cases postponed from last Sunday.
I have still not given up hopes of getting to see Northants v Hants and today's rain at Wantage Road increases the likelihood of there being a full day's cricket on Saturday although I may need to scrape ice off my windscreen before setting off. The merry month of May, pah.