Weather sunny : pitch hard

posted by John Winn

The title of this posting is taken directly from the scorers' description of the conditions for the Second Eleven Championship match which began at Clifton Park, York today. What a contrast with the cold of Marske yesterday and the sodden pitches that caused many local league games to be abandoned as recently as Saturday.
Both sides showed changes from yesterday; no Claydon for Durham no Rashid or Ashraf for Yorkshire.
Durham batted first and soon lost Raine but that was the last wicket to fall during a very good morning session for the visitors in which Jennings and Muchall took the score to 161  at close to five an over. Yorkshire gradually regained some measure of control in the afternoon mainly due to an excellent spell by Randhawa who took the next three wickets to fall. They did not include Jennings however who when Durham declared at 424 for 6 had an undefeated 207 to his name. He was assisted in an unbroken seventh wicket partnership by Wood whose 73 not out was scored off 70 balls and included nine fours and one six. In terms of economy Pyrah was the pick of the Yorkshire bowlers, in terms of wickets, Randhawa.
After a day's 'leather hunting', not helped by some poor ground fielding at times, Yorkshire were left  to negotiate a tricky thirteen overs and lost Lees for 0 and Leaning for 7 by the close and are still 385 in deficit.With another good day forecast for tomorrow there is an opportunity for the Yorkshire side to make up for the many days lost to rain and on a good true wicket and with a fast outfield they need not feel too daunted by Durham's total.

This is Durham's first visit to Clifton Park in SEC cricket and on such a lovely day it was not surprising that there was a good crowd , very much in shirt sleeve order. An added attraction for the several pcws present was a match on the adjacent and very attractive Clifton Alliance ground where Northumberland and Durham over 60s were taking on their Yorkshire counterparts. As Brian Sanderson remarked 'not many threes would be run'.