Wider still and wider

posted by John Winn

The YSCA Under 19 festival has not had the best of weeks but things have improved as the week has gone on and after the full day on Thursday described in Brian's posting another uninterrupted game was possible yesterday.

My arrival at St Peter's, just in time to see the opening batsman taking guard, coincided with a shower which brought umbrellas out but was not enough to halt play. Yorkshire Under 19s were batting against Durham Academy II, Durham Academy I being involved in a match against England Under19s at Loughborough. The opening overs were characterised by some fast scoring and some very wayward bowling to the point that one wondered if there was such a thing as super wides, perhaps counting double.
The openers were Tom Cummins and Cameron Pitt and I felt sorry for the Durham skipper who shuffled his bowlers but was rather slow to spot that Cummins in particular had a penchant for thumping the ball through midwicket. The partnership was ended with an excellent caught and bowled and gradually a measure of control was obtained. After seven overs 63 were on the board which after some deliberation, two Yorkshire players with whom I was sharing a bench, worked out represented exactly nine an over. Given that the school was founded in the seventh century I wonder how many maths' teachers were looking down and thinking Michael Gove might just have a point..

When lunch was taken after 34 overs the score was 183 for 3 with Freddie Pearson and Tom Boorman at the crease. Yorkshire might have felt a little disappointed that in the remaining overs they added only a further 94. Pearson was run out going for a sharp single  that would have given him a well deserved fifty  which brought disappointment to his mum and girlfriend who were watching.
Durham employed deep set fields and stuck to the task which at one point seemed likely to overwhelm them. Still 277 for 8 seemed a good effort from fifty overs. Pitt top scored with 52.

If Durham were daunted by this total then they showed no signs of it and their innings began just as rapidly with one young man who must alas remain anonymous* carving the bowling to all parts to the rising angst of the Yrokshire bowlers.When his partner was out for 7 in the sixth over the score was 47 for 1 and when tea was taken after 16 overs Durham had reached 105 for 2 with their run machine still at the crease. I left at this point and regret I am unable to bring you the result.

A week's holiday in Northumberland but very close to the Scottish border starts today and I have noted that the Border Sunday League has four matches scheduled for tomorrow. Kelso II v Peniculk II has a ring to it that will be hard to resist. I regret that our readers in Ukraine and Russia will have to wait at least a week to read about it. I'm sure if the weather permits Brian will have something interesting to report in the meantime.

* No names were available for the Durham side.