Glorious Twelfth for Blubberhouses

posted by John Winn

After a lot of driving yesterday I opted for a short trip this afternoon up the B6265 which runs within a forward defensive shot of my house to the ground of Studley Royal, hosts of this year's Atkinson Swires Cup final which had been postponed from last week. The ground is just a mile or so west of Ripon on the Pately Bridge Road. Having a raised bank on both sides the ground offers excellent viewing, especially for those who like to watch from or close to their cars. Studley are a very progressive club whose first team operate in the York League but they run four other Saturday sides in the Nidderdale league.

The cup is contested by the top sixteen teams in the previous season's Nidderdale league tables and today's final featured Masham and Blubberhouses. The group of supporters next to me were displaying the Masham flag and it seemed as though they might be in a slight majority of a decent crowd that grew throughout the afternoon. Cup final day brought cup final prices and trade was slow for tea at a pound a cup, twice what I paid at Blackhall yesterday.

Masham spirits were dampened in the first over when one of their openers was bowled before any runs were scored and soon 0 for 1 became 17 for 2. A  good recovery was made to 88 for 3 but Blubberhouses kept a tight grip on the run rate, aided by two good catches in the deep. An  lbw brought some bronze medal bat and glove throwing from the disappointed batsman and the innings subsided to 140 all out. 'Not enough' was the verdict of my neighbours, '150 would have been better'.

When Blubberhouses began their reply Masham set an interesting field with nobody more than twenty yards from the bat. It was rather like one of those pictures of cricket matches painted by people with a rather shaky knowledge of cricket but who are determined to get all eleven fielders in the picture. 5 for 0 off  4 overs suggested it was working and Masham's ace in the pack was 71 year old Derek Chapman whose teasing left arm spin claimed two early wickets and at 23 for 3 and 'the legendary Macca' back in the pavilion the odds were in favour of an upset in Masham's favour. But Blubberhouses are second in Division 1 and despite being 94 for 6 and needing 47 off 8 overs they went on to win with their skipper Bash Khan named man of the match. What a difference those extra ten runs might have made but Masham are set fair to win Division 2 and may well find themselves taking on their Washburn Valley rivals in Division 1 in 2013.