SUNNY NORTH YORKSHIRE

By Brian Sanderson,

A early start this morning at 8.30 as I was going to another semi-final of the Feversham  Evening League which started at 11.00 O,clock.Also I had to pick up Ron Deaton in Harrogate and travel to Womberton where Slingsby were playing Spout House in a twenty-over match.

The village is 7 miles west of Pickering and is just off  the A170 with the ground behind The Plough Inn.The village team use to play on a Saturday but now only play in the Pickering Evening League as player went to better the  facilities at Duncombe Par and Nawton.The groundsman said that the ground had not been used for four weeks but the grass  had recently been cut.The ground was still soft and the wicket was very green with some weeds on a good length.

Slingsby won the toss and decided to ball which seemed a sensible decision.They started with nine men with the final player arrived in a purple van and parked as a sightscreen whilst changing into his cricket gear.Soon wickets started to fall to good bowling espically a left arm medium bowler at the caravan end.Also there was a classical run out with both batsmen finishing at the same end.While the Spout House innings was proceeding we had a talk to grand-father of one of the Spout team.He used to play for Gillamore in the 1950,s when they use to take three bus full of spectators to away matches on a Saturday afternoon.Now they only play Evening League cricket which just shows how the country small teams are now struggling to have eleven men.Spout House manged to get to 55 in the twenty over.

After the break we had a bacon bab and a cup of tea for £2.00  which would have cost about £5 at Headingley.Slingsby proceed to win the match with a six in the twefth over with only two wickets down.The sun was shining and if only  it had done during the season everybody would have enjoyed a lot better.To-night I am off to the end of season dinner for Yorshire at Headingley even though there are two matches  still to go.Work that one out.