What happened to autumn?

posted by John Winn

It might seem strange to say that September is  one of my favourite months for after all for most cricket watchers it marks the end of the season and the beginning of six months when ones interest in the game has to be sustained at second hand through the television, through reading and through conversation with fellow lovers of the game but I always feel the ninth month has a special feel to it, especially when the sun shines,as it did for much of last week when I spent a few days in Cornwall.

Having made the four hundred mile journey from Penzance to York on Friday I decided to resist the opportunity to take in some new grounds in the Central Yorkshire League yesterday and instead  drove the eighteen or so miles to  to Arhington to take in the second game in their annual festival of matches which will stretch into mid October. On arrival I was surprised how soft the outfield was but the game was five overs old, Dennis Nash was bowling and The Mutineers, one of several wandering clubs who comprise the majority of the home club's opposition for these games, were batting and above all the sun was shining. In other words things were just as they should be at Arthington in September and I took my seat in the sunniest corner of the ground where I was joined by nobody. Indeed throughout the three hours I stayed there were no more than two other spectators, both of whom at different times found a perch at the opposite side. My nearest neighbours were some grazing cows and a few sheep but they showed little interest as The Mutineers, aided by some lapses in the field,  clocked up 193 in their forty overs.

I took tea and watched the opening overs of Arthington's reply led calmly by that most immaculate of cricketers, Geoff Barker who as usual set out his stall to anchor the innings and at the same time assist the groundsman by regular patting down of the wicket and a little hand weeding. The first eight overs having yielded nine runs it was looking as though the home team did not relish a run chase and so I made my way home. On returning to Arthington today I learned that they had got within seventeen of the target, thanks to some good hitting by the middle order. Today's opponents were another travelling eleven, Romany, and there was Geoff, padded up and ready to do battle again. The one thing that had changed was the weather and while days like Saturday may not be the exception they are certainly not the rule and although the afternoon was dry there was a freshening wind and the prospect of rain by tea time.

Having caught up with Tony Hutton about the various games scheduled in the county over 60 competition* we sought shelter in the lee of the groundsman's garage where we soon joined by a number of other Arthington regulars. Brian has given you some details of the first innings and as we left at the same time I can add no more. Even the prospect of Liz's tea could not persuade me to sit it out any longer as the rain, which had arrived a little after three, became heavier and the wind colder. If yesterday was the last rose of summer, today felt like the first taste of winter with autumn having been passed by.

On my way home by the time I reached the sign welcoming me to the jurisdiction of Harrogate Council I had left the rain behind and as I type (6:30) it has not yet reached the Lower Ure Valley. Let's hope it abated at Arthington and play could resume after tea. A family occasion takes me to The Lake District next weekend and so will not be at Arthington where the fixtures are:

Saturday v Jesters and Sunday v King James 1, both 1:30 starts. The long range forecast certainly suggests more sunshine than today so perhaps autumn's time is still to come.

* Full details at www.60cc.co.uk or put Spitfire National 060 Championship in a search engine. you may be surprised how much cricket is still being played.