A Teesside Trio

posted by John Winn

The North Yorkshire and South Durham League had a full programme of matches yesterday and I took the opportunity to visit three grounds, all fairly close together, where I had not seen cricket before.

First stop was amongst the industrial landscape of Billingham where Billingham Synthonia were hosting Seaton Carew in a Division One match. Billingham were relegated from the Premier Division in 2011, heights their opponents have not seen since for nearly ten years. The ground has a fine function room and among the list of captains displayed on the wall of the bar is that of the long serving Somerset wicketkeeper, Harold Stephenson.

The playing area at Chiltons Avenue is a large one and with the wicket pitched towards the dressing rooms the scorers were a very long way from the action. Billingham's openers Holmes and Clark put on 71 but that was about the height of it for the 'Synners' and they were bowled out for 177. Seaton Carew eased to victory in less than 34 overs and after four matches top the table.

From Billingham's ground it is little more than a few minutes drive to Station Road, the home of Norton CC. Norton have had an interesting last decade for they left the NYSD in 2002 for the rarefied air of the North East Premier League where they played until 2009 when they were relegated to the Durham Senior League for three years and now are back where it all started. But not quite, for they have started their second spell in the  NYSD in Division Two; still two promotions from where they were when they went into the Premier league.

Listening to a conversation between some local supporters the feeling is that promotion in this first season is a formality but at the cost of watching some poor cricket. If yesterday's match with Northallerton II is typical then this is certainly the case for when I arrived Norton were 202 for 1 off twenty five overs and about 50 minutes later they declared on  311 without further loss and the Thomas brothers at the crease. Matthew, who hit 96 on Saturday, was 137 not out and Nick 64 . This was enjoyed by a large Bank Holiday crowd but not by Northallerton. It would have been understandable if their thoughts strayed to ideas of better ways of spending the hottest day of the year. A job swop with some of the watching crowd perhaps? The North Yorkshire side were bowled out for 116 in reply, a result which  leaves Norton second in the table and Northallerton just one place off the bottom. Norton's membership of the NYSD goes back to 1898 and it does feel as if they are back where they belong, not least because membership offers so many games against near neighbours.

One such traditional opponent can be found across the River Tees in Thornaby where the locals play their Premier Division cricket at the Acklam Road ground: the third ground of the day and by a distance the best. Over the fence lie the fairways of  the Teesside Park Golf Club ('the best golf club in the north east') and the playing area is surrounded by trees and even has some well cared for flower beds, There is a traditional pavilion with a players' balcony and well appointed club and tea rooms. Thornaby joined the NYSD  a year after its formation in 1893 and just a year before visitors Guisborough, but last season they escaped relegation on a dramatic last day. Yesterday they rather let visitors Guisborough off the hook in allowing them to recover from 86 for 6 to make 184. In reply Matthew Connolly made 51 not out but with nobody else reaching double figures Thornaby were all out for 97 and after four matches they are bottom of the table and without a win.

The Acklam Road ground is a lovely place to watch cricket and I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent there on a warm afternoon. Looking at the collection of photographs in the club room I couldn't help thinking that Thornaby's heroes belong to the age of sepia and that the balance of power in the NYSD now lies away from the industrial heartland of Teesside in the suburbs, Marton CC top the early table, and in the small towns on the periphery, places like Stokesley, Great Ayton and Guisborough or further away in Darlington and Richmond.