a gem in Jesmond

posted by John Winn

Minor Counties cricket rarely comes my way and  intentions to watch Cumberland last season were  frustrated by rain so I did not need much encouragement from Michael Taylerson to join him at Osborne Avenue, Jesmond yesterday for the second day of the MCCA Championship match between Northumberland and Hertfordshire. The ground is situated a few minutes walk from Jesmond Metro station and might be best remembered by readers as the home of the Callers-Pegasus Cricket Festival which was held there for ten years until 1990. The last such match was between an England XI and the Rest of the World and the sides contained names like Alan Lamb, Chris Board, Nasser Hussain for England and amongst those against them were Martin Crowe, Ian Bishop and  Frankyn Stephenson.

These matches and the crowds they generated  showed that interest in top class cricket did not stop at the River Tees and  provided some of the inspiration behind the entry of Durham into the County Championship in 1992. The Jesmond ground has rather fallen on hard times in recent years but it is now owned by the nearby Royal Grammar School and is the home of Newcastle CC, who are members of the North East Premier League. Eighteen wickets had fallen on the first day with Herts dismissed for 208 and Northumberland started the day on 129 for 8.

When  Michael and I arrived shortly after eleven the ninth wicket pair were still at the crease but two wickets in two balls closed the innings at 141. Between innings I took the opportunity to inspect the excellent club house facilities and although yesterday was pleasantly warm the bar would provide a good first floor viewing area on colder days which I believe do occur in this part of NE2.

Yesterday's very small crowd had a number a number of Riverside regulars amongst them. This Sunday Northumberland will take on Norfolk in the quarter final of the MCCA KO and a larger attendance is expected. At £2 a head for non-members it seems a bargain and I strongly recommend pcws to add the ground to your must see list if you have not already visited. Should the cricket lack interest then you can admire the fine Victorian houses in the area, the lovely trees that surround the crowd, and the impressive new approach and entrance added last year.

Hertfordshire's openers Blacktopp and Ballard went off at close to eight an over and although during the afternoon session Northumberland's spinners gradually got more control, when Ballard was out last ball before tea for 133 the score stood at 282 for 4, a lead of just under 350. One who had a long spell on an increasingly hot afternoon was former Durham off spinner, Nicky Phillips and I was surprised to find it is ten years since he left The Riverside. He was there during some hard times as the county sought to establish itself and he would not be unfamiliar with an afternoon's leather hunting.

Michael and I had spent some time considering when the declaration might come but we needn't have bothered for the Herts' innings ran its full course after we left at tea and they were all out for 407, leaving 'North' to get 475 to win. 40 for 1 at the close, they have a long day ahead of them today if they are to make anything like a fist of approaching that target. Through the excellence of joined up transport I was able to leave the ground at 4:20 and be in York, 75 miles south, by 5:40, very pleased that I had made the trip and promising myself that I will return to Osborne Avenue in the near future.

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