Tempted by the settled weather, Saturday saw me travelling up the A1 to Green Lane, Durham City the home of the city's Durham Cricket League club, just a hundred yards or so past The Racecourse ground where the university play and where in their early days as a first class county Durham played regularly. I wonder how many of the thousands who attended those matches in the early nineties knew that there was such a lovely cricket ground almost next door?
City's opponents yesterday were Hylton CC who had made the short journey from the Sunderland area for this initial meeting between the two teams. Neither has made a auspicious start to life in the new league with just one win each and both teams find themselves nearer the bottom than the top of the table. The ground has lovely views and lovely viewing from a raised bank near the pavilion towards which the rather green looking wicket was pitched. Durham won the toss and not surprisingly gave the visitors first look at the wicket which had an old seam bowler licking his lips.
Speaking to one of the Durham players, he felt that the disappointing start had resulted from an inability to finish teams off when they had them in trouble. Dropped catches had not helped and when in the third over a fairly easy slip chance was shelled the bowler's anguish was very apparent. Here we go again was soon forgotten however, for in the sixth over a slip catch was taken to leave the score at 6 for 1. Batting was turning out to be just as difficult as the wicket had promised.
From Green Lane I drove the four miles or so to Ushaw Moor for a second team match with Whiteleas CC. The South Shields outfit are unique in the league in that they are the only club not previously members of the Durham County, Coast or Senior Leagues. Speaking to some of their players the feeling was that it was too soon to say whether it had been the right move. They felt they had been lucky in their early matches to meet sides not at full strength and they had had a salutary lesson when heavily defeated at Ryhope on Monday. At 48 for 4 off 17 overs when I left I felt this game was evenly balanced for on another green wicket there was plenty of movement for the Ushaw Moor seamers. The Station Road ground doesn't compete with Green Lane for charm and the pavilion seems to have been designed with security uppermost in mind but there is a decent club house at the entrance to the ground. As the Moor in Ushaw Moor suggests there is some hilly country around and this gives a good backdrop at one end of the ground.
Another short journey for my third ground, that of Esh Winning, champions of the County League in 2012 and league leaders before yesterday's game with six wins out of seven. Their opponents at the Brandon Road ground were Ryhope CC, previously members of the Coast League who had won two out of their first seven matches and at the moment find themselves just below the line that will divide the twenty six clubs into two divisions for next season. Esh Winning were batting and were 100 without loss off twenty five overs. Good progress if a little on the slow side and instructions were sent to change the batting order when a wicket fell which thanks to a splendid catch at long off one did with the score at 118. Teams are allowed to bat for 50 overs unless bowled out but may declare before this and amongst part of a crowd of about thirty an informal sweepstake was taking place as to when this might be. The hot money seemed to be saying 45 overs.
Last of my intended grounds of the day was at Dawson Street, Crook, tucked away but close to the town centre square where I parked. Crook have struggled so far in the new competition and without a win in seven have only Silksworth below them in the table. Their visitors ,Easington formerly of the Coast League and highest placed of those from that league, lie sixth, and speaking to one of their players he expressed the view that whilst sterner tests lay ahead 'so far so good'. When I arrived and settled myself with a cup of tea Crook had reached 119 for 3 off 40 overs but despite some swings from number five that threatened to make hay while the sun shone the innings closed on 166 for 5 when fifty overs had been bowled.
On my route home I passed by Kingsway, the ground of NYSD club Bishop Auckland. I had played cricket here in about 1970 and had been present in 2002 when the last football match was played, the playing area then being sold off for housing leaving a not unattractive cricket ground. Yesterday's game was a Division One encounter with Blackhall and when I called 'Bishops' had been bowled out for 156, which proved 60 too many for the visitors from the east. I managed to acquire another cup of tea but failed to negotiate the purchase of a single sausage roll. Whole tea or nothing seemed to be the mantra.
It is my intention to visit some more grounds in this new league towards the end of the season when things have settled down and the formation of next season's two divisions will be clearer. One thing I hope will have improved by then is the league's 'play cricket' website. At the moment very few results are being entered and this is reflected in the league tables which show some clubs as having played seven games and others none. Must try harder, could do better. Thanks to this morning's Northern Echo I am able to include the results of the three first division games I saw on Saturday. Esh Winning beat Ryhope by 134 runs, hence the corny headline, Durham City overcame Hylton by three wickets and Crook had the better of the draw with Easington. The result of the game at Ushaw Moor has evaded even the Echo's net.
The photograph at the top is of Bishop Auckland's ground. Below the view from the bank at Green lane, Durham
No comments:
Post a Comment