My journey back from Scarborough on Thursday evening had convinced me that there could be no better time to see some cricket in Ryedale. May is my favourite month and although it has taken until June to get here this year its colours and blossom are wonderful and with the certainty that the sun would shine all day I headed through the Hambleton Hills and refreshed by a cooling draught in Wass made my first call at Pickering for their York Senior League game with Goole Town for a Division I meeting. With just one win each neither side has made a great start to the season.
Scoring for Pickering was a colleague of my wife's and a follower of the blog, Western Australian Trevor Gilham. I had read Trevor's piece on the club's play cricket website under the heading 'How not to win' describing last week's game against Whitkirk when a winning position was converted into a draw with Pickering nine wickets down and number eleven seeing out the last two deliveries. Yesterday's game was only a few minutes old when I arrived at the Mill Lane ground but one of the Goole openers had already been run out: the sort of event that can ruin marriages let alone averages.
Pickering share their ground with the local football club but the outfield on the shared side is in fine condition: only the foot marks of the linesmen show where the football pitch lies. 6 for 1 soon became 13 for 3 but a recovery was being mounted when I left for the short journey to Ryedale CC where Brian and friends were to pitch up later in the day .Although, as Brian has described, the Thornton Road ground is a multi sports facility the cricketers had it all to themselves yesterday. I made an enquiry about the availability of a Scarborough League handbook but the best that could be found were three copies of last year's which I declined. I'll kick myself if they become collectors' items.
From Ryedale CC it was back through Pickering to Kirkbymoorside and the third league of the afternoon , the Derwent Valley, for a Div B match between Kirkbymoorside II and Bridlington III. Here the home team were batting and the digital scoreboard showed them 19 for 2 but two juniors were at the crease and no further wickets fell while I was there. The Pickering Road ground is another facility shared with football and is also home to squash, tennis, bowls and the Kirkbymoorside Flying Club(sic).
Another short journey for the next ground took me to Nawton Grange CC and back to the Scarborough League where Sewerby II were the visitors. The ground has attractive trees on three sides with a modern well appointed clubhouse. Nawton were batting in this meeting between the clubs placed seventh and eighth in Div A. The league is facing some problems over its structure for 2014 for, after the withdrawal of Flamborough on the eve of this season, last week saw Snainton withdraw from Div B although they will continue to have a presence in the Derwent Valley League. In addition to these depletions Duncombe Park II have already announced that they will not compete in this league next season.
Continuing westwards on the A170 brought me to Helmsley,the home of Duncombe Park and finally a ground dedicated entirely to cricket. Bridlington II were the visitors here and were building up a good score. With the scoreboard showing 146 for 2 I was not thanked for pointing out that it was hard to reconcile that with last man 177, for Bridlington had not provided a scorer and Duncombe's scorer was being helped by a young player from her own team and the board was playing up. Shut up, John and time to move on which I did but not before a look inside the pavilion at the various photographs therein.
By chance I had saved the best for last when I returned to the York League, this time to Division 3 and the game between Hovingham and Driffield III. I had been told that Hovingham was on the pcw not to be missed list but it exceeded all my expectations for it is simply breath taking with the backdrop of the 18th century house, the surround of splendid trees and cattle grazing in the next field and all on the most wonderful summer's day. The players were at tea when I arrived but I saw the men from the east begin their reply to Hovingham's 291 for7 but the result is not available on the website this morning.
Finally I called in at Ouseburn to see them comfortably beat Blubberhouses. Seats were at a premium on the viewing platform as Sam Parker picked up his second century in two weeks to seal a seven wicket victory. With good news from Scarborough and Taunton I drove the mile or so home a well contented man.
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