Some of my favorite grounds are in Leicestershire so there was a match at Ashby de la Zouch.The match was day one of the Leicestershire Seconds against Derbyshire Seconds. The club ground is called Ashby Hastings and is very near the centre of the town.As I had visited the ground before about four years ago the small enterence to ground was found first time. However if you had a sat-nav it sent you to the Bowls Club on the far side of the ground were you were met my a angry man telling you that there was no parking for cricket spectators.
As I entered the clubhouse after a two hour drive the chef had a list of people who were having lunch.He said that 36 places had been asked for and wandered if this would be enough.One of the questions he asked was how many players are there in a cricket team ?His accent seem to make him a English person so I wandered where his education took place.
There had been overnight rain which had got under the covers which caused the match to be delayed half an hour.Derbyshire won the toss and batted but struggled to 59 for 3 just after lunch.One of the delights of watching Second Team cricket is trying to find a potential first team player.Derbyshire seem to have one in wicket-keeper batsman Richard Johnson. Last season he was released from Warwick as he was not going to get into the first team. To-day he dominated the bowling to score a excellent 87.
Another Derbyshire player who did well was Christopher Durham who made a unbeaten 70 in a score of 309.The Leicester star bowler was ginger haired James Sykes who is 21 years old. He bowls slow left arm and took 7 for 80 in 31.2 overs.
The weather was cloudy but warmer which was a cotrast to Weetwood.The ground covers a large area with trees surrounding the ground.As the photograph shows the church can be seen from the ground. The only thing missing is the sight of cows which shows it is a proper rural ground. See previous blogs.
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