King James rules at Arthington

posted by John Winn

Pcws came to Arthington in good numbers yesterday but from wherever they came they remarked on the wind that blew and how it had not been like that at home.. To the list of famous winds like the Chinook and the Mistral can now be added one, yet to be named, but which was difficult to escape in Lower Wharfdale yesterday. After deliberation it was decided that even if it meant sitting in the shade the warmest place would be in the lee of the hedge that runs along one side of the ground.

The visitors yesterday were King James from Bishop Auckland who on Saturdays play in the Darlington and District League. Arthington batted first and made a good start but were pegged back and lost wickets in the second half of the innings to some good spin bowling. The visitors responded well after tea in pursuit of 187 and when five wickets were down a close finish looked likely but the sixth wicket pair saw King James home with out further loss. Do not think, however, that the early evening was without incident for the low sun was so much in the batting side's eyes  that all the bowling was done from the east end to avoid the dazzle. This was a unique incident as far as anybody could recall. Whether there are plans to turn the square through 90 degrees to avoid any repetition is not known.

Thought you would like a photograph of the visiting wicket-keeper.

As ever over the two days conversation ranged over many subjects. One name that cropped up on Saturday was that of pre war occasional Yorkshire cricketer Jim Smurthwaite. By Sunday we were able to put flesh on Jim's bones for as John Rex had indicated the previous day he had one moment in the sun. This was at Bramall Lane in 1939 when his five for seven hastened Derbyshire towards 20 all out but Jim's fame was that of a shooting star for in the second Derbyshire innings Smailes took all ten. Smurthwaite was from the Middlesbrough area and a potent force in post war NYSD cricket.

Another name mentioned yesterday was that of Harold Wagstaff and when this blogger had the temerity to ask who he was Messrs Sanderson and Thorpe, with timing of which Morecambe and Wise would have been proud, threw back the question with a mixture of incredulity and indignation. The blogger will do penance by attending an event as part of the Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage Project.

This morning pcws will wake up  to five weekdays without cricket and although there are still two. possibly three, more weekends at Arthington,  today marks, if not the end, certainly the beginning of the end of the season.  Six months before anymore days at Headingley, Riverside, Trent Bridge or wherever, a sad day in my calendar.

TWO MORE MATCHES IN SEPTEMBER

By Brian Sanderson,

The first match was in the grounds of Harewood House. The two teams werew St. Georges against Meanwood Hospital in a forty over match.

Meanwood waiting to bat in the sunshine.

Brian Senior and Ian from Lancaster sitting on a woodern bench in the sunshine watching the cricket. Ian had been to watch Leeds United development squad ealier in the day.We would see him later at Arthington.

To of the Meanwood team practising with the beautiful surroundings of the park.Meanwood were bowled out for 100 and were beaten by ten wickets.

Moving on to Arthington were The Jesters were playing.

Abeautiful new gateway to the ground just been built during the summer and now acroos a cattle grid rather than opening a gate.

 A new gravel road towards the ground saving going over mud.The professional cricket watchers sat in the sunshine with the local cattle behind.

Dennis Nash ,the 76 year old opening bowler going bac to his fielding position.

The Jester total after 39 overs and finished on 213 after 40 overs.

Mel Wood took five wickets in The Jester victory. He plays for Ossett seconds and Yorshire over 60,s and any other side who is short.

Two batsman with a total ages of 150.Dennis Nash on the left and Martin  Binks on the right.Last wicket partnership which was ended when the opening bowler came back to bowl Dennis.

Another match to-morrow starting at 1.00 P.M. against King James of Bishop Auckland.See you there.

And so to Arthington

posted by John Winn

The county cricket season ended yesterday with something of a whimper for all issues had been settled by Thursday but spectators who chose the right place to be, if they had any choice, saw some good cricket and a lovely afternoon will have left a rosy glow and the feeling that perhaps cricket played in the last week of September isn't too bad after all.

At Hove, Durham, after five successive wins were beaten by Sussex, the Martlets first win at their HQ this season. I followed the commentary on 5 Live Extra and it sounded as though it was a lovely day to be watching cricket by the sea. Yorkshire followers may reflect that had such conditions prevailed two weeks ago they might have pressed a little closer for the title. Meanwhile at The Oval a Gary Ballance century prevented bottom club Surrey from recording their second win of the campaign. Brian has described the double century of young Sibley. Will this mark a change in policy by the brown caps with more young products given opportunities or will they feel the key to a prompt return to Div 1 lies in the signing of more 'galacticos' ?

Derbyshire's relegation having been confirmed on Thursday Somerset and Notts could breathe easily at Trent Bridge although the fourth day allowed Trescothick to record another low score in what has been a poor season for him but it also gave him the chance to pull rank and keep wicket while Keiswetter had a bowl. What Buttler thought of this is not known but Somerset have confirmed that he is leaving Taunton and Warwickshire are understood to be competing for his signature with Lancashire. It seems to have been fashionable for wicketkeepers to bowl yesterday for I note that Mustard took a wicket for Durham

In Div 2 the most fun was to be had at Canterbury where Kent successfully chased over 400 and thanks largely to Darren Stevens got home by two wickets. It must have been reassuring at squeaky bum time to see Robert Key enter at the fall of the eighth wicket.

Brian and I have described our day out in the Huddersfield Central League last Sunday but the NYSD also did not complete its programme until last weekend. On Saturday Richmondshire duly wrapped up their second successive title leaving Darlington, as in 2012, runners up. The Dalesmen set a new record for total points as skipper Gary Pratt hit 80 not out in a ten wicket win over Stokesley. his innings which included three sixes took him past 2000 runs for the season over 1500 of which  have come in the league.

Promotion from Division 1 produced the excitement of the day as Seaton Carew's win over Maltby allowed them to slip past Bishop Auckland and thus accompany Marske in to the Premier Division. This will be Seaton's first experience of the top flight and it will give them the opportunity to entertain Hartlepool CC in a local derby.

As I type this (11:00, Saturday  morning) early morning cloud is clearing from the Lower Ure Valley which suggests a pleasant afternoon at Arthington where the Hawks are the visitors for a 1:30 start. Highly recommended for those reluctant to let go of summer just yet.

 

Pcws at Arthington in 2011

RECORD DAY

By Brian Sanderson,

On the third day I saw Amla score a excellent 150. NO1 batsman in the World. How have Surrey afford him together with Ponting and Smith. Ponting was the batsman of Surrey season after four matches.

Dominic Sibley at the age of 18 and 21 days scored a double unbeaten century beating David Sales age by 216 days.Well done lad and must be a player to watch in the next few seasons.

The last time I will see Phil Jaques in a Yorshire shirt.This was my last day of Championship cricket in a sunny 2013.

TRIP TO THE OVAL

By Brian Sanderson,

On Monday morning I took the train to London to see Yorkshire play Surrey with company of Brian Workman.There are too many Brians.

The above photograph is my first sight of the new Oval.I had been here for a 40 over match over ten years ago.

A nice temperature gauge just in the ground.

A new scoreboard next to the gasholder.It is not as good as the Headingley board.

Yorkshire going out on the first day to bat with a bowler short.

Spectators walking on the grass at lunch-time.Why can not Yorkshire allow it ?

Aproper pavilion which has  had two new floors added since Hutton scored his 364 in 1938.

Ballance coming off after been dismissed for 148.

Photograph of the Archbishop Tennison School next to the ground.

I do declare

posted by John Winn

In a couple of recent postings I have made references to the last occasion on which Northants were in contention for promotion to Division 1 of the championship. This was in September 2009 when a declaration by Chris Rogers, captain of Derbyshire at the time but who had previously been at Wantage Road, gave Essex the key to the side door which they duly accepted in scoring 359 to win with ten Doeschate hitting 108 from 59 balls. Northants coach David Capel did his best to imitate Tom the cabin boy who you may recall invariably 'smiled and said nothing' for rather than suggesting any conspiracy theories Capel pointed to other games in which positive results rather than draws   would not have left Northants relying on what happened at Derby, although I doubt whether he smiled.

Wantage Road

 

 Midway through 2012 Capel was sacked and replaced by David Ripley, a shake- up which this season has brought perhaps the least fashionable of counties (three times as many people saw Madness at Wantage Road on Sunday as watched 8 championship matches there last season), success in T20 and at 4:20 yesterday promotion for the first time in ten years. It would have been nice had the defining moment occurred in front of some of the faithful, perhaps via a splendid cover drive or a dazzling catch, but instead, and with a nice touch of irony it will be recorded as MS Panesar ct Adams b Coles 3. The same Panesar who left Northants in 2009 to join Sussex and who has been on loan to Essex, and if rumour be true paid a silly amount of money for the six games he has played, six games in which he has taken 14 wickets. His  dismissal at the Rose Bowl meant that Essex could not gain the bonus points needed to catch Northants and thus celebrations could begin for the 'Rose among Shires'.

Last time Northants escaped from Div 2 it was on the back of runs scored by Michael Hussey and Phil Jaques and the wickets of off spinner Jason Brown. Leading pace bowler was the fiery Andre Nel. Hussey, Jaques and Nel all left and Northants went straight back down. They will of course hope for better this time and look to Yorkshire rather than Derbyshire as an example of how promoted teams can fare. They are one of three counties not to have won the championship but have claimed second place four times. On one of these occasions, 1965, the title was snatched from them by Worcestershire and involved another controversial declaration at a time when umpires were under orders to inform MCC if they suspected collusion between skippers.

The match in question was between Worcestershire and Hampshire at Bournemouth: the circumstances of which were describe by Northants' historian Matthew Engel as 'fishy'. Judge for yourselves for after Worcestershire had made 363 for 9 (Headley 123, Graveney 104) Hampshire skipper Ingleby-Mackenzie declared his team's first innings at 217 for 6 and then bowled the only ball of Worcestershire's second innings at which point Don Kenyon declared the innings closed and his pace attack of Flavell and Coldwell bowled Hants out for 31. Engel is fair minded enough to point out that Northants had indulged in similar shenanigans four weeks earlier when Keith Andrew had declared their second innings closed at 0 for 0 and Essex were then bowled out for 88. Leading wicket taker was Tynesider Malcolm Scott* who was a classy left half for Darlington FC. The following year Northants finished fifth which meant that they had occupied every position bar one. 47 years later that remains true.

* You will probably find it hard to believe that Darlington ever had anybody 'classy' but Scott did also play for Newcastle United. There is a short autobiography of him available but it may be elusive. Regrettably I have let my copy slip through my hands. It is called 'A Geordie All-Rounder'.

September sunshine

posted by John Winn

September cricket is not everyone's favourite, especially groundsmen I suspect but on days like yesterday there is particular pleasure in enjoying the last rays of summer and the ECB will probably be thinking they have just about got away with the latest ever finish to the county championship.

For what will probably be my last taste of first class cricket this season I took the train to Derby for their match with Warwickshire which afforded the home team a slim chance of  avoiding relegation, although this would depend on the outcome of events at Trent Bridge, just a half  hour along the A52.By the time I had got to Sheffield the sun was out and so it remained throughout a beautiful September day. I had not been in the ground more than a couple of minutes when I met Tony Hutton and we took seats at The Racecourse end among a group of Bears' supporters. This contingent was increased by the arrival of a lady who brought the news that Yorkshire or Lancashire had signed Jos Buttler. A man resisting  the opportunity to use the playground taunt, 'tell us news not history', was able to confirm it was Lancashire. It appears that this is not quite a done deal yet but the announcement that Gareth Cross is 'free to seek further opportunities' suggests it soon will be. After eight years with his native county Cross may be cross.

With a win absolutely essential for their survival  Derbyshire could not  be blamed for leaving a little grass on the wicket and after opting to field they gained the early wickets of Chopra and Westwood.  With Notts struggling against Somerset, optimism rose among what by the County Ground's standards was a decent sized crowd. Things could have been even better had not Poynton dropped two catches. Javid and Clarke effected something of a recovery but the latter, not really a favourite on this ground, was out in the first over after lunch at 89 for 4 and thanks to Groenewald this became 148 for 7. One of his victims was Warwickshire's third wicketkeeper in as many matches, Stuart Poynter, who had trials with Durham earlier in the season. Watching this fall of wickets was Chris Woakes who had come in at six and a month ago was playing for England but will now be 'free to seek further opportunities this winter'. By close of play he was undefeated with a maiden championship century on his cv. Last week Woakes played a major part in pushing Surrey down the coal chute: yesterday's innings may point Derbyshire in the same direction.

Meanwhile, as Derbyshire fell behind, Notts were recovering  with a stand of over 200 between Hussey and Lumb and should clinch maximum batting points this morning. Derbyshire director of cricket, Karl Krikken, remains upbeat for whilst bemoaning the dropped catches that let Warwickshire off the hook he still believes that the key to survival lies in their batting with a minimum target of 300. Notts' opponents Somerset started well and finished OK yesterday but might find themselves facing over 400 when they bat today. Their head coach, Andy Hurry recognises that it is a 'big first session' this morning.

Tony left at lunch to spend the afternoon at Trent Bridge. There might be one or two others shuttling between the two grounds before stumps on Friday. The key matches in the second division promotion contest do not offer quite the same opportunities for commuting. 'Shuttling' between New Road and the Rose Bowl is not really a realistic prospect but after whipping out Worcester in smart time Northants' batting rather let them down and they may have slept uneasily thinking of how they were pipped by Essex three years ago. I bumped into Peter Davies yesterday and he is set for a trip to New Road today. Should be a good day.

Hello Brian. This is Brian, Brian and of course you know Brian.

posted by John Winn

Together with three Brians, Messrs, Cobb, Sanderson and Senior, I journeyed to Huddersfield yesterday to meet with our guide for the day, David Thorpe who conducted us on a tour of several grounds in the Huddersfield Central League. This was our last opportunity to see league cricket this season and for me at least, totally new territory.

To start our afternoon we drove through 'Last of the Summer Wine' country  to the sunlit Holmbridge ground where the home club were taking on Heckmondwike and Carlinghow United CC (trying get that on a cap). For David this was a return to fields of glory for it was here that he had scored his first century but yesterday centuries seemed unlikely as Holmbridge slipped to 22 for 3 despite the short boundary on the river side. So short that the umpire could lean against the fence forming the perimeter. Mr Senior having taken lunch from the fruits of the hedgerow we pressed on up the valley sides to Upperthong and their Wickens Lane ground.

This was another lovely ground with views across the valley and in a little over twenty years  this enterprising club has built itself a home with splendid facilities and they have plans for expansion. A thriving junior section and dedicated helpers will see them join the Huddersfield League in 2014 and they should continue to prosper. Good to see Peter Davies enjoying the cricket here and to see a copy of his history of the league in the club house. Not a batter's day here either for the homesters' second XI were struggling against the Upper Horton B attack

Onwards we went to what David had described as 'match of the day' and the theme tune played across our lips as we parked up at Thurstonland for a Premier Section match against Mount which would decide the league title. A large crowd had gathered on a lovely afternoon and there were many familiar faces amongst them. Mount's innings was coming to a close and although what we saw represented a recovery from 14 for 5, 68 all out did not seem to be enough. At the opposite end from the pavilion the club had adopted a belt and braces approach to sightscreens for in addition to the usual wooden affair the stone wall had been painted white. With the paint left over the off and leg side walls had had white lines painted on them to guide the outfield mowing. Genius.

This was one of those occasions when it was tempting to tear up the afternoon schedule and sit back and enjoy the Thurstonlanders reply but it was not to be for we headed for Old Almondburians CC. This club is linked to the nearby King James's school which dates from 1606. Here we realised that the sands were running fast through the league cricket egg timer and that we could not keep up for with OA chasing a modest 66 by Leymoor, a few lusty blows saw the home team win by 8 wickets and in just 15 overs. A tricky twisting journey had been rewarded with just two overs of action but at least we had the memory of another lovely cricket ground.

During the course of the afternoon we had learnt that the match between Birkby and Rose Hill and Edgerton and Dalton  had been switched to Broadoak and  here our luck finally  ran out for we arrived too late to see even one ball. Another bowlers' match had seen the visitors 58 all out and another 8 wicket victory. The B teams of these two clubs were playing the reverse fixture and our next journey took us well away from the sort of rural delights we had enjoyed throughout the afternoon to a ground overlooking the town centre but with a siege mentality as the inspiration for its architecture. At least here there was the prospect of a close finish with E and D 78 for 7 and chasing 127 and the eighth wicket pair looking as though they might pull it off. A change to leg spin turned the game on its head however and the curtain came down on our afternoon and the league cricket season when a fine catch in the deep, a clean bowled and an lbw brought about a hat trick and Edgerton fell 36 short.

There was one last visit planned but we were not hopeful that we would be in time to see any cricket and such proved to be the case for all the sporting interest at Birchencliffe's Halifax Road ground was focussed on the football on the TV and we could not even find the result of the game with Crigglestone.*

On our way home we agreed that Holmbridge (pictured) was the 'ground of the day' and that without David's guidance we could not have used the time so profitably. Thanks to Brian for the photographs which he posted last night and my apologies to Brian Cobb for spoiling his evening by revealing the result of the Manchester derby. I  also  gave the result of Thurstonland v Mount where a six wicket win for the home team gave them the championship. This disclosure did not seem to have such a depressing effect.
* the website reveals a win for Birchencliffe

JIM THE CAT DATES

By Brian Sanderson,

The dates of the lunchs of the above Cricket Society are as follows.

11 OCTOBER  SOLLY ADAMS  talking.

13 DECEMBER  LEE BOOTH talking

10 JANUARY  DAVID LEATHERDALE   talking

21 FEBRUARY   HUGH GOLBOURNE RE PADDOCK talking

14 MARCH  DAVID NORMANTON talking.

All at Pudsey St Lawrence C.C 12.30 for 1.00.

IMAGES OF THE VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD CENTRAL LEAGUE

By Brian Sanderson,

The first ground was won the prize of the visit was HolmebridgeThe top photograph is of the church.

One of the adverts round the ground.

Gate into the ground.

Upperthong ground.Pavilion built by the players.

Great views from the ground.

Ladder for if the ball goes over the wall.

Thurstonland pavilion with John,s head in the way.

Mount Cricet Club having tea on the pitch.

A number of tractor went passed the ground.

Broad Oak groundsman cutting the grass at the end of the final match.

The church outside the ground.

Dalton pavilion.

Views from the ground over Huddersfield.

Final ground Birchcliffe.

View from the ground of John Smith stadium.Still the sun was shining.

IMAGES OF MIDDLESEX MATCH

By Brian Sanderson,

The following photograhs were taken during the Middlesex match at Headingley last week.

Above is the unvieling of the new Wisden board in the Long Room.The Yorkshire cricketers were Bob Appleyard, Geoff Boycott, Ray Illingworth and Phil Sharpe.

New scoreboard with Dennis Smith birthday message.

Yorkshire trianing pre-match.

The new sight screen at the Rugby End.