I may have been a mite tardy in picking up that the draw has been published for National Club KO, but our Hartlepool correspondent has jogged my elbow for his local team are entering for what I think may be the first time and have drawn tough opposition at Park Drive in the form of Chester le Street.
First round matches are to be played on Sunday April 27th. In group 1 which covers North Yorkshire and the North East the 2012 winners York are away to Whitburn, local rivals Harrogate must also head north and are at Newcastle outfit, Benwell Hill. Close to home for me, Easingwold of the York League take on the NYSD champions Richmondshire at Back Lane and another club who may have gulped when they saw the draw, Clifton Alliance, will host the champions of North East Premier, Stockton at Clifton Park. Knaresborough Forest who I saw defeated at Easingwold in a preliminary round match last April by 189 runs, must set their sights even higher for they will travel to South Northumberland, another of the top sides from the North East Premier.
Group 2 takes in clubs in West and East Yorkshire as well as entries from Lincs and Derbyshire and, among others sees Yeadon take on Driffield, Beverley host Doncaster and Barnsley will travel to Notts outfit Cuckney. Group 3 contains last year's winners, West Indian Cavaliers who have a home tie against Leicestershire opponents Kegworth Town. The beaten finalists, Ealing CC have home advantage against Brentham CC in what is a local derby. The full draw is available at the ecb play-cricket site.
Mention of Stockton CC links to the second XI fixtures, for Durham II will play four days cricket at the Oxbridge Avenue ground in August against Lancashire. Durham have played a number of first class matches here, even since the opening of The Riverside. The last visitors were Kent in 2006 when some blistering hitting from South African Justin Kemp gave Kent victory by 95 runs after trailing on first innings. Only two of the Durham XI from that match are still playing regular first team cricket, the culinary combination of Mustard and Onions. The last second eleven championship cricket was in 2003 when a Yorkshire side including Tim Bresnan and Richard Dawson took on a Durham XI for whom Graham Onions took 6 second innings wickets. This was not enough to stop Yorkshire inning by one wicket. Mark Lawson and Harry Anderson got the white rose over the line.
Finally news of Jim the Dog this Wednesday at Todmorden CC where the speaker will be England women's Ashes winner, Kate Cross. For those living east of the Pennines Todmorden is the most accessible of JTD venues and the train that leaves Leeds station at 11:07 takes just under the hour and allows time for a sharpener before lunch at 1:00.
Not the England team but Tholthorpe Ladies pre World War One with chaperones
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