A sunny start at Headingley.

posted by John Winn

Heavy overnight rain spreading eastwards delayed the start of the cricket season at Headingley today but diligent work by the ground staff and the emergence of the sun allowed play to start fifteen minutes after noon. The delay allowed a very good gathering of pcw, including our Hartlepool correspondent, to renew acquaintances with old friends and pick up scorecards, now free to members,

Yorkshire won the toss and stand in skipper Ballance chose to give his bowlers first turn and the Leeds Bradford students the chance to bat on a wicket which he might have expected to harbour some moisture. Things got off to the worst possible start with Gubbins dismissed in the first over and  by lunch  Leeds Bradford  were reduced to 30 for 4. Skipper Will Vanderspar, down to open on the card, delayed his entrance to second wicket down but he was the only one to make a fist of things and he was undefeated on 60 when the last wicket fell on 139, made at a little over two and a half an over. Vandespars's cv is an interesting one, Eton and Leeds Met, but he has experienced second XI cricket with Middlesx and few, if any, of the decent sized crowd begrudged him his well deserved fifty.

Balance gave five bowlers good early season workouts and each got amongst the wickets. Yorkshire looked sharp in the field and Ballance and Lyth held difficult  chances at slip. Lyth and Lees added 94 for the first wicket in reply but the latter fell to the persevering Ivan Thomas, who if he isn't Welsh ought to be, just before the close. Lyth will look forward to tomorrow and hope for a repeat of the lovely sunshine which left the long room unusually deserted for the time of year. Memories suggested the opening day had never been like this and  the postings I made this time last year for the corresponding game describe a long room providing shelter from the cold on the first day but warm sunshine on the second.

Today's Headingley match is one of six such MCC University games being played as curtain raisers to the first class season and in all of them the students have been predictably outplayed. Durham bowled out for 67, Cambridge for 54 and Cardiff 34 for 3 chasing 301 for 4 against Glamorgan. Oxford can take some credit for dismissing Notts for 237 but are still over two hundred in arrears having lost two early wickets. Readers will no doubt make their own minds up as to the value of such matches.