After last week's 'Over the hills and faraway' it was 'The Green Green Grass of Home' yesterday for after Friday's rain, twitter brought news of cancellations on Saturday morning and I settled for the short drive to Whixley, the nearest ground to my house. The fare here was a Wetherby League Div 2 match between Whixley and Ledsham. Whixley had also been at home last week and had got the season off to a winning start with victory over Crossgates. An added attraction for me here was that my friend Arthur Bartle was umpiring.
The morning cloud had lifted to show sun at times and the rather keen wind had assisted in making the pitch and outfield perfectly playable. The ground occupies a high position in a low lying area with views across the Vale of York and has a reputation for quick drying. The new pavilion (above) was in use although I understand there is still some internal work to be completed. Whixley were batting and had reached 69 for 2 off 22 overs when I arrived. Leading the way as usual was Pat Greenwood and he was eventually dismissed for 53. He might consider himself rather unlucky to fall to a good catch for Ledsham's fielding had been rather undistinguished..
At this point I went a further mile down the road to Green Hammerton where the visitors were St Chad's A in a Div 3 game. I arrived just in time (3:45) to wish them a safe journey back to Leeds with a ten wicket win in the bag: home team all out for under 50. Back to Whixley and conversation with umpire John Fisher whose game at South Milford had been called off in the morning and John introduced me to Frank Daniel, a former Whixley player whose father had owned the land where the cricket ground now stands. Both John and Frank expressed some regret that the ground is rather detached from the village( it is about half a mile from the village pub and shop). At tea Whixley had reached 162 for 6 and the much improved Wetherby League website tells me this morning that this was enough for a 5 point win with Ledsham falling four runs short with four wickets left. Two wins for Whixley and two defeats for Ledsham so far.
Next stop Ouseburn and a change of leagues to Division 1 of The Nidderdale and a local derby with Alne. Alne had recovered from 28 for 6 to reach 102 for 9 in an innings slightly shortened by a break for rain. After tea the Parker brothers set about Alne's attack with their usual gusto and when a heavy shower sent this softy homeward OCC were 39 for 0. While the Wetherby website has improved, something awful appears to have happened to the previously excellent on line information from the Nidderdale League, and I was unable to find the result this morning. Since when have we had 'leaderboards' in cricket ? An email to Sue Parker, proud mum of Ouseburn's opening pair, revealed a ten wicket win off 18 overs. Two wins for Ouseburn will put them in good heart for next week's trip to Spofforth who pipped them for the title by one point last season.
Eight championship matches start today and in terms of likely candidates for test places best pickings are likely to be at Lords where Yorkshire are the visitors. Still no team announcement. Much discussion at Ouseburn yesterday about who,
if anybody will make way for Root's return. Just over twenty minutes to the toss and should Ballance be the man who has to decide between heads or tails then it will be Gale who has stepped down. Where's you money?
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