Ferrybridge fails to turn up the heat

posted by John Winn

Diligent digging into a number of websites revealed several clubs taking the opportunity to put the last coat of gloss on their pre-season preparations by playing 'friendly' games yesterday, just a week before most will get their league programmes underway. I started my Saturday wanderings with a trip to the WF10 postcode and a first visit to Poplar Avenue the home of Central Yorkshire champions, Townville CC who were entertaining their equivalents from the Bradford League, Cleckheaton. Described as 'a challenge match' between the champions of the two leagues.

Friday's warm sunshine that had encouraged me to disturb my lawnmower's reverie had given way to grey skies and a cold wind when the players took the field for a 40 over game at 12:30. Cleckheaton batted and 2014 got off to a bad start when new opener Andy Gorrod shouldered arms to his sixth ball of the season and became Ritchie Bresnan's first scalp of the new campaign. Townville have never been backward in coming forward when it comes to appealing and had already had two shouts against Gorrod turned down. Skipper John Wood came in at three and was lbw to Bresnan after an appeal which by Townville's standards could be called half hearted. I wonder if Woody remembered that twenty years ago almost to the day his 1994 season began with the same score when, playing for Durham against OUCC in The Parks he was ct Kendall bowled Ecclestone (SC not F1) 0.

Although the sun tried hard to warm us up it had to give best to the cloud and watching was not a comfortable experience. I left when drinks were felt necessary and some nice shots from Nicholson had taken Cleckheaton to 57 for 3. The game was abandoned at five o'clock shortly after Townville had begun their reply chasing 169. There is a full report of the game on the excellent Cleckheaton website. (cleckheatoncricketclub.org.uk). From Poplar Avenue it is but a ten minute drive to Savile Park where Castleford CC's visitors were Goole: Yorkshire Premier v York Senior. Castleford were batting and as I arrived 80 for 3 became 80 for 4.

The weather was no more hospitable in this part of town and I stayed only about half an hour, sheltering in the pavilion. An interesting couple of framed photographs recalled a match played on the ground in 1967 when Yorkshire took on Cambridgeshire in a game transferred from Headingley because of wet conditions. Three days were originally allocated to this second round Gillette Cup match but play was impossible on all three. Ten days later the teams reconvened in Leeds only to be met by the same conditions, moved the 12 miles to Castleford and completed a ten over game in what Wisden described as 'farcical conditions'. Cambridgeshire fielded in pouring rain as Yorkshire knocked off the 44 runs needed to win. Ken Taylor was top scorer and  JH Wardle(sic) took two wickets for the minnows.

For the last of my three new grounds I drove to Ferrybridge where 'power station c' dominates the surrounding area including the cricket pitch. Here Ferrybridge CC were taking on fellow Pontefract League club Allerton Bywater on whose website notice of the match appeared. Tea was being taken when I arrived and the scoreboard showed 'visitors 131'. When I enquired of their scorer 'for how many wickets?' she replied 'about 15'. True to the spirit of the pre-season friendly dismissed batsmen had been allowed to return to the crease until 40 overs were bowled. Shortly after the players returned to the field rain arrived and I didn't wait to see if they would stick it out. The rain followed me up the A1 to Wetherby and although I chose a route taking me past three grounds I saw no more cricket before arriving home.

Nearly a full programme of championship cricket starts today but sadly for someone who spends much of his time shuttling between Headingley and The Riverside both Yorkshire and Durham begin with away matches. Now where did I put the shears?