Three Leagues in Yorkshire

posted by John Winn

Having been asked to score for the second innings of Ouseburn's match at Spofforth yesterday I took the opportunity to visit two grounds in East Leeds which though only a mile apart host cricket in two different leagues. First call was at Whitkirk's well appointed ground on the Selby Road. As well as cricket, bowls, tennis and football are also played here and the other two summer games had attracted participants on a lovely sunny afternoon.

Whitkirk, founded in 1892 are one of only three teams in the York and District league with a Leeds postcode, and the westernmost of those, and although the lower divisions of the league have returned to a regional format this season, their location still involves clubs in some quite long journeys. Yesterday's visitors Malton and Old Malton II, for a Div 3 North match, had travelled over 40 miles. They would have been pleased to bat and made good progress in the half hour I spent watching. The result is not available on the website this morning.

 

Just a mile's drive took me to my next stop, the Kingswear Crescent ground of Crossgates CC, on the very edge of the city. Sitting by the pavilion one has views of cattle grazing, undisturbed by trains travelling between York and Leeds on the immediately adjacent line. Crossgates are members of the Wetherby League and this was a Div 2 Match with Saxton from near Tadcaster the visitors. Facilities are more basic here with the score still being posted by the use of tins which were showing the batting side,the homesters, 13 for 3 off 13 overs. Bad as this seemed it disguised an even more unpalatable truth for when a waiting batsman updated the board it showed 15 for 4, soon to be 18 for 5. One reason for the slow progress was the lushness of the outfield but there was some good seam bowling from Saxton which added to the batsmen's difficulties.

While I watched a recovery to 37 for 5 was mounted and Crossgates went on to make 120 all out. I have been critical of the Wetherby League website in the past but it is much improved this campaign and this morning it showed that CCC's score had been beaten by Saxton's 121 for 3. In the table Saxton now lie fourth but Crossgates are without a win and only one point better off than the two clubs below them.

Leaving behind the Wetherby and York Leagues I drove to Spofforth and the third league of the afternoon, the Nidderdale. Spofforth is one of my favourite grounds, beautifully cared for and tucked away behind the village school. Spofforth left the Wetherby League in 2010, gained promotion at the first attempt and last season pipped Ouseburn by one point to take the championship. Juicy fare indeed then with Spofforth having suffered an unexpected defeat last week and Ouseburn, with two wins out of two, coming to town.

All was not going well however for Ouseburn who had been 15 for 3 and although 68 for 7 on my arrival represented something of a recovery the tail showed the same brittleness as the top order and they were all out for 89 in the 34th over. Jonathan Ross was the leading wicket taker with 3 for 21.

During the tea interval I was introduced to Sandra the Spofforth scorer and it was clear immediately that I was in safe hands for in addition to keeping an immaculate book in various colours she operated the electronic board and scored online for the league website and even coped with some banter from passers by. While all this was happening I managed to score in what I would call traditional fashion i.e. with a pencil (monochrome) as after a slow start a flurry of boundaries saw Spofforth home by 8 wickets well before six o'clock. Outstanding for the champions was their Australian opener Will Long who finished on 45 not out, including one six and 8 fours.

Relieved that the books balanced, I replaced my pencil, rubber and pencil sharpener, the bare bones of a scorer's kit these days, in the pencil case I had borrowed from my wife and made the twenty minute journey home. A truncated afternoon but an interesting one.