Too late at Loftus

posted by John Winn

First stop yesterday was for a Division 2 match in the Langbaurgh League between New Marske and Swainby. New Marske lies a little inland from Marske by the Sea where Yorkshire II played earlier in the week. Indeed New Marske, some of which is not so new, might be called Marske not by the Sea, but then of course you have to think of coastal erosion........

The playing area at Gurney Street  is a large one and well maintained. Many of the surrounding trees are mountain ash and these were laden with berries, a reminder that summer is passed its tipping point. The visitors were batting and had already lost an early wicket but mounted a recovery while I was there. I took the opportunity to look inside the ground's new pavilion which will be ready for next season. The photographs show what an improvement this will bring to the facilities and all through a grant from Sport England.

Next stop, and not far away, was at Skelton Castle: still Langbaurgh League and still Division 2. I visited this ground in 2013 when family fun day was being held but when it was too wet for cricket. No such problems this year and the home team were batting against Hutton Rudby B. Another recovery in progress here from 27 for 5 with all those dismissed  having failed to register double figures, to 67 for 6 when a well judged catch off a skier ended the partnership. This photograph shows that Skelton's pavilion is another excellent asset to the clubs in this league.

Another short journey brought me to Loftus, an important community in this former mining area, but to a different and new league to me, the Cleveland League. A couple of years ago this league applied en bloc to join the Langbaurgh but were given short shrift. To the outsider such an amalgamation makes sense but who knows the politics of these things other than those closely involved. I arrived at the Whitby Road ground, time 3:30, to find the players leaving with Loftus I , top of the league  having defeated Smith's Dock II, bottom of the league and without a win this season. Things don't seem too good at Smith's Dock for the only thing keeping their first team off the bottom of the league is the presence of their seconds. One win between them and I can hazard a guess which two teams were involved in that match.

The Loftus secretary suggested that while I was in the area I might drive a few miles down the coast to Staithes who he knew were playing at home. He was kind enough to provide precise directions to find the ground where Staithes were indeed playing with visitors Ebberston. A few miles drive but another league, the Beckett Scarborough League, Premier Division too.  A small ground here but with a decent number of watchers and Ebberston's batsmen making it look easy, 200 for 2 off 30 overs and Staithes' fielders rather wilting in the high temperatures. One exception to this was a chap in a red cap who exhorted his lads to 'work hard' and he had his reward when a finely judged catch in the deep brought a wicket.

An enquiry at the local newsagents for the Scarborough News, whose local cricket coverage is excellent, earned the response, 'Sorry sir it doesn't come this far.' and a glance at his shelves showed me I was still in Northern Echo* territory. So back the way I had come and to my fourth and last ground of the day at Boosbeck CC, another former mining village and members of the Cleveland League. Here it was tea and a good cup on the house before watching Loftus II start their reply to Boosbeck's 206 for 8 with Gary Hood having carried his bat for 106 not out. Listening to the Loftus players before they took the field it was clear that the news of their first team's easy win
had reached them and some expressed the sentiment that they (the II team) could have been reinforced for their trip to Boosbeck. 206 for 8 suggests they were short of bowling: 65 all out suggests they were not flush with batsmen.

* whose local cricket coverage is also excellent