Billy Root does it again

Posted by Tony Hutton

On Friday the sun shone again, until tea time at least, before the weather began to change.
Leeds/Bradford University were taking on the M.C.C. at Weetwood in a friendly one day match of 50 overs a side. The atmosphere was much more quiet and peaceful than the rather frenetic scenes in the previous two games in line with the two banners on the pavilion showing the MCC spirit of cricket.

The home side batted first against an interesting MCC side, which included two former Leeds/Bradford players Rennison and Vanderspar and a former opponent in Soilleux from Loughborough University. They were captained by Toby Drummond well known in Yorkshire league cricket circles and also included batsmen Lambert from York and Shuffe from East Bierley. Perhaps the least known of their number was Elech Ahmed from Afghanistan, but who is currently playing club cricket for Ealing in the Middlesex Premier League. He is another with a long list of clubs including several county second XIs, but is now 39 years old.

After a comfortable opening stand of 73 between Bullen and Wakefield, the man of the moment Billy Root carried on where he left off against Oxford, when he scored 103 and 40 (in only 12 balls). He kept the scoreboard ticking in partnership with skipper Davis yet again. Davis went for 69 after a partnership of 134, but Root batted through to score another century 106 not out in 105 balls. I calculate that he has now scored 287 runs this week in four innings. Quite a few more than brother Joe in the West Indies!

Billy and Joe Root

The final total of 294-5 looked a winning score at first as MCC started slowly but Lambert and Elech increased the pace both making scores in the sixties. With some of the regular bowlers being rested and one or two squad players getting an opportunity the visitors were always in the hunt but needed a rate of about eight an over in the final stages. A really close finish went down to the last over, but eventually although last man Horsley hit a four off the last ball the home side won by just four runs. A good close contest played in the right spirit and more headlines for the prolific Root family.