Cricket from behind glass

posted by John Winn

Yesterday I made the 30 minute journey across the Vale of York to Moor Farm between Strensall and Sheriff Hutton and where seemingly independent of any settlement,  Sheriff Hutton Bridge CC have a splendidly appointed cricket ground. The club was founded in 1949 and the story of how this came about is documented on the club website. SHBCC, winners of the village cup in 2005, are members of the York and District Senior League, now a feeder league for the new pyramid structure in Yorkshire, and will start their Premier Division campaign next Saturday when the other bridge, Stamford that is, visit Moor Farm.

By way of a warm up for next week 'Bridge were yesterday hosts to Yorkshire Academy, in what is becoming a traditional curtain raiser at the ground. Despite bright sunshine the previous few days warm temperatures had been chilled by a biting wind that condemned me and most other spectators to their cars. By the time I had arrived Yorkshire had made good progress for the loss of one wicket and proceeded to press on at about five an over despite a couple of retirements of successful batsmen. Some lusty hitting at the end took the total to over 270 at the end of fifty overs. Braving the wind I made my way to the clubhouse where photographs and press cuttings record the club's success over the years including their victory at Lord's. Perhaps most significant amongst the displays  are the photographs of successful junior sides which were, the website tells me, introduced in 1979. I enjoyed a cup of tea before making the twenty minute trip to Clifton Park where York CC had a fifty over match with Pudsey St Lawrence.

Any idea that the well appointed bar might afford a good place for watching out of the wind was scotched when investigation revealed it was standing room only. Not all were watching the cricket for the Grand National was coming up shortly on tv, and half time in the adjacent rugby match between York and Middlesbrough brought a quick rise in trade. In the cricket York had batted first and amassed 356 with Lambert retiring on a hundred. PSL never looked like making these and were bowled out for 197 with the wickets shared around. I stayed for about 90 minutes watching from the car and listening to commentary on the football match between York City and Hartlepool being played just a mile or two down the road. I think it was Malcolm Sheasby who likened watching cricket from behind glass to watching goldfish and it is only when conditions like yesterday's force one to take cover that one appreciates how much the sounds of the game contribute to its enjoyment. I even began to miss the constant exhortations of players to their teammates to 'work harder buddy'. Well almost.

Today has been a miserable one in the Lower Ure Valley and perhaps the ECB knew something when they drew up the fixtures for the first round of championship matches and confined them to south of a line drawn through Trent Bridge. Although I note there has been some rain at Grace Road spectators at all grounds have almost certainly seen more cricket than they would have done if matches had been played further north for I see that in the MCCU match at Old Trafford only 32 overs were possible. The forecast for tomorrow for York promises over five hours sunshine, only a ten percent chance of rain and temperatures of 15C. With no cricket in the diary until Tuesday it might be a gardening day.