Ron and John's blushes are spared

posted by John Winn

At about three thirty this afternoon chatting with my friend Ron Needham, we were in agreement that the only thing stopping Warwickshire II from winning their match with Yorkshire II inside the next twenty minutes or so was the tea interval which was likely to delay the finish until after four o'clock. The sensible course, Ron and John agreed, was to leave now and avoid the traffic.

COLEMAN AND WEBB IN TWO HUNDRED STAND

Having had a relatively smooth ride home I checked total cricket scorer to find that far from being all over, the game had taken a twist with Warwickshire six down and still forty short of their target of 336. At 272 for 2 with Webb and Coleman having added over 200, being particularly severe on Craddock, 0 for 63 off 9, the coup de grace seemed close at hand but one does sometimes bring two and both Bears' batsmen were dismissed at that score and with two more wickets falling it was left to the seventh wicket pair of Thomason and Adair to see the visitors through to what had seemed at start of play an unlikely win.

T.R CRADDOCK

I had left home this morning feeling that if Warwickshire batted anything like they had done in the first innings then an early finish was in prospect. 336 to win was a daunting prospect for any side, let alone one that had been dismissed in under three hours first time round. When, at 66 for 2, Coleman and Webb came together, a Yorkshire victory still looked likely but by lunch time the more pessimistic white rose devotees were beginning to express doubts and in a rather unlikely fashion they were to be proved right.

 YORKSHIRE COMING OFF AT TEA TIME  THINKING ABOUT DEFEAT.

I spent much of the day in the company of Tony and Jennifer and by sitting with our backs to the wind and gaining some shelter in the lee of Tony's car, al fresco watching was just about bearable especially on the odd occasion when  the sun broke through. Of the Yorkshire bowlers who had the longest spells Coad and Carver were the most economical but it was Waite who broke the big third wicket partnership when he had skipper Coleman* lbw and then Webb, who only last week was playing championship cricket against Durham, went the same way to Carver. The two wicket takers repeated their success before the undefeated stand of 45 saw Warwickshire home.

Finally an apology. In Tuesday's posting I said that Worcestershire's substitute had been Ryan Derrick, but I am very reliably informed that such was not the case and that not only did I give the wrong name I also gave the wrong county for the young man was not Mr Derrick but Mr McKendry and not of Worcestershire but Yorkshire.While both share the same first name (Ryan) and 50% might get you a decent grade in GCSE Maths it is not an acceptable mark in player identification. To add to my woes I have seen Ryan McKendry play on several occasions. Readers will be pleased to hear that I have an appointment at Vision Express in York tomorrow morning. Mea Culpa.

* I look forward to seeing Coleman play against Durham and being caught Mustard with or without Onions.