My local weekly newspaper can be relied upon at this time of the year to publish an excellent preview of league cricket in its readership area which covers Harrogate, Ripon, Boroughbridge, Wetherby, Knaresborough. This week's edition is no exception with a full commentary on prospects in Yorkshire Premier (North), York and District, Aire Wharfe, Nidderdale, and Wetherby leagues.
Most attention centres on the first of these which starts life as an amalgam of those clubs from the northern part of the area which previously formed the Yorkshire Premier League and the six highest placed clubs in last season's York League. Last Saturday's fixtures for example included clashes between York and Dunnington, Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Yorkshire Academy and Harrogate and Woodhouse Grange. Alas as we all know only too well almost all league cricket was postponed in advance after the last few week's wet weather but York and Dunnington managed to squeeze in a 24 over game which York won with ominous ease and in the arid east Driffield were comfortable victors over Scarborough. This week's tempting morsels include Acomb v Harrogate, Woodhouse Grange v York and Castleford v Sheriff Hutton Bridge. Ed White, Sports Editor, places his emphasis on Harrogate's prospects and sees them as one of the favourites to secure a play-off place. Skipper George Ross describes several changes in the squad including the import of New Zealander and opening bat Dion Sampson and Matthew Good signed from New Farsley. Ben Coad has made the short trip from Studley Royal and will share the cherry with Tom Geeson-Brown.
Looking at the York Senior League attention focuses on two clubs who have switched from their traditional haunts, Pannal, champions of Nidderdale in 2015 and Wetherby who join them from the Wetherby League in what both clubs see as a leap in the dark. They will play in Division Two Galtres* where they will come up against the likes of Ripon, Thirsk and Tadcaster Magnet. In the Premier Division clubs will be seeking promotion to the Yorkshire League, keenest perhaps will be Easingwold, who finished seventh last year, one place below the cut off for promotion.
Wetherby CC have left behind a league which has struggled to hold onto clubs in recent years but Div 1 starts with 12 clubs and St Chad's Broomfield defending their title. Kirk Deighton, runners up in 2015 are fancied to be near the top but their skipper Rich Ward believes the league will be more competitive this year. A sad note is the recent resignation of Amaranth CC from the league and as a consequence one club will have a blank fixture each Saturday in Division 3.
Aire Wharfe and Nidderdale Leagues later in the week.
Pocklington CC who have teams in Div 1 and Div 3 (Ebor) of the York League.
* 'Galtres' covers those clubs in the north of the region and 'Ebor'those in the south with the dividing line drawn through the city of York. The Premier and Division 1 remain 'unregionalised' and at a quick glance the longest journey in the Premier Division is between Studley Royal and Hull Zingari, a distance of over 80 miles.
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