Someone once said that a week in politics is a long time - well this week in cricketing circles has seemed even longer. It started of course last Monday when Leeds/Bradford University had scheduled four days of cricket during the week. In the end Monday's result proved to be the only game to be played out. After watching most of the play from inside my car, I returned to see an exciting finish.
I can now reveal the game ended in a win by 10 runs for the home side after various readjustments to the total required in the last over due to six penalty runs awarded for a slow over rate. Leeds/Bradford had made 189-7 in their 50 overs but after a long rain break the revised Duckworth Lewis target became 212 in 28 overs. Cardiff were in fact all out for 202 off the last ball of the last over. So at that point Leeds/Bradford were happy with three wins out of three in the one day competition. Cardiff may feel otherwise at having to attempt such a steep target.
Fast forward to Tuesday when a two day game between the same two sides was due to start. Sure enough it did start but not for long and after less than an hour's play with Cardiff twenty odd without loss play was abandoned for the day due to snow, hail, rain etc. Much more of the same on Wednesday when Cardiff had progressed to 30-0 off only five balls before the game was abandoned.
However Wednesday was also the start of other University cricket in the same area of North Leeds and I did manage a few overs of Leeds University Thirds v York St Johns at Adel cricket club. The home side had made 46-0 when the heavens opened again and both sides took off for home. Not to be totally outwitted I persisted and when the sun came out eventually later in the afternoon I called in at New Rover cricket club and to my surprise found that Leeds Beckett University had been batting for about an hour against Leeds University first team.
Sunshine at New Rover
Here were riches indeed for about another hour or so where the fourth wicket pair of Matthews and Barr laid about the bowling in no uncertain fashion both progressing well past the fifty mark with a series of fours and sixes to all part. The score had got to 180-3 when of course it had to end and eventually the huge black cloud approaching from the south west arrived and deposited yet more rain which ended the proceedings there too.
Six over long off for Leeds University
Thursday was unusually a day with no cricket scheduled locally - probably just as well.
However Friday brought another twist when North Leeds woke up to quite a good covering of snow. Leeds/Bradford were due to play Solent University from Southampton in another BUCS one day game, but despite a Tweet suggesting groundsman Robbo and assistant Rudolph (!) were clearing the snow, that game was also abandoned without any play. A further tweet said a bowl out would take place followed by a snowball fight but no results for either are yet available.
Which brings us to Saturday and if any weather forecast can ever be believed again, we
had a suggestion that it might be dry. So off to Dunnington in the Vale of York, allegedly one of the driest places in Yorkshire. Dunnington are one of the newcomers to the new Yorkshire Premier League North and were due to entertain the Yorkshire Academy. Here we came across fellow blogger Brian Sanderson who has already described his day. It was of course a bit soggy and play started late but Yorkshire batted and started briskly until the inevitable black cloud followed by rain appeared. Another long stoppage and news from nearby York that their game was off, a washout despite a prompt start, sabotaged one alternative. The Academy did eventually salvage a victory at Dunnington in a 20 overs per side thrash. Academy 137-7 (Ainsley 52) Dunnington 52-8 (Logan 4-10). West Indian Collis King, who will be 65 in June, batted at number eight for Dunnington and faced fifteen balls without scoring!
West Indian legend Collis King (picture by Graham Morris)
As a long delay was forecast at Dunnington off we went again when it was discovered that Harrogate v Scarborough had played throughout the afternoon. We arrived at the tea interval after Scarborough had completed their innings of fifty overs and must have just missed John Winn's early departure which he mentioned in his blog. Here the sun came out and despite yet another Duckworth/Lewis revised target after much discussion between umpires, captains and scorers, Harrogate achieved the target of 184 with ease and only three wickets down and overs to spare.
Four for Tattersall at Harrogate
Former Yorkshire batsman Johnny Tattersall who played for Derbyshire Seconds this week scored 52 not out and skipper George Ross made 40. It turned out a lovely evening with the sun shining in peaceful surroundings just how cricket should be
played. Let's hope this will be the light at the end of the tunnel. More about Yorkshire's day at Trent Bridge today to follow.
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