The warm weather tempted me out my comfort zone on Saturday and a fifty minute journey down the M1 brought me to the home of Brook-Walton, the first of five grounds to be visited in The Pontefract and District League, all with Wakefield postcodes.
Brook-Walton, founded as recently as 2013, play in the Walton district of Wakefield at the West Yorkshire Sports Social Club which also hosts football, tennis and bowls. B-W's opponents on Saturday were Streethouse who began batting slightly before the scheduled start time of 1:30. Scoring began with a wide from the first ball but otherwise runs were hard to come by and the first six overs gave up only 19 runs before the first wicket fell to an lbw decision. 'Swinging like a banana' we were told repeatedly by the opener on his return to the dressing rooms, which served the dual purpose of explaining why the ball had hit his pads and also why he should not have been given out.
From WYSCC it is but a few minutes drive to Sandal CC, a ground squeezed in between a busy road and a railway line along which trains pass every few minutes. Hooton Pagnell were the visitors here in a another Div 1 game and were batting at 28/1 off 9. A goodcaught and bowled by the tea lady's son made it 32 for 2 from which Hooton mounted a recovery. I took the opportunity to have a look round the smart little clubroom which has plenty of photographs as well serving a good cup of tea with biscuit (bourbon) for 50 pence. Rather late in the day yesterday the result appeared on the website showing a six wicket win for newly promoted Sandal who find themselves second in their division equal on points on with Fairburn.
Another short drive but away from the city took me to the pleasant semi rural ground at Pledwick, where a decent crowd were enjoying the sunshine and a division four game. Fenwick CC, one time members of the Doncaster Alliance have made good progress up the Pontefract ladder but were struggling at 69 for 7. The eighth wicket pair made a good recovery largely thanks to 51 from Stuart Carrick and were all out for 123. This proved no obstacle to Pledwick who won by 9 wickets, their first outright win of the season. Easy ground to find, just look out for the Pledwick pub on the Barnsley Road, go through the car park and you're there.
A change of postcode from WF2 to WF4, but still not far to travel and I was in Crigglestone, Div 3, with Thurnscoe their opponents in the field, fourth against ninth on the least attractive of the grounds visited but judging by the precautions taken against vandals and arsonists this is not an easy place to sustain cricket. Thurnscoe all out 138 while I was there with 31 extras second top scorer. Crigglestone won by four wickets to go fourth, Thurnscoe second bottom.
I had been warned by the Brook scorer that my last ground of the day, Newton Hill, would not be easy to find and he was right, for although it is off Leeds Road and there is a big pub that acts as a landmark by the time you get to the pub you have missed the very narrow entrance to the lane leading to the ground. But it is worth the trouble for it is a good watching ground with raised banking on two sides and a view over the city. Here it was 7th v 3rd in Div 3 and when I arrived an exciting finish in prospect, Newton had been dismissed for 116 and visitors Brodsworth were 55 for 6, but a change of bowling changed the mood and Brodsworth went to win without further loss, a nice reward for the
small posse of support they had brought with them .
So taking my life in my hands by turning right at the exit I headed to the M1 and home, very pleased with my day out. What impressed me as much as anything about the league was that out of ten umpires only one was a player and all scoreboxes were occupied by proper scorers. Congratulations to all involved and I look forward to making another visit in due course for with 8 divisions there is plenty to go at.
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