Those of us who can remember Phyllosan but might struggle to recall what if fortified turned out in good numbers at Weetwood on Tuesday for the first day of an Under 17 match with Lancashire the visitors. At one point the hospitality box (below) was full and from the cheap seats we looked on in envy as lunch was served. Seated nearby was a gentleman from Lancashire who assisted with identification of his team's players. He was also able to inform anybody interested how to get from Leeds to Accrington by bus, although worryingly not how to get back, and identified the winner of the Canadian Open Golf. Renaissance man indeed.
For many the county under 17 competition is part of cricket's hidden agenda but with patience it can be followed at ecbu17.play-cricket.com. For the championship there are eight groups with five county teams in each and Tuesday's match was within Division 1A where in addition to Yorkshire and Lancashire, Durham, Derbyshire and Cheshire also compete.
On a decent enough morning, better for watching than in the last week's high temperatures, Lancashire won the toss and chose to bat. They lost two early wickets, one to a run out and the other , in the words of the Lancashire coach a 'given out'. Then followed a partnership of 116 for the third wicket between Thomas Billington and Sam Oldham. The afternoon, for which we were joined by John Rex, went Yorkshire's way until Red Rose skipper Nathan Jones boosted the later order with 59 to see his side to 255 all out.
The full scorecard appeared on the website last night and an interesting feature is the presence of 'Unsure of Yorkshire' who despite effecting a run out, scoring 22 runs and taking four wickets remains a man of mystery. Yesterday's rain ensured a draw but that was sufficient to send Yorkshire top, albeit by only two points from Lancashire and with Durham only a further point away. With sixteen points for a win such margins are easily overcome. Durham and Yorkshire meet at Stockton CC on Tuesday while Lancashire and Derbyshire meet at Northern on the same day. Cheshire have completed their matches. The winners will progress to semi finals and then a final at Arundel on 17th to 19th August.
The ECB also run a cup competition for this age group with the finals day being at Kibworth CC Leicestershire on Sunday June 21st.
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