Wet and windy weekend

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 9th July was wet and windy from the word go and not much hope of prompt starts in the vicinity of north Leeds. The rain stopped mid afternoon and we found play going on at Adel, a second XI match with Otley, and at New Rover where they were entertaining Menston, both games in the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

Reduced overs were the order of the day, but good to see stalwarts Keith Boyce and Mel Reuben at New Rover where play had been going on for over an hour. Not so good across the road at Weetwood, where groundsman Richard Robinson was busy mopping up and forecast a start at 4.15 when a 20 overs a side game got underway.

This was between Yorkshire Academy and Sheriff Hutton Bridge, who have been doing very well in the new Yorkshire League North, helped by two Academy old boys Matthew Fisher and Karl Carver. The visitors opened the bowling with left arm spinner Carver, who dismissed both openers cheaply after Harry Brook had hit three fours in a brief innings of 15.

Matthew Waite played a fine innings of 60 with good support initially from Ed Barnes and then Mosun Hussain who finished on 54 not out. Good to see Matthew Fisher bowling again after his recent injury spell but no wickets for him today as the Academy ended on 158-5. The windy, showery conditions continued unabated and the lack of shelter for the few hardy spectators was worse than ever with an almost gale force wind during the second innings.

Fisher started strongly with the bat and made 28 off only 20 balls with two huge sixes.
After that brisk start two wickets to the medium pace of Brook started the collapse and Logan destoyed the middle order to finish with figures of 4-20. Sadly the rain returned with only one wicket to fall and three overs still to bowl. Under the league's new rules the full 20 overs have to be bowled to get a positive result so the Academy were robbed of victory by the weather as Sheriff Hutton Bridge finished on 100-9.

Sunday produced a difficult choice of venues with the Academy playing away at Scholes, last season's Huddersfield League champions, in the Black Sheep Trophy competed for by all the county's senior league winners. However the poor forecast and the difficulty of navigating Leeds City centre with a 10 k race going on led us to decide on Harrogate where they entertained South Northumberland, the leading club side in the North East, in the last sixteen of the ECB National Club Knock Out competition.

Here again we had showers and sunny intervals, with two breaks for rain suggesting another no result and possible replay as in the last round with Hanging Heaton. However the weather relented and after South Northumberland made a challenging total of 239-6 in their 45 overs, thanks to opener Birtwistle with 74 and number 3 Marcus North, the former Australian Test player, with 72 another rain break reduced the overs and the Harrogate target.

The target of 209 was never really in reach, particularly when star man Johnny Tattersall was dismissed for only 11, after a fine innings yesterday which clinched a league victory, but not today when Harrogate were all out for 166 in the 31st over.The home side were missing about three regular players, including captain George Ross, and could not match the experienced men from the north who included several former Northumberland minor counties players. They will no doubt progress further in this prestigious competition now down to the last eight sides.

Monday was a continuation of the wet and windy weather as Somerset second eleven travelled to Headingley for a three day friendly match. An unusual mid season fixture, involving such a long distance journey. Still drizzling with rain at eleven o'clock and no sign of a prompt start and even no action at all for about an hour when it eventually stopped. We did learn from Mr Taplin's very reliable bush telegraph that play would start at 1.40 p.m.

Scorecards did appear at last although we were warned that both teams would have changes in them. The scorecard puzzled most people by suggesting this game was being played not only in June but at York cricket club. Even more puzzling when the scores finally appeared on Total Cricket Scorer it was stated that the game was being played at Heckmondwike sports centre. Most of the few spectators were of an age when they are already confused and this only added to the problem.

Cricket was played and the number of overs on the scoreboard suggested it would go on to 7.30 in the evening. We had departed the scene long before that due again to the persisting high winds which rather spoilt the day despite the odd sunny spell. Good to see Ryan Sidebottom back in action after a long injury lay off but even he was wicket less against some strong Somerset batting taking on a very young Yorkshire attack.

Much interest was taken in young Somerset batsman Finlay Trenouth who last week scored a mammoth 332 not out for Somerset under 17s against Hampshire at Basingstoke. This innings contained 33 fours and 13 sixes. Today however he was not so fortunate being lbw to Wainman for only two, which left Somerset 44-3. That was the end of the bowlers success for some time as Trenouth's Millfield school teamate George Bartlett and South African  van der Merwe both scored centuries and put on over two hundred runs for the fourth wicket.

Bartlett, with both bat and ball, and Trenouth were both outstanding members of Millfield school's team which won the National T20 competition at Arundel last Friday by beating Felsted in the final. Harry Brook also appeared for losing semi-finalists Sedbergh School.

Yorkshire tried nine bowlers but could not contain this pair and the later batsmen and when Somerset eventually declared they had the grand total of 359-6. Yorkshire batted for only 6.2 overs during which Harry Brook was out for only three. He seems to score runs everywhere else but Headingley at the moment. So an uphill struggle tomorrow for a Yorkshire side full of bowlers but not a lot of batting.

Hoping the wind abates tomorrow for the visit of Derbyshire under 17s to face Yorkshire in a three day game at nearby Weetwood.

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