End of season blues

Posted by Tony Hutton

So soon after the euphoria created by the Middlesex v Yorkshire game to decide the championship came the decision to relegate Durham, with considerable other penalties as well, which John Winn and many others have expressed their outrage. I share these views and feel that the ECB have shot themselves in the foot with several recent decisions which do the county game no good at all.

It is a sad time anyway with only two games remaining this coming weekend at Arthington, which will really be the end of season. I am hoping to do a comprehensive blog covering all the games of the Arthington festival, which last Sunday saw what is likely to be the last match played by the Teeside based wandering club Doghouse. They have entertained us right royally for many years and not that long ago had a full fixture list of Sunday matches throughout North Yorkshire and the North East on some of the loveliest grounds around. Sadly in today's environment they struggle to raise a side for more than a handful of games, a problem not confined to Sunday cricket.

Anyway as today is national poetry day, I feel moved to try and write something more cheerful on a rare venture into this alternative genre.

END OF SEASON

The cricket season's over
and we never got to Dover.
We went to many places,
all with familiar faces.
Of course to Scarborough fair,
a place beyond compare.

We ended up at Lord's,
surrounded by the hoards,
but that ending cannot beat
the Minor Counties treat.

We had been to Tattenhall,
to Whitchurch and Colwall,
Kendal and Sedbergh School,
enough to make you drool.
We enjoyed the peace and quiet
and a very healthy diet!

Now a plug for two cricket books to enjoy during the months ahead. Firstly I was fortunate enough to attend the Northern Cricket Society meeting at Headingley last Tuesday when author Martin Howe talked about his recent book on former Yorkshire and England captain Norman Yardley. To assist him he brought along the twin sons of Yardley and all three of them contributed to an excellent evening, particularly for those of us who remember the 1940s and 1950s. The book is published by ACS (The Association of Cricket Statisticians).

The second volume is the sort of book I would like to write myself  'Sweet Shires' by Dave Morton published by SilverWood Books of Bristol. It is a paperback story of his cricket watching all over the country and is full of excellent colour photographs - I just wish mine were of the same high standard. Dave was born in Yorkshire and seems to have overcome the handicap of spending most of his life in Lancashire very well. A wonderful book ideal for people who collect cricket grounds.