Saturday 27th May began in warm sunshine with a prompt noon start for the Yorkshire Academy taking on Hull at Weetwood, Leeds in the Yorkshire Premier League North. Current form suggested an Academy victory against the lowly visitors but they put up some stern resistance from opener Simpson 70 not out and skipper Grey 43 which had taken them to 128-2 in thirty overs. Around two o'clock the approaching dark clouds from the south west which had been getting nearer and nearer finally released a very heavy downpour which drove the players and spectators indoors or to their cars.
Two hours later the sun came out again and we returned to the ground, but still no play in progress.
We had seen play had re-started just across the road at New Rover who were playing Bardsey in Division three of the Aire Wharfe league. Here we were in time to see Mark Dinsdale progress from 80 to 123 before he was out after some big hitting which took the home side's score to 270-8. At which point they declared after only 45 overs. This gave Bardsey an equal number of overs in which to go for the rather daunting target. They made a brave attempt but finished 44 runs short on 226-9.
News had by then filtered in that both the game at Weetwood and Yorkshire's one day friendly with South Africa A at Headingley had been abandoned without any further play. It transpired that the rain over Yorkshire had been very hit and miss and the Academy were most unlucky to have the only game in their league which was abandoned, all the others having a positive result.
A different day on Sunday both in terms of the weather and the type of cricket we watched. Rather than make the long journey to Nottingham for County Championship cricket on Bank Holiday Sunday where Notts had already made Gloucester follow on, we trawled the internet for something more local.
We had cancelled a proposed trip to Ampleforth College a couple of weeks ago due to wet weather so felt very fortunate to discover a game between the Old Amplefordians and Yorkshire Gentlemen scheduled for 11.30 on Sunday. Added interest as well when we discovered a girl's cricket festival on the adjacent number two ground between Yorkshire Under 15s North and Yorkshire Under 15s South.
The beautiful sunny weather lasted the whole day through and the wonderful setting of Ampleforth as ever was a delight. We also revelled in this old fashioned form of cricket, no overs involved, lunch at 1.30, a declaration mid-afternoon, tea at 4.30 and the last hour started at 5.30. The first person we spotted was the ubiquitous Geoff Barker (have bat will travel) who now plays for the Olicanian Club in Ilkley, but is best known to us for his regular appearances at the end of season Arthington cricket festival in September and October.
Geoff was sitting with his pads on, ready to go in at number three, and had quite a long wait before he entered the fray as the openers put on a leisurely fifty odd runs in about an hour and a half. Sadly it was not his day and he was given out lbw for only one and had to make the long walk back to the impressive pavilion.
During the lunch interval we were able to watch the start of the girls' match on the next door ground, with it's small black and white, almost doll's house like pavilion. They were extremely enthusiastic and watched by a large crowd of proud parents and grandparents around this delightful small ground.
It all reminded me of the many schoolboys festivals for under fifteens which were staged here until a few years ago, when you would see four games going on simultaneously on the different pitches available. Don Wilson, the former Yorkshire spinner was then in residence as the cricket coach and always made a most humorous farewell speech when presenting the prizes.
After that we saw the visitor centre and the tea room in the Abbey premises. What an imposing structure it is and how lucky the pupils at the College, who have some of the best sporting facilities anywhere with cricket and rugby being the two most popular sports. The Yorkshire Gentlemen had lost wickets fairly steadily during all this and finally declared at 153-9. Nothing particularly exciting occurred although opening batsman O'Kelly top scored with a rather dour 60. It didn't really matter with the occasional striped blazer doing a circuit or two and some excellent looking picnics being eaten on the boundary edge, the atmosphere was of cricket days of long ago and how refreshing it was.
Making our way home via country lanes we could not resist making a slight detour to call in at the very off the beaten track village of Sessay, last visited about twenty years ago. The local team are of course the current holders of the national village knock out trophy and were defending their title against Moorsholm from the other side of the North Yorkshire Moors, near Saltburn.
The visitors had batted first and were all out for 122. Sessay were well in control and we saw them to an easy victory with wickets in hand in front of a very large crowd at yet another attractive ground, with a distant view of the White Horse carved into the hillside above Kilburn. Another very pleasant occasion and we were delighted to see none other than fellow blogger John Winn doing a circuit fresh from his return from Swansea. We look forward to his account of proceedings.
