Cricket weather all week

Posted by Tony Hutton

Wall to wall sunshine, light winds rather than howling gales, and a perfect week for watching cricket.
Ignoring such 'big matches' as the Lancashire v Yorkshire game at Old Trafford and the one day international at Headingley, we enjoyed cricket at the other end of the scale where the crowds could be counted in tens rather than thousands. Much more our scene and always someone we know to talk to from the ranks of the professional cricket watchers.

New Rover cricket club, Leeds

Monday 22nd May and close to home we had Leeds Beckett University playing St Andrews University at the Richmond Oval, home of New Rover cricket club, just off the northern Leeds ring road.
The visitors had journeyed the long distance from Fife in an executive mini bus for this BUCS championship game, whereas Leeds Beckett would be travelling to Edinburgh later in the week. If you cannot identify Leeds Beckett they used to be known as Leeds Metropolitain University and their twitter site still goes under the heading of Carnegie Cricket. All very confusing and they do not seem to be as all powerful as they once were under their old title.

First time I had seen St Andrews and they created a good impression with some good fielding and tight bowling. Few Scottish accents around and you got the impression they were nearly all Englishmen. Top batsman for Leeds Beckett was a Lancastrian, Sam Kershaw, who has played for Derbyshire seconds. He took advantage of the batsman friendly conditions with a fine century ending up with 112 out of a challenging total of 278.

Sam Kershaw acknowledges the applause.

The visitors were never quite in the frame although they put up a good performance and contributed to an excellent days cricket at this splendidly appointed ground, lovingly tended by former Headingley groundsman Keith Boyce, who was delighted with the dry conditions which have prevailed for most of the time since the season started. In the end St Andrews were all out for 220, with Leeds Beckett's opening bowler N.Hill taking five wickets.

The following day we were off on our travels again across the Pennines to the Northern cricket club at Crosby for day one of the Lancashire second eleven three day game with Worcestershire. This is an affluent area of Merseyside and it does seem strange to hear the Scouse accents at this well appointed complex, with no less than three cricket grounds and a very new looking artificial surface for hockey and five a side football, together with a well appointed club house.

 

The two teams line up at Crosby for a minutes silence in memory of the victims of the Manchester bombing.

These two teams had played a very tight one day trophy match at Neston in Cheshire the previous day, with Lancashire gaining a one wicket victory which took them through to the quarter finals of this second eleven competition. Worcester's defeat meant that Yorkshire took the second qualifying place in the northern section with Somerset and Sussex the two top southern sides.

 

Professional cricket watchers in action at Crosby

Worcester batted on a green looking wicket and were soon in trouble against the varied Lancashire pace attack of Mahmood, Lester, Lamb, Procter and most effectively Liam Hurt who looked the quickest of the lot. Westbury, who has been scoring heavily for Worcester recently was out for nought, followed by Rhodes for 16 and Kervezee for a bright and breezy 46, which included nine fours. Then Hurt, who has played for at least six different county sides, as well as MCC Young Cricketers, appeared and destroyed the middle order in no time, clean bowling Hepburn, having Whiteley lbw and then having Dell caught at slip. Worcester had slumped to 111-7 before lunch.

Nelson strikes again

After the interval, when the wicket seemed to have eased,  former England Under 19 player Malik and a young man from South Australia Connor Dudley, who is a batsman despite coming in at number ten, put together a good partnership of 68 to take the score beyond the 200 mark. Malik finished on 63 not out and the aggresive Dudley has made 35 with five fours and one six before being caught on the mid wicket boundary by Lilley going for another big hit. The last pair then put on another thirty runs leaving Worcester 239 all out, almost respectability after their poor start.

Northern cricket club at Crosby

Turner, Brown and Jones were all out cheaply when Lancashire batted, but old hand Proctor together with Bohannon steadied the ship and Lancashire looked in a strong position by the end of the first day. Again the early breeze dropped later in the day to give another splendid summer's evening.

Next day, Wednesday 24th May and off north east to Riverside for day two of another second eleven championship game between Durham and Leicestershire. Durham had started badly yesterday and after collapsing to 49-6 had recovered well to make 219 all out. Leicester batting on this morning got a first innings lead of 51, with good contributions of 66 from former Durham man Ben Raine and 46 from Sykes.
Adam Hickey bowled a long spell of off spin during the morning session and ended with figures of 4-86.

 

Lumley Castle at Chester le Street

Here the attendance was much less than Crosby, possibly no more than twenty people in this huge ground. However we were entertained throughout the day by our Hartlepool correspondent Mike Taylerson and our Sunderland correspondent Michael Carney. They were later joined by the grandfather of the Durham seconds captain Adam Hickey, who also added to the occasion and the humour.

Leicestershire in the field at the Riverside.

Grandson duly obliged with a fine knock of 81, with many classic boundaries and duly raised his bat to our small gathering when he reached fifty. Opening batsman Jones from Scotland also made a solid 88 before being caught when trying to hook the veteran Charlie Shreck. As usual the mixed bagged of players who appear in county second eleven games was of interest. No less than three of the Durham side had been playing for MCC Young Cricketers on our recent venture south. One often feels that some county second team players hardly get introduced to their team mates before taking the field. All good stuff however and now it's time for two days off to catch up with domestic matters.