First a footnote to John Winn's report on Yorkshire 2nd XI v Warwickshire 2nd XI. He and several others felt that the game would not last very long on the third day with the visitors in a perilous position. However quite a few people, like ourselves, fancied a morning in the sunshine with the chance to go elsewhere later.
We were all taken by surprise when the Warwickshire tail wagged to give them a lead of 138, due in the main to 45 from 17 year old Yates with good support from Panayi and Phagura with 29 each.
Yorkshire of course did win the match by seven wickets, but not until half an hour after tea at 4.30 p.m. Lees was out cheaply but Harry Brook, who had taken the place of Leaning, got a quick 36, Tattersall a very slow 34 not out and Steve Patterson, promoted to the dizzy heights of number five, a confident 45 not out with eight fours.
So it was five o'clock before we arrived at Alwoodley Gates where the Grammar School at Leeds were entertaining MCC. Brian Senior and Geraldo were still in attendance, somewhat relieved by John Taplin's early departure. The MCC had made 218 but when Eitan Litven, the school's star man and former Harrogate wicketkeeper, departed the rot set in and MCC were comfortable winners.
On Wednesday the visitors' bowlers toiled away in the sunshine aiming for maximum points from first innings lead. The Durham top order were all in the runs, Will Fraine, from Huddersfield and Worcestershire, made 34and Ed Pollock 54 but the star of the day was Joe Cooke from Hertfordshire who captains the Durham side. He stuck around for three and a half hours and made a fine 103. With the score on 241-3 Durham may have had brief hopes of taking the lead by the end of the day, but a fine spell of bowling from left arm spinner W.G. Holmes taking 5-64, chipped away at the stubborn Durham tail and bowled them out for 367.
Leeds/Bradford had time to bat again and clocked up another bonus point reaching 77-3 in just eleven overs. So nineteen points to Leeds/Bradford who head the table and eight points for Durham.
While all this was going on there was time for a lunchtime stroll across the high level footbridge to Durham Cathedral, down the other side to Prebends Bridge and up the hill again to Durham School another delightful spot for cricket. Durham Under 15s were playing the School Under 15s in a very pleasant and peaceful atmosphere.
Still more later in the afternoon, when a short stroll from the Racecourse took us to Durham City's ground where Durham University 2nd team were playing Leeds Beckett 2nd team. The visitors gaining a famous victory by recovering from 30-3 to chase 246 to win. And finally, when we eventually set off for home there was still time to call in at the splendidly appointed sports centre of Maiden Castle where Durham University 1sts were taking on Newcastle University and a good finish looked in prospect there too.
So four grounds, four games and the sun shone all day. I forgot to mention the pub lunch at the Court Inn near the Racecourse Ground and the afternoon cup of tea at the even nearer Dun Cow, fondly remembered as the headquarters of Durham CCC in their early days of first class cricket. A painting of the Racecourse ground by Martin Speight adorns the wall.
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