On Saturday the weather was typical of the last few weeks, a cold wind from the east but with no threat of rain and I mapped out a visit to a number of new grounds in the Goole area. First stop was the small East Riding village of Pollington, just a mile south of the M62, for a Pontefract League Division 3 with visitors Nostell St Oswald batting. Largely through byes and despite the presence of a fielder best described as long stop, they made a brisk start. The ground is a small one but neatly kept and I found shelter from the stiff easterly, unimpeded by any high ground in this area, on a bench in the lee of a hedge. The first wicket went down at 13 when Whelan was lbw to Richard Ellam but the Saints descended from 139 for 5 to 144 all out with Moosa Patel taking six for 38. To some extent Pollington's innings mirrored that of St Oswald's with a clatter of late wickets falling to Jamie Buttery but the homesters got home by 1 wicket and man of the match Moosa, 36 not out.
From Pollington it is a short journey to Carlton Towers but one that took me past a sign saying welcome to North Yorkshire. The history of this York and District league Club is an interesting one for it was founded in 1858 by Lady Isabella Beaumont for the benefit of workers and tenant farmers who played in the grounds of Carlton Towers until the late nineteenth century when they moved across the road to the present ground in Fish Pond Field. Their opponents on Saturday in a York League Division Two Ebor Section match were Hemingbrough. Carlton just missed out on promotion last season and while I watched from the shelter of the car their openers made very swift progress with a hundred up without loss by the time I left after 16 overs. The ground has a large playing area with the pavilion set against an impressive stand of trees and the large space available for parking had attracted a number of spectators. Towers built on their flying start to reach the impressive score of 384 for 5 but Hemingbrough held out at 186 for 6, a result which gave Carlton 26 points to their visitors 7. This morning's table shows Carlton second and just three points behind leaders Bridlington.
Back into the East Riding and to Carr Lane, the home of Goole Town CC with Castleford visiting for a York League Premier Division game and at 2:45 a deserted field, Goole had been bowled out for 105, catching the refreshment department on the hop but the players were soon tucking into a knife and fork tea while I enjoyed more modest refreshment in the impressive pavilion, opened by Chris Old in 1996. Amongst the many photographs on display were two showing Goole teams from the 1930s as winners of the West Riding Cup, a competition for which they were eligible at that time when the inland port came under the auspices of the West Riding County Council. Castleford, relegated from Yorkshire Premier North in 2016 lost early wickets which suggested they might struggle but got home with six wickets and plenty of overs to spare, a result that leaves them in mid table with the pace being set by Sessay and Studley Royal. Goole are just one place above the relegation zone.
Heading east from Goole and crossing the River Ouse via Boothferry Bridge I passed through the historic market town of Howden, a town given to the Bishops of Durham by William I in 1080. My next match was at the small village of Eastrington, York League, Division Four, Ebor Section. Here tea was approaching but the hosts and a reasonable number of spectators were enjoying some late order hitting, 7 sixes in all, against Carlton Towers II. 247 for 8 looked a good score on a wicket that looked a bit grizzly, rain needed here, like just about everywhere else, but Carlton held out at 142 for 9 to take 7 points to the host's 27. In a division where the lead is shared by Bishopthorpe and Pocklington II Eastrington lie fourth and Carlton T 8th.
Resisting the temptation to revisit Goole to see Shakin' Stevens in concert I returned to North Yorkshire and a game in my third league of the afternoon, the York Vale League. Here on ground within a community playing facility it was Hemingbrough II v Thorpe Willoughby and tea just coming to an end but not too late to sample a fresh pot especially made for me. In a Div Two match Hemingbrough had posted 184 for 6 but this proved not enough as newly promoted Thorpe Willoughby got home by six wickets. So five new grounds, three leagues and apart from Hemingbrough all within the DN14 postcode area.
Just three miles east of Eastrington lies the village of Gilberdyke (postcode HU) who have two teams, a first XI in the York League Conference, Division 1 and a second XI who play under the same umbrella but in Eastern Conference Sunday Division West. West indeed for the clubs include Knaresborough, 53 miles from Gilberdyke, a somewhat curious state of affairs and a long journey for the Knaresborough lads on alternate Sundays.
Players of Eastrington and Carlton Towers II line up
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