National Village Cup

posted by John Winn

With one exception all the results from Round 5 of the NVC have now been published and the draw for the sixth round, to be played on Sunday 9th July is as follows.

Cresselly v  Langtons

Astwood Bank v Fillongley

Falkland v  Sessay

Hawk Green or Brook Walton v Cleator

Bledlow Village v Horndon on the Hill

Reed v  Mayfield

Aston Rowant v Rockhampton

Ynystawe v Roche Old Boys

The outstanding tie between Hawk Green and Brook Walton will be played on Sunday with a 1:00  start and will be broadcast on LiveSportsFM

Whilst Headingley and The Riverside have had two days of rain which has prevented any play those championship games where play was possible yesterday produced some remarkable cricket much of it in the last hour of play. In the first division Essex extended their lead at the top to 29 points with a thumping victory over Middlesex whose hopes of retaining their championship, revived a little by last week's win over Yorkshire, now hang by gossamer. In this match Kolpak Simon Harmer became the first bowler since Charlie Parker in 1931 to take 14 wickets in consecutive games. In the second innings he took  9 for 95 as Middlesex went from 252 for 5 to 262 all out. Last man Finn fell lbw with just two balls left. Meanwhile down on the south coast Somerset managed to salvage a draw against Hampshire but find themselves win less after seven matches and just two points above Warwickshire whose hopes of breaking their duck drowned at Edgbaston. Hampshire had tried to salvage something from the rain by declaring at 95 for 5 and came within two wickets of securing a fourth win when Somerset finished on 88 for 8. Somerset skipper Tom Able who is having a wretched season with the bat bagged a pair.

In the second division equally dramatic events were taking place. Derbyshire's win over Glamorgan was their first in the championship for almost two years and the hero here was sixteen year old Hamidullah Qadri who took 5 for 60 as Glamorgan went down by 39 runs at Cardiff. That was small beer however by the standards of Wantage Road where Leicestershire, set 394 to win lost by only two runs to Northants. A century for Ackermann  and fifties for Cosgrove and Pillans took the Foxes so close to what would have been their first win. Nearest rivals Durham closed the gap slightly by watching it rain. It would have been Leicestershire's highest ever successful run chase.

More championship action next week with of course Yorkshire v Somerset  at Scarborough and also cricket at Queen's Park Chesterfield where Durham are the visitors. Leaving partiality aside match of the week is probably Surrey v Hants, fifth v third but Surrey have a game in hand.

Behind the pink ball

posted by John Winn

I went to Headingley on Monday for the first day/night of the championship match, to be played with the much discussed pink ball and with Surrey the visitors. Arriving at 1:00, an hour before wickets were due to be pitched I found  a surprisingly large crowd had assembled. This was put down in part at least to the EGM that had been held at noon but perhaps an additional factor could be that old habits die hard and that those conditioned to years of 11::00 starts had had difficulty filling in the morning.

As is their right Surrey had insisted on a toss and on calling correctly Gareth Batty had given his powerful batting line up first taste of a Headingley wicket situated towards the east side. Whilst we were pretty sure of a full six hours play the weather map for the remaining three days showed little other than blue and so it has proved and as I type, 7:30 Thursday morning, rain has started to fall again in the Lower Ure Valley. Surrey cashed in against an attack shorn of Sidebottom who carried the drinks and which had given up 446 runs in one innings at Lord's the previous week. Led of course by Sangakarra who has almost certainly ended his Headingley career 180 not out and with good support from Burns and Roy, Surrey declared on 516 for 7. There was just time for Lyth to get out, and you may be surprised that he has a lower average than Lees at this point of the season, before rain intervened as it has done ever since and made it unlikely that Surrey can get the 19 wickets they need for victory.

So much for the cricket, what of the experiment? Championship cricket is on the ropes with fewer matches this season and a possible further reduction to come in 2020 when it is believed the traditional form of the game will be confined to spring and early autumn with as much as a three month gap where they will be no four day cricket. With this in mind, whist not exactly welcoming the experiment, I was prepared to give it a go with the pill sweetened by the availability of some
test players and the fact that all 18 counties would be involved. Outwardly the aim was to attract a post work audience although the more cynical felt that it was primarily an opportunity to give test players practice against the pink ball. The change in start time presented some problems for the administrators, not least what to call the intervals for while the scorecard called the first interval lunch and the second one tea the pa informed us that we had forty minutes for tea, too long, and twenty minutes for dinner, far too short.

I left the ground at 8:30,  many others had left before, and enjoyed a much easier journey home thanks to the lateness of the hour and was able to listen to commentary on Five Live Sports Extra led by the admirable Kevin Howells. Their main concern seems to have been with the issue of visibility both from the players' point of view and from the commentary box. With midsummer chosen for the trial dusk rather than darkness was likely to be prevalent at close of play and  having spent some time trawling twitter and county websites this issue has been mentioned frequently and sighting the ball seems to be most difficult when neither daylight nor floodlight are in the ascendancy particularly against the background of the grass. Listening yesterday evening to commentary on Warwickshire v Lancashire the unusually high number of dropped catches was mentioned and attention was drawn to the Hampshire match where it seemed at one point that Somerset would have to restart their innings at 8:30 with the score at 135 for 8. Hardly a welcoming prospect but one which was avoided by the return of the rain.

What of the ball itself? The jury is still out here for at one extreme we have records at Chelmsford where Essex hit 542 for 3 against a Middlesex attack that bowled Yorkshire out cheaply twice last week, Surrey's 516 for 7 and Umeed's century for Warwickshire which lasted for more than seven hours. Compare this with the situation at The Riverside on Monday where Durham with their strongest batting line up of the season found themselves on the first afternoon 18 for 5 and then 64 for 7. When Worcestershire batted they sent in Hastings at three and Leach at four to knock some of the gloss of the ball and protect the regular batsmen from any excessive swing. Presumably with the same intention Buttler opened for Lancs last night.

What of the crowds for these 9  matches? Certainly in the north only Monday can be used as a measure and 491 came into Headingley after the watershed but overall the crowd was roughly what YCCC would expect for such a match. Essex riding high, and with a tradition of good evening crowds, reported a 'slightly high than usual' turnout and this seems to have been the pattern. Hundreds rather than thousands being drawn in by the lure of evening cricket at a reduced price but off set by people leaving early to catch a bus or train, not wanting too be too late home, perhaps even in this age of 24/7 employment to go to work or any other of the many reasons that people leave championship cricket before stumps, reasons very often particular to the individual.

Finally I have just opened my copy of The Guardian which contains a report of events at Chelmsford but no other matches are covered other than in the scoreboard section and here for example Lancashire are shown as being on 95 for 2 whereas in fact they are 178 for 4, a lead of 130 over The Bears. In other words The Guardian's coverage of county cricket is even worse than usual, an unforeseen downside of the experiment. Will it be repeated? Impossible for me to say but I would hope that the ECB will do a proper survey to gauge reaction including the opinions of the 80000 or so county members before any decision is taken.

July fixtures

posted by John Winn and Tony Hutton

Saturday July 1st Royal London Cup Final Lord's

Sunday 2nd July Rudgate Cup (Yorkshire Leagues) Quarter finals
York v Stamford Bridge, Treeton v Harrogate, Sheffield Collegiate v Yorks Academy
and Appleby Frodingham v Wickersley
Atkinson Swires Cup Quarter Finals including Masham v Ouseburn (at West Tanfield)

Monday 3rd July ( 4 days)  County Championship Div 1
Yorkshire v Somerset Scarborough
Div 2
Derbyshire v Durham Chesterfield

Tuesday 4th July (3 days)
Yorkshire Academy v Scotland (Weetwood, Leeds)

Wednesday 5th July
Yorkshire over 50s v Durham over 50s (Harrogate)

Thursday 6th July
Yorks II v Durham II T20x2  Marske

Friday 7th July
T20 Blast starts
Yorkshire over 60s v Australia over 60s (Harrogate)
Yorkshire Gentlemen v Harrow Wanderers (Escrick Park)

Sunday 9th July
Village Cup Round 6 including Falkland (Fife) v Sessay
Heavy Woollen Cup semi-finals -
Townville v Woodlands, Kirkburton v Hoylandswaine
Yorkshire League North T20 Finals day at Scarborough
Durham over 60s v Australia over 60s (Burnopfield)

Monday 10th July
St Peter's, York Cricket Week Yorks U19 v MCC
Yorks II v Northants II T20x2 Pudsey Congs
Lancashire under 19s v New South Wales Schools (Todmorden) - 2 days

Tuesday 11th July
St Peter's Yorks U19 v Lincolnshire Academy
Yorkshire II v Northants II (York) - 3 days
Derby II v Durham II (Belper Meadows) - 3 days
Lancashire under 17s v Yorkshire under 17s (Northern CC, Crosby) - 3 days

Wednesday 12th July
St  Peter's Yorks U19 v New South Wales Sydney Schools

Thursday 13th July
St Peter's  Yorks U19 v Lancashire Cricket Board U19
Selby CC  v MCC (150th anniversary)
Last Headingley Evening League fixtures

Friday 14th July
St Peter's  York's U19 v Durham Academy

Sunday 16th July
National Club Championship Last 16 - including Hyde v Hanging Heaton
Minor Counties Cumberland v Northumberland Furness CC, Barrow (3 days)
Minor Counties Cheshire v Wales (Alderley Edge) - 3 days
Sewerby v Yorkshire XI T20 (Steve Patterson Testimonial match)

Monday 17th July
Durham II v Warwicks II T20x2 South Northumberland, Gosforth
Notts II v Derby II T20x2 Worksop College

Tuesday 18th July
Durham II v Warwicks II (3 days) SEC South Northumberland, Gosforth
Yorkshire under 17s v Durham under 17s (Weetwood, Leeds) - 3 days
NYSD League under 21s v MCC (Thornaby)

Thursday 20th July
Womens World Cup semi-final (Derby)
North East Premier League under 21s v MCC (Stockton)
Headingley Evening League play offs.

Friday 21st July
Pennine League under 21s v MCC (Middleton)

Sunday 23rd July
Womens World Cup Final (Lord's)
England Under 19s v India Under 19s (Chesterfield) - 4 days
Village Knock out quarter finals
Black Sheep Trophy Semi Finals
York v Harrogate and Pudsey St Lawrence v Wakefield Thornes
Home Guard Cup Final (Forge Valley CC, Nr Scarborough)

Wednesday 26th July
Durham U19 v Yorks U19 Seaton Carew (2 days)
York and District league under 21s v MCC (Scarborough)
Headingley Evening League Final

Sunday 30th July
Minor Counties - Northumberland v Lincolnshire (Jesmond) - 3 days
Yorkshire Gentlemen v Free Foresters (Escrick Park) - 2 days

Monday 31st July
Derby II v Yorkshire II T20x2 (Alvaston & Boulton, Derby)
Under 19 Test - England v India (Worcester) - 4 days

An uplifting few days

Posted by Tony Hutton

Yet another example of brilliant cricket photography from the Whitby Gazette.

Those of you who read my last epistle may have thought that recent developments in the cricket world were getting me down. However I am pleased to say that the last few days have brought a resurgence of enthusiasm for the game. I must admit it doesn't take much and a few days of watching cricket at Woodhouse Grove School, Adel cricket club, Driffield cricket club and particularly at Swinton Park, near Masham last Sunday have encouraged me to believe that cricket is after all alive and well.

Woodhouse Grove School entertained the MCC at Apperley Bridge last Thursday in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and good weather, where sitting on the bank in front of the school buildings watching a team of experienced league cricketers taking on the young schoolboys demonstrated cricket as it should be played. MCC's captain Paul Hutchison declared with the total on 184-8 in mid afternoon with Foster of Harrogate CC top scoring with an excellent fifty following the dismissal of two members of famous cricketing families in Andrew Bairstow and Chris Kippax.

The young school team put up a good performance early on and a close result looked possible until the tailenders fell away as could be expected and MCC were winners by a margin of just 23 runs. An excellent contest in good surroundings and excellent conversation with Stan and Kath Dawson (former deputy head of the school) made this a day to savour.

Woodhouse Grove School


The day wasn't over as very much a local derby in the Headingley evening league between Adel and New Rover gave us some more exciting cricket again played in the best of spirits. New Rover, now with a large Asian contingent, looked a useful side and although they fell away towards the end posted a challenging target of 132-7 in their twenty overs.

Adel came out all guns blazing with young Zeeshan Siraj, as we have come to expect, blasting five fours and a six in thirty from just twelve balls before being inevitably caught on the boundary edge moments before his father arrived to watch. The other opener, another youngster, Tom Harrison, watched by his uncle, played more circumspectly and finished the game on forty five not out as Adel coasted to victory in 16 overs. As ever the sage of Adel, Reg Parker, was my companion and kept me and all the other spectators well informed and entertained.

Friday was a day off for domestic duties and Saturday brought a visit to Driffield, capital of the Yorkshire Wolds, where the home team, strengthened by the return of their prodigal son Tom Kohler-Cadmore, took on the Yorkshire Academy. The visitors youngest player James Wharton again impressed as an opening batsman with a confident innings of 30 but it was again captain Jordan Thompson who held things together with a good solid innings of 70 in a final total of 224-9. Opening bowler Matthew Taylor again impressed with some lusty hitting at the end of the innings.

When Driffield started their reply all eyes of a substantial crowd were on Tom Kohler-Cadmore who has recently joined Yorkshire from Worcestershire and in the process returned to his home club, Driffield. After an innings of 191 not out for Driffield last week and a double century for Yorkshire seconds at York, he made his intentions clear from the word go. He really went after the opening bowlers Fisher and Taylor in a big way and raced to 49 off just eighteen balls with three fours and six sixes. He hit Taylor for four successive sixes, going down the pitch and hitting him straight back down the ground into the middle of the third team game going on on the back field.

After the fourth six he played on to the delight of the bowler who sent him on his way with a rather exaggerated send off. It did seem to me that K-C was rather over the top (in more ways than one) in his attitude to the game and should perhaps have been less punishing and played a more mature innings. In the end his early dismissal cost his side the game as Logan and Thompson both took important wickets in their first spells. To my surprise they were taken off and all the other bowlers given a turn, which led to the one big stand of the innings between Sam Drury and skipper Danny Broumpton.

Driffield in action at Kings Mill Road


These two put on 89 for the sixth wicket, Drury leading the way with top score of 68 and his captain giving solid support with 28. They looked to be heading Driffield towards victory but the return of Logan who took 5-45 and skipper Thompson, who took the last two and finished with 4-30, saw the Academy to victory by 23 runs.

Finally on Sunday I was fortunate enough to come across a rare match at the lovely Swinton Park ground, situated in front of the luxury hotel near Masham and where only a handful of games are played each season. The game was between a local wandering Sunday side, The Hawks and East Prawle from South Devon who also only play friendly cricket and were in Yorkshire for a two match tour. This was a light hearted affair of thirty overs a side in the most beautiful surroundings, with batsmen all retiring without argument after notching twenty five. One of the visitors fielders was dressed as a pink flamingo, which was no doubt some penalty for an offence in the previous match.
The best bowler around, with everybody getting a turn, was a young nine year old with a real talent for bowling straight, unlike many of his team mates.

Swinton Park

All good fun with the happy band of tourists mixing with the locals and all enjoying the day to it's full extent. The bonus for us was the excellent waiter service from the hotel, bringing drinks to spectators and players alike. A marvellous end to a most enjoyable few days which shows that at many levels at least cricket is still a wonderful game.

It's A Knockout

posted by John Winn

Clubs still involved in the Village Cup and The National Club Championship were in action yesterday and although not all results are yet to hand it looks as if the weather allowed all ties to go ahead.

In the Village Cup it was Round Five and those results that have appeared on the competition play cricket website show wins for Mayfield, Rockhampton, Bledlow, Horndon, Reed, Aston Rowant, Astwood Bank, Falkland and holders Sessay. Falkland, winners of the Scotland Group entertained Staxton who made the long journey from the Scarborough area to the Kingdom of Fife, and the hosts came out on top by eight wickets with 13 overs to spare and they are now through to the last 16 and a home tie on July 9th with holders Sessay. Sessay progressed to the last 16 by beating East Ardsley by 13 runs. Full results for yesterday's game should be available in the next couple of days and I will post an update later in the week.

In the National Club Competition all results are available at ecb.play-cricket.com. Tie of the round saw holders South Northumberland beat York at Gosforth by 4 wickets with just under four overs to spare, South North will now entertain Ormskirk in the last 16 at home on July 16th.  Next round fixtures available on the website. One disappointing feature to report is that Cambridge Granta conceded their home tie with Swardeston.

A lovely morning in the Lower Ure Valley and time to do a few jobs before setting off to Headingley where it looks as though we should get a full day and night's play but the forecast for the remaining days is not good and my weather app is showing heavy rain for LS6 for both Wednesday and Thursday. Gates open for members at 11:30 and there is an EGM in the Long Room at noon. For non members gates open at 12:30. After 5:00 adults can gain admission for £10, seniors for £5 and juniors free of charge if accompanied by a paying adult.

Whatever happened to the spirit of cricket?

Posted by Tony Hutton

I know cricket is only a game but.......... Sadly there have been a lot of buts floating about the cricket world during the last week or so. The media and social media have been full of stories which in many cases defy the imagination. Somehow it has been that sort of a season with controversy always in the headlines, particularly for that intrepid band - the followers of Yorkshire cricket, not to mention those of Durham who have been so harshly treated. Cricket seems to be getting even worse than politics and I have felt a rant coming on for some time.

I suppose we might start with the ongoing saga of the City T20 proposals to start appropriately, some might say, in the year 2020. The eminent magazine The Cricketer and it's editor Simon Hughes (also known as the analyst) produced in it's June edition a so called Debate on this thorny question. It seemed to me to have been heavily loaded towards those who thought it was a good thing together with a handful who were sceptical and even less who thought it was a bad thing. A more even handed approach might have been more helpful.

What really got under the skin of many of my friends, including my fellow blogger John Winn, was the following extracts from Simon Hughes own views. First 'The BBC Sport bosses' eyes glaze over when you mention the word 'county'. I thought they glazed over at the mention of the word 'cricket'.
Then the worst of all 'Well marketed and staged T20 (minimising laddishness) in decent venues will attract women and families and rejuvenate the game. The gains will be much greater than the losses of a few thousand disgruntled county fans.'

First question how do you minimise laddishness? Don't ask the football authorities. What is a decent venue? There aren't many of those left. How do you attract women and families to come and sit in the cold after nine o'clock at night to watch a game they don't understand? Finally as one of the many thousand of disgruntled county fans (I suppose he means members) you have already lost me and I suspect far more than just a few thousand.

With all that off my chest perhaps we can turn to the antics of the ECB and presumably the England team management and selectors. Why are these people taking every action they can to devalue the county championship in everything they do? I will not dwell on the subject of Johnny Bairstow and the refusal to allow this splendid cricketer to actually play the game. The total absence of all the country's leading cricketers not only devalues the county championship but it shows a great disrespect of the traditions and history of this splendid competition. which has produced all the greatest cricketers in England's longstanding achievements in Test cricket.

The latest fiasco surrounds the selection of the England Lions team for meaningless fixtures against a very weak South Africa A side. It had been announced with great fanfares that next weeks round of championship matches would contain all the England players, to experience pink ball cricket and floodlights, even though they are unlikely to be required at this time of year, but for one game only.
They would not be seen again by their counties for proper cricket for the rest of the season. Now we have the totally insane statement that players such as Gary Ballance of Yorkshire and Keaton Jennings of Durham will be allowed to play for two days only and then will be whisked away to play for the Lions.

Who dreams up these ideas and how do the counties re-act to them? Unfortunately the hierarchy at Yorkshire CCC are in a quandary. How can they complain about the actions of the ECB when the top man, Mr Colin Graves, has bankrolled them and saved them from financial extinction and whose family trust could pull the plug on them at any time. I am assured that the county's feelings have been expressed to ECB on numerous occasions but all I can say is not forcibly enough. I have seen Bairstow, Root and Adil Rashid grow up through the Yorkshire Academy system and hoped to spend my retirement watching them perform regularly for the county side. This seems unlikely ever to happen again. What a travesty, which I am convinced is the feeling of many more followers of the county game.

None of this may seem to be anything to do with my headline question, but I think it has. The whole traditions and spirit of the game are being undermined by all these things. The ECB and their predecessors have failed to market the county championship. I have campaigned for years for a match of the day type highlights programme on television. Also nothing has been done by the powers that be to halt the demise of proper reporting of the game in the national press.

Finally on a subject which has hit the headlines on social media in Yorkshire this week has believe it or not concerned a second team cup competition in the Bradford cricket league - The Priestley Shield. Pudsey St Lawrence 2nd XI were playing Brighouse 2nd XI and racked up a record score of well
over 500 with two players making double centuries. Brighouse batted for one ball, scored one run and then declared to forfeit the game.

What did not appear in early reports was the fact that Brighouse had only nine men, all Muslims who were fasting during Ramadan on one of the hottest days of the year. Publicity has been given to a record team score and a record individual score in the league. Apparently efforts were made to ask the home side to declare to make a proper game of it but this was refused. The whole matter, together with some allegations of crowd mis-behaviour, has been referred to the league committee. We await their ruling, but to me this whole story is against the spirit of cricket completely and any so called 'records' should be deleted.

Easy pickings for The Cherrymen

posted by John Winn

I began my cricket watching last Saturday with a visit to Whixley CC, the nearest club to my house. A little over ten years ago the Score Ray Lane club lost their pavilion in an arson attack and for several seasons had to use temporary accommodation for changing and refreshments. A new pavilion was built in traditional style and opened by local MP Nigel Adams exactly three years ago today and the following year Whixley made the move from the Wetherby League to the Nidderdale.

Whoever was responsible for deciding that the first XI should be placed in Division 3 did a good job for they have bedded in nicely at that level. With the season approaching the halfway point the Cherrymen find themselves handily placed in fourth position. This Saturday they visit South Kilvington , currently second but only two points ahead of Whixley.

Last September Whixley took the bold decision to plough up and reseed their outfield and despite the arid spring and early summer conditions we have experienced in the Vale of York the field looks in fine fettle with these splendid nets the latest addition to the facilities.

Saturday's visitors were strugglers Thornton le Moor who batted first but could barely lay bat on ball against the opening attack of Dan Lever and James Smith. One or two eyebrows were raised when twenty year old Lever joined from neighbours Ouseburn this season but he has made the most of the opportunities the switch has offered. His eight overs yielded just nine runs and although he went wicket less he and Smith pegged the score to nine without loss before spin was introduced in the 12th over. When I moved on to Ouseburn after more than an hour Thornton had reached 31 for 2 but the combination of Pat Greenwood, six wickets, and Josh Forster, four wickets, saw them take tea at 54 all out off 31 overs.

Checking the website on Sunday morning I was staggered to find that Whixley had knocked the runs off in under six overs with that man Dan leading the way with 37 not out including seven fours. 15 extras helped things along to secure a nine wicket victory. Two miles away Ouseburn II were getting something of a shredding at the hands of an experienced  Hampsthwaite II team who stand second in Division Four after nine matches. Star man here was opener Bartlett who hit 160 not out and with the first wicket falling to a run out it was left to the younger of the Lever brothers, Jack, to take the only wicket to fall and as Ouseburn rather wilted in the sun Hampsthwaite finished on 280 for 2. Most of Ouseburn's batsmen got a start but they fell just a shade over 100 short to leave them in mid table.

Yesterday afternoon I popped into Clifton Park for a couple of hours and watched Derbyshire II making a good reply to Yorkshire's 302 in which Jack Leaning had top scored with 76. A very good crowd here enjoying the warm weather, although we did have a little shower just before lunch. Plenty of familiar faces some of whom will no doubt be at Headingley on Monday when Surrey provide Yorkshire with an opportunity to refloat their championship challenge. This of course is one of nine matches next week starting at two and with floodlights available for use. I know this had divided opinion and it is certainly not convenient for those who travel distances by public transport, but I am happy to support an initiative that seeks to get more people watching first class cricket and will be bringing a flask of cocoa for the supper interval. I note that Durham are offering admission for £5 after five o'clock, expect a bit of a queue at about 4:55.

A better day

posted by John Winn

This week Glamorgan are the visitors at The Riverside for championship action for the first time since 2004.  Familiar names from that occasion when they won by 201 runs include Croft, Maynard, Wharf and Cosker for Glamorgan and Killeen, Muchall and Breeze for Durham The two captains then, Robert Croft and Jon Lewis are now the head coaches for the two counties.The only player to survive the passage of thirteen years is current Durham skipper Paul Collingwood although his appearance in 2004 was delayed until the third morning for, having been released from England duties at Lord's, he was delayed on the M1 finally arriving in time to capture three wickets including that of Croft.

The introductory paragraph has delayed the need to describe Monday's play which made viewing that would probably make live transmission of the Brexit talks seem exciting. Glamorgan opted for the toss, won it, decided to bat and when stumps were drawn after 96 overs they had 'amassed' 221 for 7, five to the perspiring Rushworth on a day of temperatures rarely experienced at The Riverside, temperatures sufficient for us to forsake our usual vantage point for a more shady area. By tea when, with some relief I set off for home, Glamorgan were 147 for 2 with Australian Selman, already a centurion against Durham this season, holding things together with dogged support from Salter and Ingram. For the more loyal Durham supporters things perked up after tea with five wickets falling but no improvement in the scoring rate.

Back again yesterday and back to our usual seats on a cooler and altogether livelier day. Wagg and Marchant De Lange, oh my Emrys Davies of long ago, were at the crease and showed a much more positive attitude than anything seen on Monday taking their eighth wicket partnership to 66 before the South African was pouched at slip, the first of three wickets for McCarthy. Coughlin was the tastiest cheese on the Welsh Rarebit, going for almost four an over with the tail enjoying too much short stuff. Credit to Sunderland born Matthew Potts, playing just his second championship match who had 2 for 59 off his 23 overs. Collingwood made his Durham debut two years before the youngster was born.

Cook and Steel, the latter opening in place of Jennings who is on Lions duty, saw us through to lunch but Cook, for whom this is his last match in Durham's colours and who by his own admission has been disappointing, fell shortly after the interval for 14. Steel and Burnham back from injury both got starts but Steel fell for a sucker punch from De Lange and Burnham went to a slip catch that rebounded to Ingram. Enter Collingwood, not delayed on the M1 or anyway else and with Clarke added 185, a record for Durham's fourth wicket against Glamorgan. Clarke reached his maiden century but went to the Cullen De Lange combination for 109 just before the close leaving Pringle to see things out with his skipper.

The forecast for the north east today indicates some heavy showers with the added prospect of thunder and lightening which may spoil the promising position Durham find themselves in just 14 in arrears with six wickets in hand. Having considered a third day travelling up the A1 I have decided instead to tick off a few jobs and then slip over to York where Yorkshire II are taking on Derbyshire. Sunny intervals on the menu here.

A weekend with Sheriff Hutton Bridge CC

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 17th June at Weetwood, Leeds proved to be one of the hottest days on record at this traditionally cold and windy ground. Today forced one or two hardened spectators to look for shade and there wasn't much of that about. There was some concern early on that Yorkshire Academy didn't have many specialist batsmen in their line up. One absentee was Harry Brook for the good reason that he has been selected to play for Yorkshire first team at Lord's on Monday. Having seen his three recent second eleven centuries at Kibworth, Headingley and Scarborough we can only wish him the very best of luck and are sure the centuries will come at the higher level with regularity in due course.

Another absentee was regular Academy opening batsman Ben Ainsley and although this has not been officially substantiated it is rumoured that this very promising player has decided to call it a day on his potential cricketing career with Yorkshire. One can perhaps understand his thinking with so many ahead of him in the pecking order such as Gibson, Rhodes and Brook but possibly the final straw may have been the recent signing of Tom Kohler-Cadmore from Worcestershire. All will no doubt be revealed soon. T.K-C himself announced his return to his home club, Driffield, with an innings of 191 not out obviously putting his duck for the county second eleven last week behind him.

Weetwood in the sunshine earlier in the season.

However back to the action at Weetwood where Sheriff Hutton Bridge were the visitors. They are a side which has done well on their promotion from the York Senior League having produced Matthew Fisher, the current Yorkshire player whose two brothers are currently in the side as well. Karl Carver one of the county's spin bowling prospects is also in their ranks and will no doubt be delighted to have been part of the winning team at Taunton last week. They batted first on a wicket which made run scoring look difficult all day and were struggling somewhat on 41-3 having lost both openers Mark Fisher and Louis Foxton for 14 each. Both were caught behind by Read off Matthew Taylor's opening spell.

When Pinder also went cheaply followed by Karl Carver, perhaps batting a bit high at number three, the Academy looked to be on top. Bridge captain Russell Robinson had other ideas and his 49 not out provided the backbone of the innings. Ed Barnes was unable to repeat his form of last week and Jack Shutt, the off spinner, put in the best bowling performance with 2-33 off thirteen overs. Sheriff Hutton Bridge were able to bat out their fifty overs with a rather modest final total of 163-8.

When the Academy batted with all rounder Matthew Fisher and second wicket keeper Ben Birkhead opening, the lack of specialist batsmen was very apparent. Matthew Fisher after a fast start was soon bowled by brother Mark and soon the Academy were 52-4 with not a lot to come. The one major hope was skipper Jordan Thompson, fresh from a century for the second eleven at Scarborough and with several good scores behind him recently. True to form his battling 33 brought the Academy back into the game although scoring continued to prove difficult against some accurate bowling and good fielding.

Read and Barnes both gave good support with 29 each but when Barnes went on 158-8 six runs were needed for victory. Only one more run was scored as Taylor was caught behind for twelve and then with only one further ball remaining  number eleven Jack Shutt was clean bowled by Collins for a duck and the visitors has won by just four runs. It was later revealed that this was the Academy's first home league defeat since August 2015 so a real feather in the cap for the Bridge.

The following day, Sunday 18th June, it was off to Clifton Park York on yet another hot sunny day with a cloudless sky where once again Sheriff Hutton Bridge were the visitors. This time a Rudgate Cup game played for by clubs in both Yorkshire premier leagues, North and South. The tie had been delayed due to York's commitments in the national knock out competition.

View of York CC pavilion across next door neighbour's ground at Clifton Alliance

Yet again the Bridge batted first and yet again it proved a difficult day for scoring runs. The early batsmen all got into the teens and then were out and the middle order of Robinson, Gill and Grose all got into the twenties and then no further. So in what was scheduled as a 45 over game, SHB were all out for 171 in 39.2 overs. Duncan Snell dismissed both openers with his medium pace perhaps to the surprise of some of his team mates and then the 'old firm' of spin twins Tom Pringle and Dan Woods got to work, Pringle taking 4-34 and Woods 2-48.

Yorkshire prospect Matthew Waite came in at number three after Snell's early dismissal and virtually won the match with a fine innings of 66, which included twelve fours and two sixes. He got good support from MacAuley and Booth who both scored 32. Despite a late clatter of wickets with Mark Fisher taking three and Karl Carver two, York were comfortable winners by four wickets with fifteen overs to spare. They will now face Stamford Bridge at home in the next round on Sunday 2nd July.
Before that they have a challenging National Club knock out tie away at South Northumberland next Sunday.

York current league leaders have lost several of their regular players this season, including both McKendry brothers, but seem to have been able to bounce back and are making progress on all fronts. A very busy second half of the season awaits. Sheriff Hutton Bridge will be disappointed to have lost to York yet again (they were beaten in the league's T20 competition last week) but they can take heart from yesterday's win against the Academy and try to improve their position in the top half of the league table.

York is not the most photogenic of grounds so during the interval I was tempted to visit the adjoining ground of Clifton Alliance where a York Vale League cup game between Alliance thirds and Ovington was going on. Here are a few views of this attractive ground

Tree inside the boundary at Clifton Alliance

The hanging baskets of Clifton Alliance.

The championship fights back

posted  by John Winn

In this month's edition of Cricketer magazine the editor Simon Hughes makes the case for the City T20 competition which it seems almost certainly will be part of the English domestic season from 2020. Hughes believes that it is imperative that cricket in this country attracts a new audience particularly drawn from young children and women. He argues that a city based competition with a generous sprinkling of overseas players but minus England's test players, 'well-marketed and staged....minimising laddishness in decent venues will attract women and families and rejuvenate the game. The gains will be much greater than the losses of a few thousand disgruntled county fans.'

It was this last sentence that caused me to take to twitter a couple of weeks ago in a state of dudgeon identifying myself as one of the few and from September when my subscription expires, a former reader of the magazine. With help from Tony and similarly disgruntled persons quite a storm was stirred up which even provoked a response from the editor and several from Huw Turbevill, one of the magazine's contributors. If by fans Simon Hughes means members then their numbers are difficult to calculate but between fifty and sixty thousand seems a reasonable estimate, a sizeable number to lose and a challenging number to replace with a new audience.

From 2020 we will have two T20 competitions and as I mentioned in a recent posting the skeleton structure for that season shows that there could be as long as three months without any championship cricket, in other words even more so than at the present the four day game will be confined to April, May and September with high summer and the school holidays set aside for white ball cricket. Can the county championship, the breeding ground for test cricketers, survive this treatment? Until this year we had a  nicely balanced competition with an even number of teams in each of the two divisions and everybody played everybody else home and away, but the number of matches has been reduced, eighteen teams have been divided into divisions of eight and ten and we see less and less of our best players.

In spite of these changes and what some see as a sentence of death for a competition dating back to the late nineteenth century the championship in 2017 seems reluctant to leave the stage and has taken on an cloak of unpredictability in both divisions which has produced an unfamiliar look to the tables and some exciting finishes. In Division 1 where promoted clubs have found it difficult to survive, undefeated Essex, last year's Division Two winners, head the pack with three wins under their belt including one earlier this week over Surrey. The struggling Bears go to Chelmsford on Monday and the following week Middlesex visit, two matches for which one assumes Alastair Cook will be available, but after which he is not likely to wear the Seaxes until September 19th. Just three points behind Essex are Yorkshire who on Monday squeezed home by Christmas Eve three runs at Taunton in a finish that I was privileged to hear broadcast on line. Yorkshire go to Lord's next week where the winless champions find themselves well off the pace, 44 points behind Essex and in sixth place. At Old Trafford, Lancashire, currently fourth, entertain Hampshire whose influx of South Africans has helped them mock their reprieved status and who are only 4 points behind Yorkshire.

In Division Two undefeated Notts are setting a cracking pace and will fancy their chances when Leicestershire, spared from bottom place only by Durham's points deduction, visit Trent Bridge. Second Kent meet third Worcestershire at New Road, each with a game in hand on Notts. And adding to the spice of unpredictability, Northants are fourth with four wins chalked up but without a game next week. Bottom of the heap and still in the negative zone are Durham but in each of their last three matches a first win has been possible at the start of the final over of the final day, two of these have gone against them, Northants winning with a ball to spare, Glamorgan with three, and the third drawn when the last Kent pair could not be separated. The return match with Glamorgan starts at The Riverside on Monday as do the other five matches and the following week the even numbers of teams in each division allows all eighteen to be in action and with test players available. Springtime in The Rockies! 

Finally I have touched briefly on the impact the loss of Alastair Cook on test duties might have on Essex's prospects of holding on to their lead and of course there are other England certainties like Broad and Anderson who will also be missing championship games from the beginning of July, but who will open with Cook? To find Hameed in the Division 1 batting averages you have to scroll to 75th for 174 runs at 19.33 and Jennings, who cashed in when Hameed was injured during the winter, lies 36th in Division Two averaging a whisker under 40. Skipper Root will I think be reluctant to step up. Names you might like to consider over your Friday evening sharpener include Stoneman, Robson and Westley and let's not forget Jason Roy for clearly leaving him out of a winning side on Wednesday was a mistake.

Yorkshire on top in Second XI Roses match

Posted by Tony Hutton

With fine weather forecast for the week ahead Tuesday 13th June was a good day to be in Scarborough where Yorkshire Second XI faced Lancashire in a three day championship game.
Despite a poor start with both openers Brown and Turner out to Wainman's bowling with the total on 14, the visitors batted steadily all day to post an all out total of 350 just before the close.

Sunny Scarborough

Play get's underway

Robert Jones, of whom Lancashire have high hopes, and veteran Procter certainly turned things round with a partnership of 128 against the five man seam attack of Yorkshire. Indeed there seemed to be very little variety in the bowling until the off spinner Jack Shutt was introduced somewhat late in the day. Procter batted sensibly for almost three hours before being caught behind by Read off Warner for 62.

Procter and Jones not out at lunch

Wainman, the left armer, stuck to his task well all day and he took his third wicket by clean bowling Jones, who had played the innings of the day making 93 including fourteen fours and one six. Obviously very disappointed by his dismissal so near to a century Jones, like so many young men these days, failed to raise his bat in acknowledgement of the crowd's applause as he returned to the pavilion.

Jones on his way out - sick as a parrot

Guest, the South African wicket keeper, also played a useful innings making 67 before becoming another Wainman victim. Lamb and Lilley, with a quickfire 36 also made handy contributions and Lancashire were no doubt happy with their total of 350 at the end of day one. Wainman was far and away the best bowler with 5-79.

Day two was even warmer and had quite a decent crowd compared to day one when the first team were in action against Surrey at Headingley in the fifty over competition. With some excellent batting by Yorkshire to entertain them, most of the spectators were equally impressed with Lancashire's over rate throughout the day. In the morning session of two and a quarter hours they managed to bowl 42 overs when most county first teams struggle to bowl 32 in that time.

42 overs before lunch - unheard of!

The loneliness of the long distance cricket watcher

During the morning session Yorkshire were well on their way with an opening partnership of 82 between Brook and Tattersall, who was again captaining the side. He had made a tidy 32 before he was caught behind by Guest off Lilley's off spin. Enter Yorkshire's controversial (in some quarters) signing from Worcester Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who had fielded at first slip all day yesterday and possibly only touched the ball once when he got his hands to a hard chance which went down.
Like many before him he marked his first appearance with a duck being caught behind this time off Procter. No doubt he will score runs a plenty before too long.

Kohler-Cadmore faces Lilley (but only briefly).

As so often this season Harry Brook was the hero of the day with his third second XI century in just over two weeks, to add to his three for the Academy and numerous others for Sedbergh School. He must surely have reached one thousand runs in all cricket already this season. Today he was rather more subdued, happy to take the singles as well as the usual number of boundaries and five huge sixes when the spinners Parkinson and Kerrigan were in action.

Brook goes to his century

In the last over before tea with the total on triple 'nelson', 333-4, he made his first slight mistake by just raising his heel as Lilley fired one down the leg side. George Lavelle, a highly thought of youngster who has done very well as batsman wicket keeper with Lancashire under 17s had taken over from Guest at lunchtime. He made a brilliant leg side stumping and Brook, on 161 and well within sight of a double century had to go. His disappointment was clear to see but at least he did
make a slight raising of the bat to acknowledge the standing ovation.

To be fair to Brook he did make a point of raising his bat to the spectators at both ends of the ground when celebrating his century. Before he was out he had been given good support by both Callis and Gibson who each made scores in the twenties. Gibson rather the quicker of the two as usual. When they were both out another man in form Jordan Thompson had joined Brook in a partnership of 128.
Thompson, who captains the Yorkshire Academy side, is a man who does not hit the headlines very often but his recent performances have been invaluable and today he really cashed in.

Thompson starts his innings

After Brook was out Thompson was joined by Josh Shaw, who is returning to Gloucestershire on loan for two months, following his successful spell there last season. The two of them put on another century partnership this time 116 and took the score to 449-6 by which time Thompson had scored 127 off 127 balls with eleven fours and two sixes. A magnificent innings.

On day three Yorkshire batted on and Josh Shaw, who had already scored a century at High Wycombe earlier this season, filled his boots again with 89 and Wainman showed he can bat too with 56 not out before the declaration eventually came on 585-8. Lancashire required 238 to avoid an innings defeat. Again two early wickets for Wainman and again Procter, together with Lamb this time, began to turn things around. Fifties for both of them before Thompson took two quick wickets and at 169-6 Yorkshire were within sight of a famous victory.

However it was not to be as Procter and Lilley batted Lancashire to safety and the match ended in a draw with a final score of 212-6. Procter who batted for over six and quarter hours in the whole match saved the day with 65 not and Lilley was 20 not out at close of play.

Yorkshire Academy go joint top of the league

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 10th June saw yet another windy Weetwood day with a delayed start due to persistent rain for the Yorkshire Academy who were entertaining new visitors in Clifton Alliance promoted to the Yorkshire League North at the end of last season. Their attractive ground is next door, in fact just over the fence, from York cricket club's base at Clifton Park thus leading to one of the closest 'derby' games of all time.

Harry Brook, sporting squad number 88, joins Jared Warner in the ranks of the junior professionals.

The newcomers got off to the worst possible start by loosing four wickets with the total on 19. Aussie opener Jack Beath was the first to go, caught by Shutt off Taylor's bowling and then Ed Barnes came to the party in a big way taking three more wickets all at the same total. Skipper Scott Hopkinson tried to stop the rot and held things together with the top score of 45 and a partnership of sixty with Jamie Butt.

When Hopkinson was finally out, again to Barnes, the score was 100-6 and Clifton Alliance were eventually all out for 126 in the fortieth over when 14 year old number eleven Thomas Brown was unfortunately run out by his partner trying in vain to keep the strike. Ed Barnes who played for England under 19s last season ended with the splendid figures of 6-35 from nine overs.

Ed Barnes clutches the match ball as he leaves the field.

Last man out for Clifton Alliance, Thomas Brown (right) - note the three wise men in the background

With Harry Brook in such good form recently an early Academy victory was anticipated, but they did not have it all their own way. Brook who has been awarded a junior professional contract this week is now the proud possessor of a Yorkshire squad number but today he managed only 37 (a low score for him). Yorkshire were then 71-3 and soon 85-4 so Alliance were still in the game. However skipper Jordan Thompson has also been in splendid batting form of late and clinched the game with another valuable innings of 33 which included five fours. Young Thomas Brown did have an impact on the game dismissing Imtiaz and finishing with respectable figures of 5-0-25-1.

The Academy went joint top of the league with York as Harrogate's game with Hull controversially started late and then was abandoned due to further rain with Hull 83-6

A change of plans

posted by John Winn

A text from my friend Les Pennington yesterday morning informing me that the village cup game between Studley Royal and Staxton had been put back a week threatened to spoil my Sunday. For various reasons, not least Saturday's weather, I had been cricketless for a week but I was rescued from an afternoon in front of the tv by a message from Tony informing me that he was watching Yorkshire Under 15 v Cheshire at Harrogate CC, just a twenty minute drive from my house.

I arrived at St George's Road to find that the pleasant early morning weather had given way to darkening skies and a very strong wind that meant watching in the open air
was a very unpleasant experience. Yorkshire had won the toss and made steady but slow progress and two third of the way through their fifty overs were 115 for1. Attempts to accelerate led to a loss of wickets and only a marginal improvement in the run rate and the innings closed on 202 for 5 with rain delaying the start of Cheshire's reply.

When they did get underway Adams and Begg put on 50 for the first wicket and were still together when further rain came at 52 for 0 after 7 overs. At four o'clock I texted Les who was hanging out at Hanging Heaton to say that we had very heavy rain and a very strong wind but only a few minutes later the sun came out, the players removed the covers with remarkable speed and play resumed immediately, no mopping up, no sawdust, but simply let's get on with it. Seemingly unhampered by a wet ball Yorkshire's spinners got to work and after 18 overs Cheshire were 86 for4 and the lady parked next to me beside herself with joy for her nephew had taken two of the wickets. In lovely sunshine but with a wind high on the Beaufort Scale, spectators cars shake a bit, Bailey and Latter tried to rebuild but the admirable Cheshire twitter feed reports that the innings closed on 173, a victory by 29 runs for Yorkshire.

I am indebted to the Cheshire tweeter for throughout the afternoon the progress of not only under 15s but under13s and under 12s was reported. The match I saw was an ECB U15 County Cup Group 1A with Derbyshire, Lancashire and Notts making up the rest of the teams in the group. The next match in the group is on Wednesday when Cheshire take on Lancs at Grappenhall CC. 11:00 start. Yorkshire are next in action on Sunday at Worksop College v Notts with wickets pitched at 11:00. Yorkshire will be home again on Sunday 25th when they face Derbyshire at Pudsey SL.

I attach a picture of Scarborough CC where Yorkshire II take on Lancashire II in a SEC match beginning tomorrow and from where our correspondent will bring readers a report in due course.

Yorkshire win the Second XI Trophy

Posted by Tony Hutton

The cynics among the small handful of second eleven cricket watchers that were in attendance for this important cup final may have felt that events had conspired against the home side as Yorkshire faced Middlesex at Headingley. Firstly the all important first team had taken a squad of fourteen players to Taunton for Friday's Championship game with Somerset, thus depriving the second team of three regulars, Karl Carver, Matthew Fisher and Matthew Waite. Secondly because of Middlesex's three day game which ended yesterday, it was decided that this 50 overs a side contest should be played as a day night game commencing at 2.p.m. which meant it would go on to well after 9 p.m.
An added problem was the dreadful weather forecast which suggested heavy rain on and off throughout the day. Indeed the second day's play at Weetwood just up the road had already been abandoned before lunch due to yesterday's torrential rain.

The rain duly arrived at regular intervals and the game was twice shortened in terms of overs, first to 41 overs a side and then to 38 overs when Yorkshire had completed their innings. The fact that Friday, with a good forecast, was available as a reserve day did not seem to enter the calculations.
There were some plus points however, in that food and drink was available until a late hour, something that doesn't often happen during second eleven games at Headingley. Both scoreboards and even a public address was in operation - another surprise!

The covers were on and off all day at Headingley.

Middlesex fielded a strong looking side, with Nick Compton, former England batsman, as captain. He won the toss and asked Yorkshire to bat which might have been a good decision with bad weather likely and knowing how many runs to chase. However, the in form Harry Brook played yet another splendid innings to turn the game very much Yorkshire's way. The floodlights were on from the start, but really had little effect, even later on. Brook's fifty came up in only fifty balls and  he went to his third century in a week in splendid style. He was well supported by Ryan Gibson, with an even quicker fifty and then another from skipper Will Rhodes.

These two players, who have been on the verge of the first team for some time now must be very concerned first with the arrival of Australian Peter Handscomb and now by today's announcement that Ben Kohler-Cadmore is arriving from Worcestershire immediately, rather than at the end of the season. So Rhodes and Gibson will be pushed even further down the pecking order. They both deserve better than this.

Harry Brook celebrates.

The groundsman performs the Indian rope trick - does this really work?

Yorkshire's innings finished on 265-5 after 38.4 overs when the rains came again and Middlesex were never really in the game when play eventually restarted. Despite a fifty from Compton they were eventually all out for 179 well after 9 p.m. Jack Shutt, the young off spinner finished off the tail very quickly with 4-12 and Yorkshire won the trophy with ease. Brook will no doubt get the headlines, but this was an excellent team performance, with all the bowlers and wicket keeper Read contributing.

Close call for the Academy

Posted by Tony Hutton

Sunday 4th June and again we resisted what proved to be the final day of the Roses match at Headingley to travel only a few miles south to the ground of Wakefield Thornes, who last year were crowned as Yorkshire's top club by winning the play off final against Pudsey St Lawrence in Abu Dhabi. A rather less exotic situation perhaps but none the worse for that greeted the Yorkshire Academy side fresh from another good win at Acomb yesterday, complete with yet another century from the young prodigy Harry Brook.

Wakefield Thornes pavilion.

Today was the second round of the Rudgate Trophy, previously known as the Yorkshire League Cup. With the League having been split into two divisions last season this competition now takes in teams from the two separate leagues. So the Academy from the North faced Wakefield Thornes from the South who they have probably not played before. The strong wind blowing down the Calder Valley made things unpleasant not only for the players but several of the spectators retreated to their cars for shelter. The weather did improve, despite one short stoppage for a rain shower and the Academy were pushed all the way by the home team.

Play gets underway.

The home side batted first in this forty five overs a side contest. After they had lost three early wickets including their star man David Toft the Academy probably thought they were in for an easy ride. This was certainly not the case and and in the second half of the innings the middle order of Joe Cook, Faisal Irfan and Akila Isanka set about the Yorkshire bowlers. Irfan top scored with 45, including seven fours and Isanka made a rapid 29 off thirty balls. Fisher, Warner, Barnes and Logan all took two wickets each. Best figures belonged to Logan with 9-1-19-2. Really outstanding in a total of 198-8.

James Logan in the middle of a fine bowling spell.

Yorkshire's coaching staff look on approvingly.

Harry Brook started in typically aggresive style and hit four fours and one huge six onto the pavilion roof before trying another big hit which he skied into the covers. Out for just 24 but he had put the visitors ahead of the rate with rain threatening. Jared Warner, playing on his home ground, made just ten and Matthew Fisher a useful 27, but it was left to skipper Jordan Thompson, who scored 50 yesterday at Acomb, to play another captain's innings of 75 not out to see the Academy home.
He received useful support from Ed Barnes with 21 near the end and finally Logan impressed with bat as well as ball being there with the captain on 11 not out as the Academy won by just two wickets.

Down by the Riverside (again)

Posted by Tony Hutton


Some people may be surprised that I left the Roses match behind me on day two and instead travelled north for a day by the Riverside at Chester le Street to see Durham taking on Northamptonshire. Being of dual nationality (father from Yorkshire, mother from Durham) the northernmost county has always had a strong place in my affections and particularly this season after their stringent deduction of points following their enforced relegation. Durham need all the help they can get and nice to see John Winn travelling all the way to Swansea to support them. They came so near to victory in that game and surely their first victory must be just around the corner.

Unfortunately yesterday after being put in they were soon put out again. All out for just 166 with a career best bowling performance by young Nathan Buck, formerly with both Leicester and Lancashire, who took 6-34. Top scorer for Durham was Michael Richardson with only twenty seven, so a poor day for the batsman. Northants, without star man Ben Duckett, another absentee due to England Lions commitments, also struggled to 59-3 overnight. Why should counties loose their best players for tin pot matches such as this against a poor South Africa A team?

Holden plays himself in.

The overnight batsman were Max Holden, on loan from Middlesex, and Chesney Hughes who I remember seeing get a big double hundred for Derbyshire at Headingley some years ago. I had also seen Holden in action before captaining England under 19s against Sri Lanka at Northampton last season. Well today was to be his day, batting altogether for six and a quarter hours, before he was caught behind off Paul Collingwood for 124. This was his maiden first class century and he looks to have the same powers of concentration already shown by Lancashire's Hameed.

Holden celebrates his maiden century.


At almost the same time as Holden reached his century we learned that Adam Lyth had also done so at Headingley. Having been witness to a wedding party at the ground during the tea interval you could say it was a day of two centuries and a wedding. There was nearly a third century as Northants plundered the below strength Durham attack and Josh Cobb, unwilling to hang about in the nineties as Holden had done, took one swing too many and was well caught by Collingwood at slip for 96.

Holden and Cobb take the applause at tea time.

Rossington, yet another former Middlesex man, had given Holden good support earlier and made a quick fire 65 which really put the visitor's in the driving seat. Although the tail collapsed somewhat at the end with Paul Coughlin having excellent figures of 27-10-49-5 being easily the outstanding bowler of the day, Northants finished on 376 all out which was a lead of 210. Durham managed to cut the deficit slightly with a close of play score of 78-1, Jennings the man out, in the wonderful evening sunshine.

Paul Coughlin leads Durham in after a fine bowling performance.

Durham start their second innings in the evening sunshine.

Indeed it had been a perfect day, not only the weather, but a goodish crowd spread around the entire ground, unlike Headingley with the Western Terrace still unpopulated, apparently due to stewarding concerns which do not seem to affect any other ground in the country. The whole atmosphere for watching cricket is so much more pleasant here, together with a walk in the park, alongside the river, together with ice cream during the lunch interval and picking up two excellent volumes at the wonderful second hand bookshop during the tea interval. What more could you ask for?

Well dinner with sister in law number one at a pleasant village pub half way home down the A1
provided a splendid end to the day as the birthday celebrations continue unabated!