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.
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.
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
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