Bank Holiday Monday and a dismal forecast for the Leeds area, but looking a bit more encouraging further east. So off we go to Stamford Bridge east of York to see if the Yorkshire Academy could complete a match after the last two were both abandoned due to rain.
Plenty of puddles in the vicinity of the ground suggested a delayed start but as usual the efficient ground staff at Low Catton Road had everything under control and a prompt twelve noon start was made.The home side won the toss and asked the Academy to bat first perhaps feeling that the wicket might be a bit damp. Batting certainly was not easy from the word go and the prolific Harry Brook, captaining the side today, was out very early on. He was lbw to Dominic Rhodes for only one and Rhodes, together with the other opening bowler Luke Robinson, destroyed the top order in quick time.
After 18 overs the Academy were 69-7 and staring defeat in the face, but some determined batting from Ben Birkhead, the young wicket keeper, Eddie Barnes and Alec Drury turned things round somewhat. Birkhead, who had made 92 for Scholes in the Huddersfield League yesterday, played a useful innings of 20 and set the stage for Barnes (31) and Drury (24) to put on a partnership of 52 for the eighth wicket. This still left the Academy all out for 134 which seemed a rather modest total.
With a strong four man pace attack the Academy were not out of it by any means. Matthew Fisher turned the game on it's head with two wickets in his first over and a third soon afterwards to dismiss Stuart Boyle, Mark Tennant and county player Will Rhodes leaving the Bridge on 17-3. Overseas player Donovan Sinclair was then clean bowled by the pace of Jared Warner and it became 25-4.
Some resistance from former York player Ryan McKendry and Dominic Rhodes seemed to be putting the Bridge back in the frame but the support bowlers then took wickets.
Eddie Barnes took two, off spinner Jack Shutt two, with the help of a brilliant diving catch by Alec Drury and Matthew Taylor got rid of the dangerous McKendry. However the last wicket pair of Luke Robinson, who had taken four wickets earlier, and Andrew Healey did not give up easily. Coming together with the score 95-9 they still needed forty more runs to win the game. Slowly and surely they edged their way towards the daunting total. The Academy were getting worried and had to bring back opening bowlers Fisher and Warner with only twelve runs still required. Warner did the trick by clean bowling Robinson for 18 and the Academy were home and dry.
A low scoring game with lots of twists and turns provided excellent entertainment for the hardy spectators of both sides. Good to see both Fisher and Warner restored to fitness and bowling at pace, but another good all round team performance with some good fielding and excellent wicket keeping from Ben Birkhead.
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