As Tony mentioned in an earlier posting our paths crossed briefly last Sunday. After a late return from Swansea the previous evening it suited me nicely that the next day I could make the short journey to Sessay near Thirsk to watch the home team, winners in 2016, host Moorsholm from near Saltburn in the North Yorkshire (North) section of the Village Cup.
I arrived shortly after the start of play to find the usual good crowd watching the visitors batting and for a time at least provoking the idea that we might see a close contest. In particular one of the Moorsholm openers was giving it some biff, putting his not inconsiderable weight behind the ball and there were sixty on the board before a wicket fell. Alas that was as good as it was to get for the Langbaurgh League side and they gradually subsided to 122 all out, a score that seemed unlikely to trouble the visitors.
The tea interval provided the opportunity to put in a few laps of this well maintained ground with its view of the White Horse, to the right of the scoreboard in this picture.
Despite a wicket falling before a run was scored, an event which caused a local to mutter something about the Lord Mayor's Show, presumably a reference to Sessay's win at Lord's last year, the holders made smooth progress towards the required total. This was almost entirely due to the smoothest of innings from the Sessay number three and with Moorsholm handicapped by a lack of agility in the field, made worse by an injury to one of the heavy brigade, the win was achieved with twenty overs to spare. The inevitable victory was delayed by a lost ball, which had I been sitting in my deck chair I might have caught, might, but a victory margin of six wickets was a fair assessment of the strength of the two sides and the two leagues in which they compete. I questioned one of the Langbaurgh side as to their progress in league matches, rubbish was his verdict which given a good win over Thimbleby yesterday seems a little harsh.
I apologise for the lack of detail in the above account but a week on from the match the Village Cup website shows nothing but a win for Sessay by ten wickets, which apart from being wrong is not good enough for a competition of this stature. And while I am in grizzling mode could not Sessay find a spare umpire's coat in the locker? One umpire smartly and correctly dressed, the other in mufti is also not worthy of the competition. Perhaps the proceeds of the raffle, tickets for which were still being sold shortly before stumps, another grievance, might go towards a spare jacket. About twenty quid will suffice I believe.
To conclude on a happier note Tony mentioned in his latest posting that Yorkshire II were Westward Ho after their victory at Kibworth to face Somerset II in the semi final of the Second XI Trophy. Pleasing to be able to report that they won a rain affected match and will play Middlesex in the final on Thursday at Headingley. To my surprise this will be a day night match with wickets pitched at 2:00, please note that nobody can be spared to open the Kirkstall Lane gate. More bones of contention than Battersea Dogs' Home.
And even more finally Wicketleaks has seen a draft of the structure of county cricket for 2020 when we will be blessed with the new City T20 competition which will rival the Big Bash but not of course in its loss making potential. The 'few thousand disgruntled county fans' whose loss the editor of the cricketer magazine feels are a fair swap for the new audience of women and children the new competition will attract can look forward to three months without championship cricket. Mr Hughes has got one thing right, 'disgruntled' is the word.
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