Monday 3rd July and North Marine Road, Scarborough despite it's many attractions might appear to be a home for the bewildered. County Championship cricket starting on a Monday to be followed by one lone fixture in August and then no proper cricket again until September. However we must enjoy it while we can. The first day was the pick of the bunch, certainly as far as the home supporters were concerned. Somerset's decision to bat first on a greenish looking wicket surprised quite a few people, but new captain Louis Gregory, who has taken over from the out of form Tom Abell, was no doubt advised by senior citizen Marcus Trescothick on what to do.
Sadly for the visitors and for those who appreciate fine batsmanship it was Trescothick who was first out with the total on twenty. A wicket for Yorkshire's acting captain Tim Bresnan to set them on their way. The two youngsters Byrom and Rouse soon followed during a fiery spell by Liam Plunkett and Somerset were 30-3 in no time. The large crowd were enjoying this and at this stage all seemed well with the world from a Yorkshire point of view.
As we have come to expect recently it did not last long. Another tall young man, Adrian Hose from the Isle of Wight no less, dug in to play an exemplary innings to get the visitors back on track. He played all the bowlers with equal confidence, but perhaps helped a bit by the early exit of Ryan Sidebottom, Yorkshire's main strike bowler with what looked like a side strain. He did not return to bowl for the remainder of the match. Hose stayed around for two and a half hours and was approaching his career highest score when bowled by a perfect googly from Rashid for 62, which contained ten fours.
That was after Yorkshire had got rid of the two class batsmen Hildreth for 32 and Davies for just 16 and Somerset were still really in trouble at 180-7. Yorkshire's young hopeful Harry Brook was making his first home appearance for the first team after his debut at Lord's last week. We have seen most of his fine innings for the second XI and Academy teams this season, but certainly did not expect to see him bowl. He is a gentle medium pacer but filled in more than adequately with five tidy overs for only eleven runs.
Acting captain Gregory went bowled Plunkett for 21 and spinner Leach soon followed him caught by Bresnan off Rashid and Somerset were 207-9 with Yorkshire still very much on top. Sadly Rashid turned very quickly from hero to villain as the last wicket pair of Craig Overton and Tim Groenewald set about him in no uncertain fashion. Groenewald in particular enjoyed the fact that Bresnan kept Rashid on, perhaps for one over too many, and hit him for four huge sixes in the over. Overton was eventually bowled for 35 when Coad was restored to the attack but the damage had been done. Groenewald, the number eleven was left on 41 not out and the partnership had put on sixty one for the last wicket. Somerset all out 268.
Worse was to follow in the final session when Yorkshire lost Lyth, Lees and Handscomb with the the total on 21. The two newcomers Harry Brook and Tom Kohler-Caldmore restored the position somewhat but 41-3 overnight was a poor end to a day that had started so well.
Day two and the weather forecast suggested rain until early afternoon and then a clear spell, followed by more rain, so we gave the cricket a miss before lunch to go to the Spa Orchestra concert, only to find that play had started only a half an hour late and gone through until lunch. During this time they had lost both the overnight batsman for the same score of 31. When we arrived Bresnan and Rashid were trying to improve matters but Bresnan soon became Craig Overton's fourth victim. Rashid and wicketkeeper Hodd put on a valuable 48 partnership before Overton had Hodd lbw for 19 for his fifth wicket and Yorkshire were in all sorts of trouble at 153-7. Soon afterwards the rain arrived, a bit later than expected, and ended proceedings for the day.
A prompt start was made on day three, when things had dried up somewhat, but now we had another problem with a biting cold onshore breeze making things uncomfortable for players and spectators alike. We saw the end of the Yorkshire innings for 213 with Overton's 5-87 the best bowling figures.
With Somerset looking confident in their second innings, and with the temperature getting no warmer we advanced our return home to lunchtime and headed back to Leeds where we found much better temperatures and a nice relaxing game between Yorkshire Academy and a Scotland Develpment XI going on at Weetwood.
As you will know by now day three at Scarborough ended with Somerset well in control on 234-3, a lead of 283 and the following day they were able to declare once Hildreth got his century and set Yorkshire a target of 337 to win. This was never a possibility particularly when three top batsmen, Lees, Brook and Handscomb all went for ducks. Yorkshire plunged to an ignominious defeat being bowled out for just 157 which puts their championship hopes very much in doubt. However they will now turn their attention to T20 cricket and can hopefully recharge their batteries for the distant time when proper cricket starts again.
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