Despite all the recent wet weather, three leagues in Yorkshire did get underway last Saturday.
The Aire/Wharfe League, the Halifax League and the South Yorkshire League all managed to get the majority of matches played, whereas most of the other leagues hope to get underway next Saturday.
Our first encounter with league cricketers came the following day, Sunday 22nd April which was the first day of the Royal London club cricket knock out competition in which cricket teams from all over the country take part in various regionalised groups. We were on our way for a few days in Scarborough where Yorkshire 2nd XI were playing friendly three day and one day games with Notts starting on Monday. A convenient stopping off point to break our journey was the attractive Stamford Bridge ground who were taking on Barnard Castle in this first round game.
Stamford Bridge is an excellent club and regularly stages Yorkshire 2nd XI fixtures, in front of very sizable crowds which is unheard of in most other counties. Sadly they have only been awarded a single one day fixture this season which had upset a large number of regular supporters.
Sunday saw a fair few locals in attendance to support a team which had a very good season last year and is one of the top clubs in the Yorkshire Premier League North. One of their top players opening batsman Ryan Gibson, formerly a Yorkshire 2nd XI performer, was dismissed very early on, but two newcomers Sutcliffe and Grey rectified matters with a partnership of 63. Grey played a grafting innings which brought him fifty with only three fours, but he helped lay the foundations for a pretty good score.
In the allotted forty overs Ryan McKendry, formerly with York, made a rapid 35 and McIver a spin bowler from Leeds/Bradford University an equally quick 43, which despite the fall of several late wickets brought a respectable total of 204-7. Barnard Castle who have had a lot of recent success in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League, were perhaps a bit of an unknown quantity for the home side as they are obviously not regular opponents. They have lost two of their top players this season as skipper James Finch and Simon Tennant have joined Woodhouse Grange in the Yorkshire Premier League North.
However, the visitors made a confident start with openers Appleby and Alderson putting on 61 for the first wicket. Appleby top scored with a quickfire 45 in only 34 balls, which included eight fours and one six. Once he was out things went very much the home side's way and wickets began to fall at regular intervals. Both spinners, McKendry and MacIver, took 3 wickets for 12 runs and Ryan Gibson took 3-23. Barnard Castle were all out for 115 in just 31 overs and Stamford Bridge go through to the second round with high hopes of progressing further.
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The Langbaurgh League was another Yorkshire League to get started on the 21st April
A list of the revised dates was updated on a regular basis and last posted just before the start of the season
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