Sunday 13th May was yet another hot and sunny cricketing day. Sadly we were persuaded by a rather incorrect weather forecast, which suggested rain overnight and during the morning, to cancel our plans to travel to Derby to see Durham in action. Of course as John has already mentioned we missed the chance of seeing the two Durham wicket keepers put on an amazing record partnership for the sixth wicket.
So instead we stayed near to home by visiting what had been my local club for thirty years, just round the corner from where I lived until my move two years ago. Adel were playing old rivals Collingham (or to give them their full title Collingham and Linton cricket club) in the Aire Wharfe League's Waddilove Cup. It took some time to take in that only the first division teams and the top four of division two are in this competition now. All the other second and third division clubs can enter a T20 knock out competition instead. The second team cup, the Birtwhistle, is now also a T20 event.
Be that as it may - presumably a sop to the idea that players want shorter games so they can have longer nights out, but the 45 overs cup game was still contested in the same old fashioned way as ever. Sharing our viewing with local sage, Reg Parker, and later the slightly younger Brian Senior, was yet again a long trip down memory lane of events long gone but never forgotten.
Collingham still have two former spin bowling first class cricketers in their ranks, Toby Jacklin who paraded in a rather faded Cambridge University top and Stephen Booth, who turned out for Somerset, what seems an eternity ago. It was their opening batsmen who put the visitors into a winning position with yet another century opening partnership. Not 200 this time but 134 was pretty good going in the context of this game. Skipper Jack Harrison with 53 and Ed Hayhurst 75 were followed by Charlie Swallow with 48 at number three.
After them nobody else got double figures and the innings fell away somewhat to finish on 233-8 when the general consensus suggested something like 275 at one stage of the proceedings.
Opening bowler Griffin Lea, an Irishman I understand, no doubt inspired by his country's Test status, was the best bowler with 4-43 and leg spinner Rishi Chopra did better in his second spell to take 2-42.
A very young Adel side without new captain David Foster, who has joined from Harrogate, made a good effort with opener Tom Harrison making top score of 42, before becoming the first of Jacklin's three victims. Wickets fell at regular intervals and only a stand of 25 for the eighth wicket in which Sam Baxter hit three sixes in his 22 showed any promise of a recovery.
Adel were finally all out for 175 with three overs still remaining so full marks to Collingham who progress to the next round.
A very happy afternoon, in good company with excellent weather and the ground looking a picture, with all the surrounding trees now in full bloom. As always happy memories of this picturesque ground.
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