Friday 4th May saw the only day of Yorkshire second XI cricket which has been allotted to the Stamford Bridge cricket club this season. Normally the home for at least one three day game, sometimes two, this very popular venue has today's Second Eleven Trophy game and nothing else.
As ever there was a good crowd of spectators present for the excellent refreshments available and the ever popular tombola stall with it's wealth of potential prizes.
Leicestershire were the visitors and elected to bat on winning the toss. The day really belonged to the veteran former Essex captain, Mark Pettini, who opened for Leicester and proceeded to play a masterful innings of 137 which was made out of a total off 227-4 when he was finally bowled by Jared Warner. He had put on 116 for the first wicket with Wells, but after that only Dearden provided much help with a modest 26, as the innings dwindled to an end on 268-8 at the end of the fifty overs.
Little can be said about the quality of the Yorkshire bowling, as although Wainman finished with 4-42 his wickets were all off big hits caught in the outfield. The new 'white ball specialist' Adil Rashid took two wickets but at a cost of 56 and one gathers from the comments of most of the regulars that his popularity has gone downhill since his decision at the start of the season.
By now news had filtered through of the Yorkshire first team's collapse to 50 all out at Chelmsford and although the second eleven total just about doubled that it was almost as disastrous. A bad start which very quickly showed 18-4 on the scoreboard got gradually worse with only Rashid, who redeemed himself slightly, top scoring with 26. Yorkshire all out for 105 in just 29-1 overs and losing the game by 163 runs.
Former Derbyshire opening bowler Taylor started the rout but Yorkshire were finished off by off spinner Sayer with 5-34. A good win for Leicestershire seconds who continue to do well unlike their first team counterparts. Anyone wishing to read an alternative version of the game should look at the Leicester county website and scorer Pete Johnson's usual very entertaining report of proceedings from the scorebox which he describes as an over sized cuckoo clock.
A few days later (today in fact) Yorkshire seconds did put up a better performance in another Trophy game this time being played at the building site which is Headingley cricket ground. With cement mixers, dumper trucks and various other vehicles to negotiate on the way in and the constant banging and crashing not the best atmosphere for a game of cricket. I did not stay long, sufficient to see that Yorkshire had made what proved to be a winning total with 288-9 in their fifty overs. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who must be in line for promotion to the first team,made top score of 63.
In reply Durham set off at a great rate with Trevaskis and Jones putting on 77 in only ten overs. Thereafter things slowed down somewhat and despite a couple of stoppages due to rain and a rapid drop in temperature which upset spectators still dressed for the morning heat wave, Yorkshire won on the adjusted Duckworth Lewis target by 66 runs. The Durham innings only lasting for 33 overs with a total of 191-6. The game would undoubtedly have been more of an occasion and a spectacle if played on a club ground (Stamford Bridge and Todmorden immediately spring to mind).
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