On Saturday the counter attractions of the Royal Wedding and the FA Cup Final persuaded me that the notoriously busy A64 from York to Scarborough would not have too much traffic going to the coast. A tortuous journey round the York ring road suggested that I might be wrong and that the two thirds of the population who had told YouGove that they were not interested in events in Windsor had decided that the North Bay was the obvious alternative. My concerns proved unnecessary however for once free of the ring road's shackles I had a clear run.
In the past I had visited a small number of grounds in the Scarborough League but in a recent conversation Tony alerted me to the concentration of cricket clubs close to the A64 between Malton and Scarborough. First port of call took me onto the Filey road and the home of Folkton and Flixton CC. The ground is easily accessible from the A1039 and is just a short distance beyond The Fox Hound pub, Flixton where a modest lunch delayed me just enough that I missed the opening over. 'Which team is batting, please?' brought the response 'Flixton' and their opponents were Easingwold in a York League Premier Division game. Flixton made a good start while I watched and Hutchinson and Stocks added 44 for the first wicket before I left. Those who stayed to watch must have enjoyed an eventful afternoon with F and F recovering from 81 for 6 to reach 281 for 7 with Matthew Nesfield hitting an undefeated 112. Easingwold who had a season to forget in Yorkshire Premier North last year fell just fifteen short with a wicket in hand to give them a losing draw. The table shows that they are in third place just a point ahead of Saturday's rivals.
Before leaving the enclosure I turned to the smaller of the two pitches and here it was Scarborough League Division Three with 'Flixton' III batting against Cloughton II. 203 all out was seemingly easily overcome by the vistors' 204 for 3 off 27 overs. After watching a start delayed while some bails were found I turned my back on the distant view of Filey Bay and headed for Staxton a village I have passed through many times on my way to North Marine Road. Precise directions made the ground easy to find and although just a few hundred metres from the A64 it is a most attractive venue.
Premier Division stuff here with Scalby, from just north of Scarborough, batting and my arrival brought a fall of wickets with 17 for 0 becoming 44 for 5 before after a couple of circuits I called time. Things didn't improve much and despite 49 from Adam Waugh Scalby were all out for 120. Staxton's openers Dove and Pinder took them close to victory before being parted and a nine wicket win puts them second to Seamer in the table. Scalby lie fourth from bottom.
Not for the first time on one my ground hopping jaunts I deviated from Plan A and instead of heading east I took the Driffield road in search of the intriguingly named Wold Newton. Intriguing may be but Wold is most apt for the village is tucked away in typical rolling countryside. The law of lost travellers, namely that the first person you ask for directions will be a stranger, in this case from Eastern Europe, having been confirmed, I turned to the local postman, still delivering at 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, and his 'turn left at the bungalow and go through the farm yard and up the hill' soon had me watching cricket on a ground that I suspect has changed very little over the years. Wold Newton batting against Seamer II and slow going the other spectator informed me.
Somewhat reluctantly I turned my back on this very rural ground and headed back to the A64.
To be concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment