Not for the first team we fell victim to the blight of car pollution on Saturday 12th May. The original plan was as usual to watch the Yorkshire Academy at home to Castleford at Weetwood Sports Park, the home of Leeds University cricket. The complex is very much multi-sport, together with the adjoining hotel which specialises in business meetings, weddings and anything else that earns money.
Saturday proved exceptionally busy and about 11.30 in the morning we turned up for the usual noon start. To our amazement both car parks were crammed to capacity, including every nook, cranny and grass verge. The University authorities in their wisdom have only ever let half a dozen cars or so into the cricket ground and leave the gate firmly locked over most weekends. So we had no choice and set off for Harrogate where we knew league champions York were the visitors.
Yorks' new opening pair of Johnny Tattersall, who has joined from Harrogate, and almost veteran now Duncan Snell, were already piling up the runs as they have done all season so far. The Harrogate bowlers had no answer to this pairs' batting which was helped by their excellent understanding and running between wickets. The hundred partnership came and went, fifties for both, then the two hundred partnership and Snell's century which he reached with a six.
The opening partnership put on 211 and amazingly on the club's second ground behind the pavilion, Harrogate Third eleven, playing against Blubberhouses in the Nidderdale League were simultaneously putting on 244-0 in their forty five overs. Two century makers here in George Horbury 117 not out and Harry Allinson 100 not out. This became even more remarkable when the Harrogate Advertiser revealed that George Horbury is only 13 and Harry Allinson 14 - both look like great prospects for the future.
Snell also had a century against Sessay last week, which followed 61 not out in the first match against Yorkshire Academy. To add to this he managed yet another century the following day in a National Knock out game with Stockton. Tattersall, who has been playing for Yorkshire Seconds mid-week also has a formidable total of runs already and managed 88 today. New number three Oliver Batchelor from Surrey and Leeds/Bradford University also contributed a useful 40, as well as keeping wicket in this match. Wickets fell quickly towards the end of the innings but York managed a formidable total of 293-7 in their fifty overs.
Harrogate were never in the hunt - four players reached the twenties but no more. The major surprise about their innings was that old boy Tattersall, who has been keeping wicket for Yorkshire seconds won the game with his spin bowling, taking 5-50 in eleven overs. Oliver Leedham, the opening bowler had started the rot with two early wickets and skipper Dan Woods rounded things off with two cheap wickets at the end. Harrogate all out for a measly 131 and Yorks winners by 162 runs.
We did not stay until the finish as we managed to return to Weetwood, to find a few spaces now available in the car park later in the day. The very young Yorkshire Academy side with a few more newcomers in the ranks were by then well on their way to victory over Castleford, despite the efforts of the visitors' captain David Wainwright, a Castleford man through and through who has seen county service with Yorkshire and Derbyshire and now plies his trade with Shropshire in the Minor Counties.
Big, tall Tom Loten was the outstanding batsman in the Academy innings with 71 and equally impressive was the not out 51 from newcomer Harry Duke, from Queen Elizabeth's School, Wakefield and the Hunslet Nelson club. Apparently he can also keep wicket. However a total of 179-9,with yet again a number of run outs, did not appear a very challenging target.
When we arrived Castleford were already off to a poor start, but the introduction of two spin bowling brothers Josh and Harry Sullivan really turned the tide in the Academy's favour. Josh, a leg spinner, took the important wicket of Wainwright, smartly stumped by Birkhead, and followed this up with two more wickets giving the ball air and beating the batsmen in the flight to finish with 3-20. Brother Harry, is a slow left armer and also impressed with a fine spell of thirteen overs, taking 2-23.
Bilal Anjum, an occasional off spinner, who had success with Yorkshire Seconds at Scarborough, joined the party with two late wickets to finish off the Castleford innings for 107 all out. A notable victory by 72 runs will no doubt give the side confidence and we saw some new names to conjure with joining the Yorkshire ranks.
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