Wednesday 6th June was the start of a three day second eleven championship match between Yorkshire seconds and the MCC Young Cricketers, who had been beaten rather easily in the one day match which preceded it. The visitors made a couple of changes in their line up adding the former Yorkshire batsman Elliot Callis and pace bowler Alex Willerton from Lincolnshire to the side.
Yorkshire brought back wicket keeper Andrew Hodd to replace yesterday's top scorer Ben Birkhead
and left arm spinner Karl Carver replaced yesterday's best bowler Jack Shutt. Yorkshire won the toss and in overcast conditions asked the visitors to bat first. This proved to be a good decision as four wickets fell very quickly as the pace of Ben Coad and Jack Brooks, with a little help from the pitch, proved too good for Curran, Barrett, Callis and Imtiaz. The early score stood at 27-4 and doubts were expressed about the strength of the opposition with some wondering whether the game would last three days.
The next three batsman were able to dig in and rectify the position somewhat with some resolute batting which looked a lot easier when the opening bowlers were removed from the attack.The South African Marc Lezar played the major role with an innings of 65 in just over three hours and he was ably assisted by Hudson-Prentice with 40 and the New Zealander Buhla with 38. With the total on 101 Coad returned to bowl Hudson-Prentice, but Lezar and Buhla took it to 187-5 before Coad struck again. After that the tail collapsed in spectacular fashion and although Coad just missed out on a hat-trick, he had taken 8-33 in twelve overs before Shaw removed the last man Smithson.
The last five wickets had gone for just four runs as MCC were all out for 191, which still seemed to indicate an early finish to this three day game. When Yorkshire batted Lees was soon out to a mis-timed hook which ballooned up in the air and Harry Brook nearly followed him after a similar miscue. Leaning went for 25 followed by Brook for 49, Hodd for 20 and Thompson for a first ball duck. So Yorkshire were five wickets down at the end of the first day.
On Thursday morning in much warmer conditions, but with a much smaller crowd in view of the mass exodus of many to Headingley for the important first team game in the Royal London competition, Yorkshire continued to lose wickets. Youngster Tom Loten just missed out on a half century after a well played 49, Josh Shaw hung around for a long time for a patient 25 but the others did not stay long. Dominic Manthorpe, a left arm quicky from Leicestershire, finished the innings off with 3-31. Yorkshire all out for 230 with a modest first innings lead of 39.
The Young Cricketers again made a poor start as Barrett and Callis both went cheaply. Barrett was caught at slip by Lees off Coad and Wainman removed Callis's middle stump. 39-2 and the visitors looked in trouble but again the middle order gave good support to opener Ben Curran, who made a very big score against Yorkshire seconds at High Wycombe last season. His innings today lasted two and a half hours until he was caught behind when Coad returned to the attack for a fine 74. He hit twelve fours and one six, when going down the wicket to Carver, which almost decapitated your photographer and his companion on the boundary edge.
After Curran was out wicket keeper Saf Imtiaz, who has also been round the block a few times, with Essex, Durham, Northants, Kent and Surrey, took control of the innings. Not another overseas player, but London born, he played a resolute innings of almost three and a half hours before Carver eventually bowled him for 121 by which time MCC's lead was well over 200. Brookes and Bulha were also out before the close of day two, so eight wickets down overnight.
We were not present on day three but Wainman got both remaining wickets during the morning and MCC were all out for an excellent 305 and Yorkshire set off to chase 266. This they achieved around tea time for the loss of six wickets thanks mainly to another fine century from Harry Brook. Lees sadly failed yet again but there were useful innings from Loten, Hodd, Thompson and Shaw with Thompson finishing the game on 36 not out.
So a proper game of cricket played throughout the three days with four completed innings and no need for declarations. The second day played in perfect weather conditions in front of a small crowd of true cricketing connoisseurs was almost as good as it can get. Nice surroundings, peace and quiet and proper cricket, what more could you want. Steve Kirby must be quite happy with how his MCC team performed and certainly some of them look good enough to play first class cricket.
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