Last Sunday I was at Clifton Park to see the group final of the Club Championship KO between hosts York and NYSD outfit Richmondshire. On a lovely afternoon the two sides came into the match with contrasting records. York had had a relatively smooth passage to this stage beating both Stockton and Stamford Bridge with ease and currently sit top of the Yorkshire Premier North while the visitors had eliminated two of the giants of North East club cricket, South Northumberland and Chester le Street but in NYSD Premier whilst they sit third recent results have been poor.
Close to where I was sitting York skipper Woods addressed his men in confident terms to the effect that they were the better all round side, Richmondshire had had a drubbing the previous day from Middlesbrough and that after the next round there was a home passage to the final waiting. York won the toss and elected to bat but lost Spearman, who had made fifty just twenty four hours before, with only three on the board. James and the always impressive Snell added 44 for the second wicket but the run rate refused to rise much above three and the Richmondshire fielding was excellent. First and second change bowlers, Marshall and McKiernan were a little more expensive but when Snell joined Ricky Ponting in the pantheon of Gary Pratt's illustrious run out victims at 92 for 3 the feeling among the visiting supporters sitting near me was that this was a winnable game. 181 for 7 when the innings closed after 40 overs did not seem a mountain to climb.
By the time RCC began their reply the crowd, basking in the sunshine and keeping the bar busy, had been joined by those who had been watching England demolish Panama. No need to check a phone for the score, each loud roar meant a goal, except for Panama's consolation which appeared to have been greeted in silence. Carr and Pratt began confidently with an opening stand of 81 but when Woods brought himself into the attack the game became much tighter as runs at least at from one end dried up. Pratt became sufficiently frustrated to give Woods the charge and was stumped and Carr soon followed lbw. Pratt's dismissal brought Layfield to the crease and his innings of 41 brought victory within sight or so it seemed but a change of ends for Jonathan Moxon made it 139 for 3 and York, increasing the volume of their incessant chirping, choirmaster James the chief culprit, sensed the game might be theirs and at 175 for 6 the tension was evident all round the ground. Cometh the hour and all that and in this case the man was Dale Marshall who with one needed guide a four down to third man to give Richmondshire victory by three wickets with an over to spare.
Meanwhile and not too many miles east of York the Group Two final was being played at Woodhouse Grange with Doncaster visiting the East Riding. Another tight game ensued with an almost identical result, Doncaster winning by three wickets with five balls left. 192 for 6 v 193 for 7. This means that Richmondshire will travel down the A1 to Town Fields on Sunday July 15th. Could be interesting.
I have been at Scarborough for the last three days and took this picture of many of the four thousand plus crowd who were there on Monday. My report will follow in a day or two.
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