On Friday night at Headingley Harry Brook spent time at the crease with Kane Williamson at the other end in front of a crowd close to 10000, coming in with the game against Derbyshire almost in the bag he hit 7 not out from four balls. A steady enough start to the weekend for this most promising young cricketer, well established in all forms of the game for Yorkshire but still available for the Academy and it is for this team I have seen him play two splendid innings over the weekend.
On Saturday I dropped in at Clifton Alliance where the Academy were the visitors. Alliance have not found life easy in the Premier (North) and with Acomb seemingly doomed are one of four other clubs who are not far above the pink zone.
YCC were batting as I pitched my deck chair in the shade of this tree with Brook partnered by Tom Loten who had made a hundred for the second XI earlier in the week and the score was 138 for 3 before Loten was bowled by Hope-Shackley. Brook continued to boss the show but when on ninety and with three figures there for the taking he indulged in some frippery which saw his stumps disturbed and he returned to the pavilion for 90. Enter Benjamin Birkhead and his 46 was largely responsible for the Academy reaching 262 for 9, a total which proved too much for Clifton who despite 82 from Scott Hopkinson fell 68 short, a result which leaves them just six points above Sessay. Next week's fixtures offer no comfort when York will cross the rugby pitch that separates the two clubs.
Yesterday, frustrated by the postponement of the Richmondshire Ormskirk match, I travelled to Weetwood for another game involving Yorkshire Premier sides, this time north v south with the Academy hosting Barnsley Woolley Miners, henceforth known as Barnsley, in a semi final of the Rudgate Cup. A lovely afternoon of course and with Tony and Jennifer I sought shelter at the southern end. The game presented an opportunity to compare standards between north and south with the Academy in mid table and Barnsley a somewhat distant second to Wakefield Thornes in the south. Barnsley took first knock and the dismissal of Jonathon Trower brought the prolific scorer and IPL participant Harpreet Singh to the wicket. Wickets fell at regular intervals however and it was not until Harpreet was joined by Jahangir that Barnsley made significant progress. Main man for the academy was Matthew Taylor who took 4 for 20 including Harpreet for 81. Jahangir got 38 but there was not much else except wides and the innings closed on 192 all out.
Would just short of 200 be enough? This question could be answered with a resounding no within about three overs as Brook and Birkhead got stuck into the Barnsley attack. Harpreet replaced Daniel Waldron after just one over but the former under 19 player went for 40 off his two overs before being asked to take a rest. Brook went for a rapid 52 at which point Birkhead took up the onslaught and YCC were only 9 short when he fell to Ali Jahangir for 88. Start the car was reached at twenty past five with 14 overs to spare and victory for the academy by seven wickets. Oliver Jackson the only Barnsley bowler who will not be averse to being reminded of his figures, 2 for 19 off 8 overs. The other semi is scheduled to be played next Sunday at Woodhouse Grange when Aston Hall travel to East Yorkshire.
No comments:
Post a Comment