On Tuesday 31st July after the decision for no play today at Harrogate we managed to find cricket elsewhere in the shape of Yorkshire over sixties in their last sixteen play off game with Hampshire at Hullen Edge, Elland. Some years since we had been here and unfortunately Elland cricket club are not the force they once were in the Huddersfield League. Nevertheless the well furnished bar provided a nice refuge even if the scoreboard, which seems to have been there for ever, is not quite up to the standard you would expect.
Hampshire batted first and started quite slowly against the as always accurate Yorkshire bowlers. Evergreen Mick Scott as tidy as ever with figures of 9-1-21-1. Martin Ivill, the skipper, had an injury problem and had to take himself off after four very economical overs. Hampshire also had injury problems when opening bat, Neil Trestrail, a former Hampshire seconds player, pulled a muscle and retired hurt.
The scoring rate did eventually improve thanks to runs from the middle order but left arm spinner Micheal Kenyon tied down one end for Yorkshire with 9-3-16-1. Then it was the turn of Bradford League veteran Phil Taylor to destroy the lower order with a fine 5-33 and it was only when Hampshire's injured man returned, with the aid of a runner, that things improved. Trestrail hit several boundaries at the end to finish with 46 not out from a total of 166-9 in the 45 overs allowed.
A bigger target than seemed likely had no problems for the Yorkshire top order despite the dismissal of stand in opener Graham Copley. The heroes of the previous match at Shotley Bridge, John Flintoff with 76 and Colin Frank 62 not out saw them comfortably home with five overs to spare and a quarter final match with Lancashire comes next.
The following day, as planned, was off to Darlington for day two of the Under 17 three day game between Durham and Yorkshire. Durham had been bowled out for 185 the previous day and although Yorkshire had made a slow start to their innings, things changed rapidly in their favour on day two. After Revis, Bean and Ramkumar had all gone cheaply a wonderful partnership between captain James Wharton and George Hill put on 210 runs for the fourth wicket.
Wharton in particular played very correctly, with a straight bat and hitting the ball along the ground. It really was an excellent innings following his century against Lancashire last week and showed a lot of maturity in his play. Hill was equally effective, if not quite so stylish, but he went to his century first, followed very shortly by Wharton. Hill was the first out to a soft caught and bowled for 122 and Wharton eventually followed also to a soft catch after tiredness probably took its toll for 152.
Hill plays a rare defensive shot.
Duke and Sharma added more quick runs near the end of the day and Yorkshire eventually declared on 399-8 which most onlookers thought would be sufficient for an innings victory on day three.
So it proved, if rather more quickly than expected, with the brothers Sullivan yet again taking the bowling honours. This time left arm spinner Harry led the way with 5-18 while brother Josh who took six wickets in the first innings with his leg spin, ended with 3-19.
A great performance by the Yorkshire lads which sees them through to the semi-final stage in which they will have to play away from home. Details of the opposition not yet available as further matches have to be played next week.
All in all a very good Yorkshire Day with five Yorkshire players reaching the century mark, Wharton and Hill as described above at Darlington, followed by Tom Loten and James Wainman both with maiden county centuries for the second XI at Harrogate, together with Bilal Anjum with a century for Yorkshire under 19s at Pudsey Congs.
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