Yorkshire's young hopefuls battle on

Posted by Tony Hutton

One wonders what the next generation of Yorkshire cricketers feel about the recent signings from far and wide. Do they feel they have a future or not? Obviously they will have to wait and see but the signs are not too promising.

For the present they battle on. Six of the under 17 squad spent last week at Loughborough University playing for the North in a regional under 17 competition. They were Wharton, Hill, Duke, Leech, Josh Sullivan and Wisnewski. Together with the rest of their Yorkshire team mates they will today be travelling to Arundel for the under 17s national final - a three day game with Surrey which starts tomorrow (Tuesday). There are concerns at this now regular venue for what is always a north v south fixture. Surely it should be held in the Midlands, as it was in the past, to enable more parents and supporters to attend.

This has necessitated Yorkshire Academy having to forfeit today's Yorkshire League North game with Scarborough. However, despite the absentees, Yorkshire were able to field an Academy side against Woodhouse Grange at Weetwood on Saturday. The Grange are having a good season and are giving leaders York a run for their money in second place. They are captained by James Finch, a former Academy player himself, who joined from Barnard Castle at the start of the season.

The Academy batted first and Harry Brook and Ben Birkhead together put on a hundred partnership before Brook was out for 54 caught from a careless shot into the on side. Birkhead went on to make 66 , followed by yet another half century from the ever consistent Tom Loten, who finished on 52 not out. He was given good support at the end by one of the incomers, Vikram Sharma, with a brisk 23 and the Academy innings ended on 239-6, which seemed well within reach of a powerful opposition.
The visitors are to be commended on their admirable over rate - 20 overs in each of the first two hours play, with the first innings of 50 overs finished in two hours and forty minutes.

Last week opener Andrew Bilton scored a century, but he was dismissed cheaply by Ed Barnes, who worked up a good pace to take three early wickets and the Grange were soon 20-3. Some may have felt the Grange had no chance from this situation, but they came back well. It was Andrew Bilton's brother, Chris, who got the century this week, just before the end of the game with the number eleven batsman in at the other end.

The Grange ended just twenty runs short, but picked up a valuable four points to the Academy's eight.
Bilal Anjum took over the number one spinner role as Harry Sullivan suffered an unfortunate injury in the field and was unable to bowl. Bilal removed the middle order with a fine spell of 5-70 and the Academy looked like getting the maximum ten points by bowling their opponents out. It was not to be as number ten Steve Burdett hung around to make 27, before number eleven Josh Jackson batted out time and helped Chris Bilton achieve a well deserved century.

This was an excellent performance by the Academy without so many of their regular players and we can only wish the Under 17s well in their battle for the national title this week.