A short visit to Weetwood

posted by John Winn


Last Monday I dropped in at Weetwood but I was ill-equipped to tolerate the cold and after greeting a number of old friends I returned to the comparative warmth of the Lower Ure Valley. There was time to admire the ground in its Monday best, with its smart new benches and fencing it looked in very good order as befits a ground hosting its first first class match. In so doing it became the fifty sixth ground on which I have seen the highest form of the game and the first since a trip to Swansea in 2017. Because of the need to keep test match grounds free for the World Cup, 2019 is offering a number of opportunities to add to my list, seven in all, although it is unlikely that I shall get to more then three of these: York, Welbeck Colliery and Sedbergh.


The county championship got underway on Friday with three matches in each division and in all six cases there is the possibility of keenly fought fourth day cricket. Yorkshire and Durham find themselves in similar situations, namely having to bat out the day or thereabouts to secure a draw, the former being much better equipped to achieve that goal than the latter. Durham did survive fourteen overs before stumps last night but the batting showed its familiar brittleness when they were bowled out for 171 in the first innings and a three, four, five of Will Smith, Burnham and Richardson with Poynter at six does not inspire confidence. At Trent Bridge Joe Clarke may be given the chance to score his second century of the match but it can be assumed it will not be long before Messrs Lyth and Brook are in the middle.

Elsewhere the best balanced game seems to be that at Taunton  where an unbeaten stand of 60 between Bartlett and Craig Overton has brought the west country men back into the match. Commentator Anthony Gibson has believes 'another fifty (runs) could prove very interesting'. For opponents Kent, Mitch Claydon has eight wickets, six years after he was released by Durham. In the other first division match, that at Southampton, Hampshire will fancy their chances of beating Essex, who, with their top four back in the pavilion still need 229 to avoid an innings defeat. Much depends on Bopara and ten Doeschate here. In the second division there is a similar situation at Northampton although Middlesex are a little better placed than Essex for with only two wickets down their deficit is just 65. Finally Leicestershire, despite their financial travails, will fancy their chances of knocking off the 131 they need to beat Sussex. That will not be well received by the Hove faithful.

Another round of matches, this time involving all eighteen counties, begins on Thursday. Circumstances will prevent me being at The Riverside for the opening day but I expect to be there on Friday. Champions Surrey begin the defence of their title when Essex visit The Oval. Yorkshire continue to travel this, time to Southampton. After this round the championship disappears until mid May which unless he has a remarkable match against Somerset at Trent Bridge this week will spoil Ben Duckett's chances of scoring a thousand runs in April.