I watched cricket on all three days of the bank holiday weekend but for most of the time it was necessary to seek shelter from the single figure temperatures and on Saturday the cold northerly wind. With the weather in mind I scrapped Saturday's plan to go to Clifton Park and instead travelled west to Harrogate where it is nearly always possible to watch from the comfort of the car. Visitors here were Dunnington, early season table toppers having managed to squeeze in a win despite the previous week's rain.
Harrogate had just started their innings when I arrived and had lost the early wicket of Corrie Keable, bowled by Moin Ashraf late of Yorkshire. The next five batsmen all managed double figures with Harry Stothard top scoring with 49 and there was a useful tail end contribution of 31 from Tom Geeson-Brown. 222, as well as slipping easily from the tongue looked a decent total and looked decidedly better when 'Goose' aka Geeson Brown had three back in the pavilion before the score reached thirty. Opener Adam Sutcliffe stuck around and was ninth out for a gritty 63 but with Sri Lankan Ishan Abeysekara chipping in with two wickets Dunnington fell 75 short. A good start for 'Gate who had a complete wash out the previous week.
I left in time to call at Lightmire Lane where Ouseburn CC were chasing a score of 190 all out by Masham. Ouseburn got home with ten overs to spare thanks in the main to 96 not out for Australian opener Elijah Panetta assisted by 45 from Jamie Bryant. The bitterly cold wind meant the usual stalwarts had sought the shelter of the club house and perhaps excused some rather slip shod fielding by the visitors. After three rounds Goldsborough lead the way in Division 1 with Burton Leonard, Darley and Ouseburn all just two points behind.
On Sunday morning I made the very short journey to Queen Ethelburga's School in the hamlet of Thorpe Underwood close to where the River Ure changes its name to Ouse. The match on offer was between the school and Durham Academy and had been advertised as a ten thirty start. I had been joined by Tony and Jennifer but it was 11:15 before we saw any cricket when the school batted first for what may have been fifty overs. To say that the ground is unusual is to understate the situation for whilst the outfield was of almost bowling green quality there is no pavilion or scorebox. What it has got in abundance however are lights, indeed the whole complex is dominated by floodlight pylons and we all agreed that given the prison camp like appearance of the place our first visit would be our last.
The school made good progress during the hour's play we saw, indeed their approach suggested T20 rather than fifty over cricket. I have not been able to find details of the outcome. As Tony and Jennifer made their way back to Leeds I crossed the Ure at the Aldwark toll bridge and retraced my steps of the previous Sunday to Sessay where the Sessay Emeralds were entertaining Doncaster Town CC Ladies. I arrived just in time for the start and my first impression was that the visitors were three short for I counted only 8 Doncaster players in the field. I eventually plucked up courage to ask if this was the case and was told by the parent of one of the young Emeralds that it was an 8 a side game in T20 format.
I stayed for the Emeralds' innings which mustered 143 and Twitter records that DTCC fell 20 short.
Yesterday it was back to St George's Road for a first round match in the Viking Cup between Harrogate and Sessay, men this time. The start was delayed by rain but began in sensational fashion with 'Goose' on a hat trick in the first over. A recovery was mounted by Jackson, Spencer and Harrison with a good lower order contribution by Kavikara at number nine. 'Gate's fire power was reduced when 'Goose' had to leave the field having bowled only three overs and Sessay reached 224 all out in the last of their forty overs. For much of that time the match had been played through rain and my guess at the interval that it was too heavy for play to resume proved correct for the match was abandoned on what turned into a wet evening.
Finally I would like to finish by mentioning a heartening experience I enjoyed on Friday evening. Neighbours of mine have a young son who is now registered as an under 7 for Ouseburn CC and after a washout the first week this Friday was his first practice night which I had promised to attend. For an hour there were under 7s, under 9s and under 11s being coached while the under 13s had a match at Kirk Hammerton. The older children, have an hour's slot from 7:00 until 8:00. I spoke to the two ladies who are the organisers and they told me that this year they have 90 youngsters registered, including girls for the first time, and a waiting list. Thanks to Emily Bennison, Junior Secretary and Marie Grant, Child Welfare Officer and to the many coaches and helpers who sustain this remarkable effort. Given that we had fifteen hits from Ecuador last week your fame is indeed spreading!
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