Monday 13th May and we were at Chester Road, Kidderminster for the second eleven trophy game between Worcestershire and Yorkshire. As a schoolboy I had seen county cricket at this ground as far back as 1950 and 1953. My records show that I saw Gilbert Parkhouse score 162 for Glamorgan in 1950 when Roly Jenkins took 5-141 for Worcester. A very long time ago and the ground is rather different from how I remember it, but still a large open field with lots of room for parking. The weather was perfect and quite a large crowd (in second eleven terms) gathered during the day.
Yorkshire batted and after losing two early wickets rather dominated the proceedings thereafter with opener Will Fraine holding things together at first. He had put on a century partnership with youngster Finlay Bean, before falling lbw to Ahmed, the former Leicester spinner, for 67. Bean for his part played a very mature innings of 74 which included seven fours and two sixes. The real fireworks came towards the end of the innings from Matthew Fisher who was unfortunately left not out 99 on the final ball.
He had been given good support by another youngster, Harry Duke, who made a useful 34, but was stumped off the fourth ball of the last over trying to give the strike back to Fisher. Barnes came in and got a single leaving Fisher requiring two for his century from the last ball of the innings. Unfortunately his powerful shot went straight to a fielder and he was only able to complete a single and the innings ended on 302-5. Fisher after a slow start had hit seven fours and three sixes. This is the second occasion he has just missed out on a century in second team cricket having been stranded on 96 not out against Notts at Harrogate two years ago when the innings ended.
It looked a winning score but Worcester responded well with a second wicket century partnership between Robson and Haynes. Robson had made 53 before he was run out and 18 year old Jack Haynes, an England Under 19 player, then took over the proceedings. He treated all the Yorkshire bowlers with contempt and hit them to all parts of the ground in a magnificent innings, racing to his century in 84 balls. After losing Milton for a duck and Lea for 22 it looked as if the game was swinging back to Yorkshire but Haynes got good support from Finch. He stuck around for a partnership of 92, scoring only 24 but enabling Haynes to go on his merry way.
Haynes went on to win the match with five overs to spare in a wonderful innings of 180 not out which included twenty three fours and five sixes. He was given a great reception on his return to the pavilion having inflicted on Yorkshire their first defeat in the competition this season. A truly memorable day, particularly for the batsmen, but not so good for the poor bowlers in very hot conditions.
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