When Yorkshire last played championship cricket in the city of York in 1890 three Kent players arrived too late to bat in the first innings. For the record the laggards were W Hearne, Mr S Christopherson and Mr WH Spottiswoode. Wishing to avoid a similar fate Mr J Gawthrope and Mr J Winn left the Lower Ure Valley shortly after 8:00 last Monday to make the twelve mile journey to Clifton Park and despite some scoundrels moving our chairs while we took coffee we had taken up a good position close to the pavilion long before Warwickshire, having taken advantage of an uncontested toss, took the field. Indeed rain delayed the start by thirty minutes but this mattered little as we took the opportunity to chat with friends old and new and watch the two thousand seater stand on the river side of the ground gradually fill up.
The chairs that were moved.
Some missed catches, Fraine, Lyth and Tattersall the miscreants, helped Warwickshire mount a good reply with Sibley, impressive in both innings, and newcomer Yates putting on over a hundred for the second wicket. Apart from some dogged resistance from Ambrose the middle and lower order offered little and Yorkshire perhaps surprisingly took an advantage of five into their second innings. Overnight rain which cleared by nine o'clock had meant another delayed start but it was shortly after lunch when Lyth and Frain began the Yorkshire innings with the latter soon on his way. Lyth hung around but when he was out for 37 it was 97 for 4, further wickets followed but local hero Leaning and Patterson saw out the last ten overs to the 7:00 finish and a lead of 183.
The weather and the match situation combined to bring another crowd of over 1000 for the last day. Coach Pyrah felt a lead of over 200 would engender a 'really good game' and so it proved. Leaning was last out for a patient 65 and the Bears were set 217 at a modest scoring rate but one which both teams had found it hard to reach. Early wickets were important but not forthcoming as Sibley and Rhodes, another returning Yorkshire man, put on 132. If there was a pivotal moment it came when Rhodes took 26 off a Leaning over, the bowler surprisingly used before Logan. Warwickshire brought some excitement to proceedings after tea by losing a cluster of wickets, four to Logan but skipper Patel got them over the line with three wickets and ten overs in hand.
So came to an end four wonderful days at Clifton Park and the York Cricket Club are to be congratulated on the massive effort they put in to making it so. Of course there were some minor hitches but it would be churlish to dwell on them in the face of all the things they got right. Stewarding was kept to a minimum but was helpful and cheerful, car parking was well organised and somehow everything came together to create a festival atmosphere and for me and everybody I spoke to, four days I will remember for a long time. Of course it was disappointing that Yorkshire should fall to their first championship defeat of the season but Warwickshire, after losing their first five games of the season are on a roll, they had another good day against Surrey yesterday. In Sibley they had the batsman of the match and their ground fielding was outstanding.
It is unlikely that York will see such an occasion again but should the need arise then YCCC can go back knowing that Clifton Park is a superb setting for the four day game. That will be remembered long after the pill of defeat has been swallowed.
No comments:
Post a Comment