Many thanks first of all to John Winn for his observations on events at both Sedbergh and Scarborough last week. We spent all four days at Scarborough, not entirely at the cricket as the call of both the splendid Spa Orchestra and the Stephen Joseph Theatre at times provided better fare. I try not to be over critical of the Headingley management team but recent events do persuade me that some comments should be made.
The Yorkshire cricketing press do seem to toe the line somewhat, as if they do not want to upset the men in control. For instance the continued signing of short term reinforcements appears to meet with general approval, whereas I find it totally alien to Yorkshire's ethos and tradition. I pointed out on the first day that the South African flag was flying proudly at North Marine Road in the absence of both the Yorkshire and Surrey flags. This was remedied on day two when the Yorkshire flag and the Surrey championship pennant both appeared.
However I found it very hard to stomach the general enthusiasm created by two South African bowlers leading the attack in tandem for much of the time. Lip service is paid to the development of the county's home grown talent, but too many bowlers in particular have been left to stagnate in the second eleven for far too long and end up going on loan to other counties.
The short term fix has not worked very well in the past and when repeated over and over can do little for team spirit and even less for the hopes and aspirations of the current crop of Academy players. A recent management statement suggested that Yorkshire have no experienced spinner. I would suggest they never will until such time as Logan is played on a regular basis to get experience.
There are other questions to be answered such as the signing on three year contracts of two rejects from other counties who hardly seem to have strengthened the squad at all, despite their obvious keenness to succeed. I could go on but will try and restrain myself to praise some aspects of what was after all a wonderful four day cricket match played in perfect weather. The most notable success was Will Fraine, not only for his century and the way he played international bowlers like Morkel and Curran, but for his short leg fielding.
Ben Coad's two wickets just before lunch on the final day really turned the match against a side which appeared to bat all the way down. This of course was in addition to his splendid performance with the bat earlier in the day which you felt might have taken the Surrey target just a little too far - as of course it did in the end.
In some respects Surrey shot themselves in the foot on the final day, firstly by sending in Ryan Patel at number four when the run chase was well under way. He could hardly put bat on ball, not my comment but from several Surrey supporters. Then he compounded his slow scoring by running out the main man - Dean Elgar.
One further minor point - when substitute fielders are on the field they should be announced over the public address. At one stage both Anjam and Birkhead were fielding for Yorkshire and very few of the assembled throng knew who they were.
Whatever my complaints, it was still a great game of cricket at a venue which grows in popularity and is well celebrated in John Fuller's new book 'Last of the Summer Wickets' which I was lucky to obtain when he had almost sold out on Monday lunchtime. I specially enjoyed the story of Ken Rutherford's 300 in a day for New Zealand which I saw back in 1986.
There have been several references during the week to the great 'Yorkshire Post' cricket correspondent of the distant past J.M. Kilburn and his famous description of the old Scarborough Festival as 'Cricket on holiday'. One can only imagine his comments, and those of an equally eminent League cricket correspondent, Peter Snape, on two South Africans bowling for Yorkshire with another West Indian now on the way.
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