Saturday 6th July saw us without our usual Yorkshire Academy game, as the youngsters I believe were in the middle of a net bowling stint at Headingley involving the various visiting teams in the World Cup. Good experience for the lads and hopefully they will have enjoyed it.
In the end I decided to turn the clock back a few years to the days when I would do a circuit of league cricket grounds not merely to tick them off, but to take photographs which enabled me to decide which were worth a further visit for a full match and those where one visit was perhaps enough.
Having studied the location of cricket grounds on Google Earth, which on it's own is quite a fascinating hobby, one that had stood out for many years on my most wanted list was the ground of Hessle cricket club near Hull. The attraction being that not only is it very close to the Humber Bridge, but actually borders the Humber Estuary with a local footpath along it's boundary.
I then picked out a few more in the vicinity and we set off towards Hull on the M62 motorway with a cunning plan in embryonic form only. A set of brief notes giving me guidance for navigation which can be a very taxing business, as I know only too well. However, all went according to plan and we found ourselves first at the pleasant ground of Welton and Brough two adjacent villages just off the dual carriageway heading into Hull. I knew from a blog some years ago now by Brian Sanderson that the club had connections with one of the greats of Yorkshire Cricket, Sir Stanley Jackson and in fact the ground is situated on Stanley Jackson Way.
There are several items of interesting memorabilia about Jackson in the modernised pavilion bar section, opened just two years ago. A nice patio area in front of the pavilion was a good spot to sit and watch the home side batting against visitors from Heworth in York. In recent seasons the York and District Senior League has swallowed up the various East Riding leagues and this game was in Division one, only below the Premier League in a set up of no less than twelve divisions in the pyramid.
We understand from a club member that the cricket club is growing rapidly, due in part to several housing developments in the area, with large numbers of youngsters turning up for practice on Friday evenings. They are actively looking for land for a second ground to accommodate this influx of players. So a very progressive club and an excellent start to our mini-tour. Later in the evening the website confirmed a winning draw for Welton, who were all out for 177 and Heworth in reply finished on 154-9.
On to the next village, North Ferriby, made famous by the local soccer side, which for several years was one of the most successful non-league sides in the country, they even won the F.A. Trophy at Wembley. However they have recently fallen on hard times and the club went into liquidation only a few months ago. There is hope that it will be resurrected with a new club taking over the attractive ground, which is right next door to our next stop at the village cricket ground.
North Ferriby cricket club were entertaining Newlands in Holderness Division three, some way down the York Senior league pyramid. The ground was another very pleasant spot overlooked by the village church and surrounded by trees. The visitors were batting and piling up what proved to be a considerable winning score of 288-7. The home side certainly looked the part in their bright red caps, but were having trouble dislodging the earlier batsmen although we did see two wickets fall in one over. As we learned later North Ferriby were bowled out for 143.
Next stop, after some very intricate navigation, brought us down almost to the Humber foreshore beyond the mighty bridge to the home of Hessle cricket club. This turned out to be a large open field, used also by the local rugby union club but certainly in a unique location with wonderful views of the Humber Bridge. What soon became obvious was that the visitors Walkington were piling up a huge score against Hessle Seconds in Holderness Division four. We had arrived with the score on 220-2 with runs coming, mostly in boundaries, thick and fast.
Soon afterwards Walkington's opening batsman Chris Cook was caught out for a magnificent score of 155 with the total on 233-3. He had hit thirty fours and one six in only 105 balls. This was quite an innings whatever the strength of the opposition. The runs continued to flow and the final total at the end of the allotted 45 overs was an impressive 319-3. Number four batsman Alastair Wardle also made 53 not out in very quick time. What makes Cook's innings more impressive was that he had made a duck on his last appearance two week's ago! Today the home side were bowled out for 98.
Some research on the Walkington club produced some interesting facts. The club was founded in 1874 but only in 2012 were they able to field two sides. The first team won the league that season and have finished in the top two for the next five years. They too, like Welton, have a flourishing youth section.
We lingered for a while on the Humber foreshore with time for an ice cream and to take a few more photographs for the Landscapes of Yorkshire Facebook site. Then it was time to head north to Cottingham where the home side were taking on Patrington, probably the furthest east cricket club in Yorkshire, in Holderness Division two. This visit was a bit of a disappointment where the New Hill Top Club proved to be a multi sport complex covering large playing areas and a rather dated pavilion facility. Patrington had batted first and finished on 200-7 and the home side were already beginning to lose wickets during our short stay, before finally being dismissed for 95.
So overall an excellent day with four new grounds visited and quite a lot of photographs taken. Still a lot to cover in this part of the world and high on the list next time around will be Patrington, whose ground, overlooked by a lovely church, I have seen only out of season.
(As ever click on the photos to enlarge them).
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