Under 17s county championship gets underway.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Tuesday 9th July saw last year's Under 17 county champions Yorkshire start their 2019 campaign with a home three day game against Durham. Unusually, when most of the side's home matches are played at Leeds University's Weetwood ground, this game took place on the ground of Sheriff Hutton Bridge some miles north of York. It was drizzling with rain as we left Leeds and the outlook did not seem very good. However the further we travelled the drier it got and we did get a full day's play. On paper this year's Yorkshire side looks almost as good as last year's vintage. Certainly plenty of bowlers in the ranks and the slight doubt that the batting might not go a long way down was soon out of mind with an opening partnership of 160 between Finlay Bean and William Luxton.

Father Time weather vane brings memories of Sheriff Hutton Bridge at Lord's in 2005.

Bean, from York cricket club, scored a double century in this competition last season and was soon looking in good form again, being particularly strong on the leg side. He reached 50 from only 62 balls including seven fours. The hundred partnership soon arrived in the 23rd over with Bean on 60 and Luxton, content just to keep his end up, with 30. It was not until the introduction of the sixth bowler, leg spinner James Hindmarsh, that the first wicket fell. Bean tried to pull him onto the leg side but didn't quite go through with the shot and was easily caught for a very good innings of 88.

Finlay Bean pulls one away to the leg side.

Revis took some time to play himself in and the scoring rate dropped for a while until he was bowled by Pentland for 32. Luxton at this stage was 83 not out and put on a partnership of 32 with Ramkumar, who has done well this season with both Academy and county second eleven. Just before tea Ramkumar was out for 18, leaving Luxton on 96 not out with the total now 271-3.

Fortunately the interval did not disturb the young man from Bradford Grammar School and Steeton cricket club and he went to a well deserved century in just over four hours, showing great powers of concentration and knowing when to leave the ball wide of the wicket on a regular basis.

Will Luxton lets one go by outside the off stump.

Yorkshire batted on when play re-started on Wednesday morning. We were absent having a day out at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, but Yorkshire batted Durham out of the game with a fine fifty from Harry Duke and useful contributions from Archie Greaves, Harry Harding and James Mukherjee. Final total 442-7 declared after 116 overs. The Durham bowlers, all eight of them, stuck to their task well in what must have been a new experience to be in the field for so long.

Despite an innings of 44 from opener Jack Bushnell and 28 from number ten Jack Johnson Durham were bowled all out for 138 in their first innings and were asked to follow on. They lost four more wickets before the close of day two, meaning that we were not certain of too much play on our return for day three. Yorkshire had also used eight bowlers and the wickets were well shared between them with no one particularly outstanding.

Thanks to the tea ladies on the pavilion wall.

Fortunately in front of a rather sparse crowd on day three, Durham held out until about half an hour after lunch and made a respectable 197. They certainly did not throw in the towel and Yorkshire had to work hard for their wickets. Again they were well shared between the bowlers until Huddersfield's Archie Greaves finished things off in style with three quick wickets and figures of 3-38. Durham's top scorer was skipper Lucas Parry with 42, but Kelly, Hindmarsh, Marron and Oswell all made useful contributions.

Some good cricket from Yorkshire but they still have to face Cheshire, Derbyshire and the always strong Lancashire, who knocked up over 400 themselves yesterday against Derby, with two century makers. So greater challenges to come but a great start by the Yorkshire lads.