Tuesday 23rd July, the first day of a short lived heat wave, saw us in the pleasant surroundings of Queens Park, Chesterfield for day one of the three day game between Derbyshire under 17s and Yorkshire under 17s, This game followed the county championship game with Northants and the big event of a T20 local derby between Derbyshire and Yorkshire. Clearing up operations were still going on following the big games and at times the handful of hard core spectators had to view the action between lorries being loaded with temporary seats and barriers. When they departed peace was restored and we could get on with some interesting if rather slow cricket.
Derbyshire batted, but made hard work of it against a mainly spin attack of Harding, Harry Sullivan and skipper Sam Wisniewski. Nobody played a major innings with number three Mitchell Wagstaff making top score of 32. Harry Harding had the best figures of 4-26 but the prize for accuracy must go to Harry Sullivan who finished with the excellent analysis of 24-10-38-3. Derby all out 172.
Yorkshire lost the wickets of James Wharton (13) and Arjun Ramkumar before the close but the two new comers Dan Ford from Methley and Cooper Smith from Harrogate both started well and were to add a partnership of 93 before Ford was out for 63 and Smith for 82 the following day. Yorkshire's middle order were all successful with Duke (58), Greaves (29) and Harding (72) all contributing to a final total of 383 for 8 declared.
As the week got hotter, we stayed at home for the last two days and apparently the final day was the hottest of the week when Yorkshire toiled in the field all day in stifling conditions. Most people expected Yorkshire to gain an easy innings victory, but it proved something of an illusion as the Derbyshire batsmen batted on and on with growing confidence and batted it out for a draw. Final score after an exhausting day for the Yorkshire bowlers was 356-8 - match drawn.
The continuing hot weather followed by thunderstorms and torrential downpours meant a complete week off from cricket (a most unusual state of affairs) until Tuesday 30th July when Yorkshire under 17s were in action again in another three day game, this time against Cheshire at Weetwood, Leeds.
Again the game was curtailed by the weather but not as badly as at first seemed likely. All of the second day action before lunch was lost but our worst fears were not confirmed. Unfortunately Yorkshire fielded a weakened side, with players missing on second eleven duty or through injuries. In fact a new opening partnership of Leo Johnson and Hector Bowerman took the field to start proceedings. Johnson is yet another Sedbergh School pupil from Collingham cricket club and Bowerman is from Ashville College, Harrogate and Follifoot cricket club. Both had impressed for the county under 15 side in the past, but sadly Bowerman marked his debut with a pair.
Yorkshire's batting on the first day was generally well below par with only Cooper Smith, who has done well recently with the Harrogate first eleven, making an impression with top score of 44. Cheshire's opening bowler Aaron Soni dismissed both openers in his first spell and returned to get rid of Smith and finished with 3-44 from 20 overs. Spinner Harry Newton destroyed the middle order with figures of 5-33 and Yorkshire must have wondered what had hit them. All out for 152.
Cheshire's reply also started badly with two early wickets for Archie Greaves, followed by three from Charlie Bourne, from Hallam in Sheffield, and the visitors were reduced to 65-5. Even the man with what must be the longest name in cricket Aaryan Godhamgaonkar only managed three runs. However Ned Bailey and number seven Ben Staniforth started the recovery in fine style.
This continued well into day three when they had put on 110 together before Bailey was caught behind by Duke off the bowling of left armer Sharma. Staniforth, who had been the minor part of the action then took over and went to his century with the last ball before lunch. A splendid effort from a lower order batsman. He had batted for almost four hours but was swiftly run out soon after the interval. The score was then 288-7 and the tail went quickly to leave Cheshire 295 all out, with a lead of 143.
With not much time left and black clouds passing over, Cheshire scented victory if they could bowl Yorkshire out cheaply yet again. Aaron Soni showed the way with another opening burst which soon got rid of both openers. Enter Arjun Ramkumar, who we had seen make an excellent half century for Yorkshire seconds at Kidderminster earlier in the season. He certainly went for his shots early on and raced into the eighties, with twelve fours, before becoming somewhat becalmed and then was caught behind from a careless waft when on 90 and a century there for the taking.
The score by then was 125-4 and Yorkshire were still eighteen runs behind. Into the last hour and Cheshire still had hopes of a remarkable victory. As the overs began to run out the Cheshire captain Toby Brown, took the bold step of putting himself on to bowl with rather hopeful leg breaks. He could not find a length at all at first and Greaves despatched him for a huge six. Soon afterwards a ball kept very low and Brown claimed an lbw victim to great excitement from the fielding side.
With fielders all around the bat Brown claimed another wicket by bowling Duke, who had not played a shot. Yorkshire edged into the lead but Cheshire persisted until ten to six, when time ran out. Match drawn.
With Lancashire Under 17s securing a narrow victory over Durham by 22 runs at Hartlepool today, the league table for the northern section makes interesting reading.
Lancashire 49 points, Yorkshire 47 points and Cheshire 46 points. Each side has one more three day match to play and the winners of the group go through to the national semi-finals. The big game is obviously between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Ormskirk which starts on Tuesday next 6th August. On the same day Cheshire will take on Derbyshire at Grappenhall. All to play for as they say.
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