Saturday 14th September was the last day of the league cricket season in Yorkshire. With the four premier league titles already decided it was an opportunity to see cricket at a slightly lower level and we chose a gentle meander up Wharfedale calling in at couple of attractive grounds with nothing really at stake other than saying fond farewells to the season.
First stop was at Bolton Abbey cricket club of the Nidderdale League, tucked away behind the rather up market Devonshire Arms, but surrounded by wonderful Dales scenery. The Dales Way long distance footpath passes alongside the ground on the banks of the River Wharfe heading north on it's long journey into Cumbria. Today's game was against Spofforth, recent recruits to the Nidderdale League, but with a history of success in the Wetherby League in the past.
The home side were batting and well on their way towards a useful total of 210-9 in their forty overs.
The major contribution came from opening batsman Tom Burton with 83, which included eight fours and three sixes. Not long before our attention wandered from the cricket to walk alongside the river for a while before calling in at the excellent cafe just across the road, which caters for walkers, cyclists and motorists throughout the year.
A few more overs were bowled and a few more wickets fell as the first innings reached it's conclusion. The players looked ready for their tea in the pavilion after a warm afternoon in the sun and we left them to it to drive a few miles further south for a repeat visit to Ilkley cricket club. Sad to say their next door neighbours, Olicanian cricket club, which we also visited recently, has since had their pavilion completely destroyed by fire. Even worse was the fact that the pavilion doubled as a nursery school for young children. This plague of vandalism which has affected many clubs throughout the country continued last week with a fire at Scarborough College's cricket pavilion.
However the game was still going on at Olicanian, despite the lack of facilities. The game we watched at nearby Ilkley in the Airedale & Wharfedale League produced one of the most exciting finishes of the season. All seemed rather sedate with a low scoring game going on. Ilkley had been bowled out by Horsforth for 108, but the visitors soon fought back taking five quick wickets for just 25 runs.
A sixth wicket partnership then developed and just one over of spin seemed to turn the tide with 14 valuable runs coming quickly. Malik and Lambert took the score to 97-5 with only twelve more runs required for a Horsforth victory. Opening bowler Paul Dover than completed a five wicket haul by dismissing Malik for 36 and Myers for nought, to make it 103-7. Just six runs required. Enter opening batsman Robert Spivey, who had earlier top scored for Ilkley with 29. After four more runs had been scored he had Lambert caught for 49.
With two runs to win Spivey then dismissed the last two batsmen and Ilkley were the unlikely victors by the margin of just one run! So although the game had no real significance other than final league table positions it produced one of cricket's enduring pleasures which saw Horsforth snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So all over the country clubs were shutting up shop for the winter months ahead, while the groundsmen were ready and poised to spring into action to do their work on the grounds. We hope they all winter well.
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