Saturday 31st August, 2019 Harrogate v Sheriff Hutton Bridge.
The Yorkshire League North has produced a close battle for the title this season, unlike some recent seasons when York have been runaway winners. York did make a late challenge and Woodhouse Grange were also contenders for some time but in the end the consistency of Sheriff Hutton Bridge brought them the title with a win over Harrogate at St Georges Road.
The Bridge will now compete for the champions trophy with the other three premier league winners - Woodlands from the Bradford League, Doncaster Town from the Yorkshire League South and most likely Richmondshire from the North Yorkshire and South Durham League. If they get through to the Headingley final they will remember their memorable league victory over Yorkshire Academy on that ground earlier in the season.
It has been a great team effort with every member of the squad contributing to their success, although it must be said that the ability to have produced three Yorkshire players in Matthew Fisher, Ed Barnes and Karl Carver has been a real bonus. Karl Carver was without doubt the man of the match today when he chipped away at the Harrogate batsmen in a twelve over spell which brought him the excellent figures of 6-38. He was also there at the end of the Bridge's innings to make the winning runs in partnership with Matthew Fisher who steadied the ship with 44 not out.
The Harrogate innings, having won the toss, never really got off the ground. Most of the batsmen got into the teens but no further and top score by a long way was extras with 29, of which 25 were wides!
Sri Lankan Dulash Udayanga, who has also made valuable contributions, got the final wicket as Harrogate were all out for 143 in 44.4 overs.
Geeson-Brown, as ever, fought hard for Harrogate and took three wickets, including that of Udayanga for 41, but in the gathering gloom with an ever-present risk of the earlier rain returning, Sheriff Hutton Bridge reached the target in the fortieth over and achieved victory by six wickets to the delight of their small band of supporters.
We hope to be able to see them in action again in the semi-final against Richmondshire on Saturday 14th of September when the venue is eventually announced and possibly yet again in the final at Headingley a week later. Well played the Bridge!
(Pictures from the Sheriff Hutton Facebook pages).
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