The future of cricket at all levels has never been in such turmoil as we look forward to another season. Not only the talk of four day Test Matches, but the side lining of the county championship and the fifty over competition has alienated most cricket enthusiasts. In addition the ECB in their wisdom have drastically reduced the number of three day Minor Counties games as well as inter University games, which they are in the process of taking over from MCC. Added to all that, many followers of Yorkshire County Cricket club, certainly those in the older age group, find it hard to believe that the club has been transformed into a football like organisation by recruiting players from far and wide to the detriment of a large number of home grown aspirants.
So with all this doom and gloom around people of my advanced age tend to look backwards, admittedly with rose coloured spectacles at times, rather than forwards. It is hard to believe that it is now over ten years since I started 'blogging'. Looking back to 2009 I was able to travel all over the country to see a full programme of the game at many different levels. Just a few memories from the last months of that season perhaps typify how enjoyable I found it.
Starting with Friday 14th August I saw Yeadon cricket club, of the Bradford League, celebrate their 150th anniversary with a match against MCC. Nothing much of note about the actual match with a rather under strength MCC side bowled out for 78 and Yeadon winning easily by eight wickets. The most memorable part of a day, in which the sun shone, was an enjoyable lunch with cricketing friends in the adjoining White Swan pub.
The following day proved to be an epic day out visiting the Esk Valley League just inland from Whitby in North Yorkshire on a ground hopping adventure taking in five grounds in that least publicised of all the many Yorkshire leagues, but providing many wonderfully scenic grounds. Sadly I learned recently that this league, which had been losing clubs regularly over the last few seasons, has now ceased to operate. A great shame, but hopefully the Esk Valley Evening League, which now has it's own website on play-cricket.com and on Facebook, will continue to operate.
My blog for that day included pictures of Castleton and Mulgrave and I can add to that with two of Ugthorpe, who dropped out not long after my visit, which was in a lovely rural setting with distant views of the sea.
August continued with county championship matches at Chesterfield, Headingley and Scarborough plus a surfeit of Under 17s, Under 19s and Academy games. Then into September with a whole series of junior cup finals including a National Under 15s final at Headingley between Shrewsbury (the winners) and Whitgift, for whom a certain Mr Sibley scored 28.
A Yorkshire Under 13s final at New Rover cricket club in north Leeds brought out the Botham family in good numbers, including Sir Ian, to watch his grandson appearing for Cundall Manor School against the Grammar School at Leeds. Sadly Botham junior ended up on the losing side, but sported a very smart stripey blazer.
So the season progressed with the Arthington Festival, as ever going on till early October and ending with the traditional Boxing Day game at North Leeds despite a quite heavy snowfull covering all the ground, with the exception of the cleared artificial wicket. Hard to score runs with the ball sticking in the snow, but North Leeds managed easily enough to make their target of 73 without losing a wicket to beat the Northern Cricket Society.
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