On the opening day of Yorkshire League North's season last Saturday Harrogate's game at Castleford was the only one abandoned by the weather. Despite today's original poor forecast, the whole area managed to survive and Harrogate's home game with Clifton Alliance, winners last week, provided another last over finish.
Harrogate, with a very young looking side this season, batted first and although losing two early wickets they were indebted to a slightly more senior recruit in the form of opener Henry Thompson to get runs on the board. Thompson, a Lancastrian, is remembered from the time he turned out for Leeds/Bradford University back in 2013. He was certainly in good form today and made top score of 62 against a varied Clifton attack. He was given good support by new skipper Harry Stothard with 39 and later in the innings Corrie Keable made a quickfire 33. Unfortunately the others made little impression at all.
Henry Thompson batting for Harrogate.
The home side finished their forty over innings on 190-9, which perhaps seemed about par. The young spin bowler Tom Brown, who we have been impressed with over the past two seasons, had the best bowling figures with 3-44 from his ten overs. At the interval it was possible to visit the improved facilities in the upstairs balcony bar, despite the one way social distancing system, which seemed to be working quite well.
Unusually Harrogate used their left arm spinner Stothard as an opening bowler, which became more understandable when the other bowlers made little impression. Ahmed the main pace bowler was rather erratic and bowled a series of wides, as did some of the spinners as well. In all Harrogate used four spinners, two of whom are very youthful. They all stuck to the task manfully but the experienced Clifton batsmen all contributed well, particularly opener Andrew Simpson with a solid 48. Thompson, as well as top scoring, had the best bowling figures with 2-38.
The visitors were somewhat behind the rate as the game entered the final stages but pace bowler Sam Grant, coming in at number six, soon put things to rights with a splendid 52 not out, including three sixes and two fours to secure victory with just three balls remaining. So Alliance claimed the points winning by five wickets.
Harrogate fourths in action.
On the junior ground behind the pavilion the game in progress was Harrogate fourths against Knaresborough Forest seconds in the Nidderdale League division six - not quite the lowest of the low. However, some of the home club's enthusiastic youngsters got their second victory of the season quite easily by the margin of 97 runs.
With all this going on you would have been hard pressed to realise that just across town Harrogate Town of the National League were playing in the semi-final of the play offs against Boreham Wood, with a Wembley final awaiting the winners next Sunday. When news filtered through of a 1-0 victory there was no dancing in the streets or fireworks going off as we have seen in Liverpool and Leeds during the last week. Instead a form of calm acceptance and one life long supporter of Town seemed rather reluctant at the prospect of them reaching Football League status.
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