Break in the clouds on a very wet Saturday

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 22nd August started wet and got wetter as lunchtime approached. However we optimistically drove through heavy rain and set off in the direction of York hoping to find Yorkshire Premier League North action with several games scheduled in and around the City. We had planned to see cricket at Stamford Bridge, a regular calling point for Yorkshire second eleven games over many years, but no longer it seems. The scheduled game was very much a local derby against neighbours Dunnington. Contrary to the website, the game had started at 12 noon as opposed to the advertised 1 p.m., but the players had already left the field after seven overs due to the persistent rain. With the dressing rooms out of bounds they sheltered under quite smart gazebos pitched outside the pavilion.

With little hope of a prompt re-start the league website indicated delays at both York and Acomb, but suggested that the game at Sheriff Hutton Bridge with Harrogate was still up and running. So off we went and arrived at the Moor Farm ground to find the game continuing in bright sunshine in front of quite a gathering of spectators, no doubt in search of the one local game in progress.

Harrogate, after their first win of the season last week, had won the toss and put the home side into bat. They had started well, with a new pair of opening bowlers in Robert Horbury and Ashley Griffin claiming a wicket each to dismiss both openers with the score on 14-2. Horbury got a second wicket to dismiss Tommy Hudson, but skipper Adam Fisher and brother Mark, as so often, got the Bridge out of trouble with a partnership of 78.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge.

Mark Fisher was caught and bowled by spinner Henry Thompson for 43, but Robert Stevens supported his skipper well with 35 at a run a ball. When Adam Fisher was caught for 73 Stevens and Freddie Collins took the score beyond the 200 mark with some ease and the final total was 216-5 from the forty overs.

Black clouds had circled the ground, but only one short stoppage delayed progress briefly as Harrogate got of to a good start, despite losing consistent opener Thompson to an lbw decision he seemed none to happy about. Allinson and Kempley took the score to 60, looking confident, but Kempley was caught behind for twenty and Allinson was run out for what proved to be the top score of 35. As so often the middle order fell rapidly and only some late hitting from Griffin brought the total to some sort of respectability with 167 all out in the final over.

Black clouds surround the ground, but play continues.

The wickets were shared around with Collins taking three and overseas player Nadeem Shefta two. Amazingly after the heavy rain we had driven through in the morning and which seemed to have substantially reduced overs in other nearby games a full eighty overs had been bowled which proved to be a real bonus.

Whixley cricket club.

Our cross country journey home took us past a regular stamping ground of fellow blogger John Winn and we stopped for a few minutes to visit the tidy ground of Nidderdale League side Whixley. The game was between Whixley second eleven and Pannal Ash in league division seven no less. Although Whixley are top of the league they apparently lost this one.