Groundhoppers become channel hoppers

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Groundhopping is a generic term usually applied to football supporters who collect grounds, often of the non-league variety,  with all sorts of eccentric rituals involved in this often addictive hobby. The same can be said of certain cricket followers, of which I was one in what now seems a previous existence. However they do still exist with probably the supreme example Michael Latham, who still tours the entire North of England from both his home base in Lancashire and his caravan in Northumberland in search of more and more cricket grounds. The results can be seen with his wonderful photos which appear at regular intervals on the Cricket grounds of Britain site on Facebook.

Sedbergh School, Cumbria - top of any cricket groundhopper's list.

However recent events have no doubt limited the opportunities to explore further afield for many of us, but fortunately the advent of live streaming of county cricket on the internet has provided many people with an opportunity of watching cricket from the comfort of their own homes. Most counties seem to have taken up this format with varying degrees of success, but suffice to say that the opportunity to channel hop between counties during the Bob Willis Trophy has been a godsend for many.

The coverage does vary considerably with the few fixed cameras not covering the entire field in some cases, but things do seem to have improved as the season went on. The commentators, mainly recruited from BBC local radio stations are not always to everyone's liking, particularly the fact that they are doing a radio commentary rather than a television commentary. In addition many of them do not seem to have access to the streaming coverage and certain things which are obvious to the viewer pass them by. The most obvious case was in a match at Taunton where the opening bat was clearly clean bowled but the ball ended up with first slip. Both commentators were convinced for some time that he was caught at slip.

However, these are minor complaints and hopefully if the blanket coverage continues in the future the standard will continue to improve. The enjoyment of being able to switch from Taunton to Worcester to Radlett and back again was something very special. The end of season final between Essex and Somerset at Lord's which has just finished was a classic example of what can be achieved. Full marks to the BBC for showing the entire game on their sports website and to the small group of commentators and summarisers who kept things going admirably despite difficult conditions, with no access to the media centre.

If Jonathan Agnew is the voice of Test cricket on the BBC then surely Kevin Howells is the voice of county cricket. His commentary, together with Vic Marks as summariser, was a classic of it's kind and took one back to the great days of Test Match Special as it once used to be. I remember well being interviewed on Radio Leeds by Kevin Howells some twenty five years ago, in his early days on local radio. He was still learning about cricket at that time, but has come a very long way since then. His admirable commentary style and obvious deep feelings of the importance of championship cricket have been acquired over a long period of time and does him great credit.

All in all, despite the ongoing problems of ordinary life, we have been blessed by cricket with a difference when at one stage it looked as if there would be nothing at all. We have been able to watch live a variety of league cricket, womens' cricket and evening league cricket and as the season draws to a close we must be full of hope that 2021 may somehow restore normality to our much changed world.

Hawkes and Druids at Arthington

 By Brian Sanderson

On a windy and cold Saturday morning I sent off again to the 

picturesque ground at  Arthington  who were playing a friendly

side called Hawkes. The Hawkes had a three old local cricket 

league playing from them. They were Ian Priestley, who played

one match for Yorkshire, Murphy Walwyn who is the Bradford

League of Fame and Denis Rock who has played for numerous 

local clubs for a number of years.

We watched most of the match in the car due to bitterly northern

wind and Murphy scored a excellent 49 in a score of just over 

100 which was not enough to win the match. Another victory 

for Arthington. Photograph above of a well wrapped up Murphy.

It was a early start on Sunday as Bardsey were playing New Rover 

at 11.30 start .This was a vital match as the winner stops up in the 

league. The Airedale and Wharfedale is the only local league 

had promotion and relegation

.When we arrived we saw the two Wainman brothers batting for

Bardsey. James who was in the Yorkshire squad for four years.

 He was mainly a left arm bowler but he could bat. Today he was 

the main stay of the batting scoring 92 out of a total of 216.

When he bowled he took three wickets for 25 to help to 

bowl out New Rover for 178.

Round the ground was a cricket supporter from South Yorkshire 

and one from Lancaster seeking the last cricket matches of 2020.

Moving on to Arthington we found Arhington bowling against 

the Druids who are based round Harrogate. They scored 156

for 7 in the 35 over match. They match had to be stopped after

a few overs while the wicket as rolled as the groundsman 

arrived to late to do before the match.

Above is a photograph of the Druids waiting to bat with a guard dog.

The sun came out in the afternoon when  Arthington again won the match.

This weekend shown people will still play cricket in horrible conditions

at  local level and cricket will keep going in the future.

There are still two weekend to go at Arthington but the forecast 

this weekend is rain but let us be hopeful for brighter weather.

Keep going Arthington.

Weekend of sunshine and cool breezes

Posted by Tony Hutton

A pleasant weekend of cricket with a mixture of league cricket on Saturday and the traditional Sunday friendly cricket of the Arthington festival to follow. The weather stayed fine apart from the coolish breeze on Sunday afternoon, although at North Leeds on Saturday it was noticeable that the temperature sitting in the sun was considerable higher than the shade of the pavilion side. However full marks to the Airedale and Wharfedale league for prolonging the season, with still another Saturday to come next weekend.

North Leeds cricket club.

North Leeds were entertaining Addingham, from just the far side of Ilkley, with nothing much at stake. The home side won the toss and decided to insert the visitors, who were already several places above them in the league table. It looked a good decision early on with three wickets down by the time thirty five runs were on the board. Indeed three of the top four made only seven runs between them. Richard Atkins, batting at number three, then took over the proceedings and played a dominant innings of 74, with seven fours and three sixes before he was bowled by Tom Hudson when the score reached 121-4.

He had received good support from Ricky Palacio, who made 32.  One difficult catch on the long off boundary saw the poor fielder falling over backwards onto a bench, with the ball not only going for six but ending up in a tin of white paint. When the fielder had recovered his composure he had the task of retrieving it from the paint pot. The red ball had turned white and had to be replaced. Enter skipper Ted Haggas who set about the bowling from the word go with a belligerent innings of 82 from only 48 balls.

One of the five sixes he hit was an overhead scoop which landed with a crash on the roof of a parked car, whose owner having parked on the road immediately behind the site screen, no doubt thinking it was in a safe place, was in for a shock. Haggas also hit eight fours and propelled the score well beyond the 200 mark. The innings ended in a flurry of wickets but Addingham's total of 232-9 in fifty overs looked pretty challenging.

North Leeds pavilion

North Leeds started well and had reached 63-1 before the tide began to turn. Taran Chana, who had opened the bowling with an economical spell, played the major innings with a sound 61, but unfortunately got little support from his team mates as no one else reached twenty. Again the hero for Addingham was Richard Atkins with splendid figures of 12-1-32-5. So although North Leeds prolonged matters into the forty seventh over they were finally all out for 169, leaving Addingham the winners by 63 runs.

Back to the rural delights of Arthington on Sunday where the visitors were another old established wandering side, Halifax Nomads no less. Arthington were celebrating a double achievement the previous day when the first team won the Nidderdale League Division Three play off at Upper Wharfedale and the second team beat Walton Hall seconds in the Division Eight play off. The first team trophy was proudly on display and after an early wicket star batsmen Naveed Andrabi and Rafullah Khan were soon hitting boundaries all over the place. Both of them made 63 with sixteen fours and seven sixes between them.

Another picture from a previous Arthington festival.

Last week's century maker, Lawrence Barraclough, continued where he left off last week, with four more sixes in his rapid 34 and the home side soon had what appeared a match winning total of 237-7 on the board at the end of their forty overs. However the home side's bowlers could not match the batsmen's performance and the visitors, thanks to 119 from N. Smith and 72 not out from J. Lord were able to take a well earned victory by five wickets with only five balls of the game remaining.

Yet more traditional festival entertainment next weekend with games on both Saturday and Sunday.

A bridge too far for Ouseburn

 posted by John Winn

Until  Saturday it had been 11 years since I last crossed this bridge which links the car park at Markingfield with the cricket ground but shortly before 1:00 I took my seat to watch the Nidderdale League Division Four playoff final with hosts Markingfield, who have carried all before them this season, entertaining Ouseburn II. Markingfield, fresh from a crushing victory in the round of four against Thornton le Moor, took the field and they looked a much more experienced side than their opponents.

Will Bennison and Tim Smith made a steady start against the moving ball until Tim got a worm burner and was palpably lbw. Will was joined by brother Josh who perished for 0 and then came an incident that some would say turned the match in Markington's favour for Will,who had begun to play some lovely shots was caught off a suspiciously high full toss which on another day might have been called a no ball. It was not, Will departed and 36 for 3 swiftly became 36 for 4 when James Brading ran himself out. Ouseburn's innings never really recovered from this slump and only a last wicket stand of 20 between Ed Bennison and Jonathan Webb got the score up to three figures. 15 overs went unused, a cardinal sin in these situations, and some of the shots played by the tail enders were more appropriate to the fortieth over than the twentieth. 

Early wickets were needed and were forthcoming when Ross Sands was brilliantly caught in the deep by Will Jenkins off spinner Harry Hartley for nought but Wayne Dennis, who had impressed behind the stumps, took a liking to anything short and hoisted two sixes, one of which had to be retrieved from a neighbouring garden. The introduction of Jonty Moorhouse cut Dennis' innings short at 37 and when last week's assassin Robbie Wilberforce went for 8 Ouseburn were not without hope. A stand of 17 took the score to 70 and with each of  the later batsman contributing a few runs while skipper Tom Lloyd maintained a watchful defence Markington reached 97 for 7 and soon after a four from Ryan Lockie brought victory by three wickets. With promotion and relegation on hold Markington will be in Division Four again next season where no doubt they will be a formidable force. Let's hope we get a full season of cricket.

Ouseburn II 

It's a Family Affair

 posted by John Winn

After overnight rain Saturday dawned fine and all sixteen playoff matches in The Nidderdale League went ahead untroubled by weather. I took myself to the west side of Harrogate to the village of Hampsthwaite and a ground I had not visited since 2013. I arrived in time to see the players take the field and as the afternoon went on was joined by a goodly contingent drawn from Ouseburn CC members and supporters, keen to see if their young second XI could progress to the final.

Hampsthwaite CC

Hampsthwaite batted first and progress was slow against Ouseburn's opening attack of Jonathan Webb and Will Jenkins, Webb in particular impressed with his accuracy, his final figures were 10-4-11-1, and he got the first scalp, that of Richard Barratt who was caught and bowled. When Jenkins backed him up with two quick wickets Hampsthwaite were 25 for 3 off 12 overs. Ouseburn's fielders were very much on their toes and their exhortations rather grated on this septuagenarian. Does the simplest piece of fielding have to be greeted as though the exponent was on par with Jonty Rhodes? 'Jonty who?'  they would probably ask. 

The innings rallied a little only to be cut short by two quick wickets, Antony Johnson the victim of a fine catch by Josh Bennison and George Beeley caught and bowled by Moorhouse jnr. With the last five wickets going down for just 12 runs the innings closed on 99 all out with Jenkins and Moorhouse taking three wickets each. The view from the boundary was that given a decent start, 100 was well within Ouseburn's compass.

And a decent start was just what they got with Will Bennison and Tim Smith adding 46 for the first wicket until Smith was dismissed for 24. Will, Bennison major, was joined by Josh, Bennison minor but not for long because Major ran out Minor to cause a slight wobble at 49 for 2. That was the last wicket to fall however as Josh and James Brading saw their side home with plenty of overs to spare and skipper John Moorhouse confident enough to appear in mufti before the final runs were scored. John can feel rightly proud of his young team of which seven players are provided by just three families, Moorhouse (2), Jenkins (2) and Bennison (3). 

The full list of final matches is as follows: wickets pitched 12:30

Division 1 Darley v Helperby

Division 2 Masham v Thornton Watlass

Division 3 Upper Wharfedale v Arthington 

Division 4 Markington v Ouseburn II

Division 5 Pannal II v Studley Royal III

Division 6 Marton cum Grafton v  Kirkby Malzeard

Division 7 Middleham II v Pannal Ash 

Division 8 Arthington II v  Walton Park II 

So 15 clubs have something to play for at the end of  this strange season and The Nidderdale League committee can give itself a pat on a back for devising a scheme that has given every team at least 8 matches and whilst there is no promotion or relegation at stake Saturday's winners will no doubt celebrate mightily. 

Arthington's end of season festival returns

 Posted by Tony Hutton

The Arthington cricket club end of season festival has now taken place for over thirty years, with an admirable tradition of cricket being played until mid October, when usually the weather is still kind. There was something of a break in proceedings last year due to essential work on the ground, which meant that all the fixtures were played away from home. However a full programme has been arranged for this year at this pleasant rural ground situated in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire mid-way between Pool and Harewood.

The festival got off to something of a false start last Sunday (6th September) when the game against Cambridge Methodists (from Leeds) was abandoned due to rain before the first innings could be completed. For the record Arthington made 134-3 in 27.3 overs with star batsman from the club's Saturday first eleven, Naveed Andrabi making 47 not out. Both first and second elevens have had yet another successful season and will feature in the play off finals next Saturday (19th September). Arthington's first team will be away at Upper Wharfedale in the Nidderdale League Division three final and the second team home to Walton Park in the Division eight final. Both games will start at 12.30.

The never changing scene at Arthington.

Yesterday the second match of the festival, in pleasant sunshine, saw the visit of the old established Yorkshire wandering side Romany, who perhaps fielded a few players of advanced years to put it politely. Romany traditionally were made up of a team of officers and gentleman, so it was perhaps appropriate that their captain was a former Conservative M.P. The bowling was certainly of the Sunday friendly variety for the most part and Arthington's openers Laurence Barraclough and Andy Stoddard certainly filled their boots with a partnership of 165. At this point Barraclough reached his century with a succession of sixes and promptly retired 100 not out.

After such a long wait not surprisingly the number three batsman departed very quickly and soon afterwards Andy Stoddard reached his fifty and he too retired not out after an innings rather more pedestrian than his free scoring partner. However, the runs continued to flow against some very uninspiring bowling with Rafiulla Khan and Tom Conboy both ending just short of fifties. So a final score for the home side of 276-3 in forty overs. Richard Reynolds joined the attack very late in the day and came away with the excellent figures of 2-6 !

That was not Mr Reynolds only impact on the game as took the attack to Arthington with a vengeance, racing to 68 with eight fours and five sixes. The total was 90-1 when he was out and two more wickets fell quickly but Sam Smith took up the cudgels at number four with another aggressive fifty with fours and sixes a plenty. When he was out with still plenty of overs to come thoughts of an impossible victory went out of the window as the tailenders rather disintegrated rapidly. So Romany were all out for a total of 201 with still 16 more overs available.

A picture from the past. More sheep than people at Arthington in 2013.

A wonderful afternoon's entertainment for the spectators with bright September sunshine in this most charming of rural surroundings, with sheep in the meadow in the distance making a long convoy of follow your leader and red kites hovering overhead. Some of the cricket may not have been of the highest quality but remained enjoyable throughout. Certainly something to take our minds off the reality of the world elsewhere.

Remaining festival fixtures (all at Arthington except the last game) are as follows:-

Sunday 20th September v Halifax Nomads

Saturday 26th September v The Hawks

Sunday 27th September v The Druids

Saturday 3rd October v Burton Salmon

Sunday 4th October v The Forty Club

Saturday 10th October St Georges Church v Arthington at Harewood House.

Start times can vary, but likely to be 1 p.m. in September and 12.30 in October.

End of season for Yorkshire Premier League North

 Posted by Tony Hutton

With no cricket being played at our regular summer base of Weetwood, Leeds in this much shortened season, we have been grateful to Harrogate cricket club for providing not only a succession of Premier League games, but ladies cricket and over 60s cricket too. The icing on the cake has been the admirable facilities in the newly managed Balcony Bar which has been able to conform with all the necessary restrictions while providing excellent service.

Sadly the cricket on the field has not provided the best of results for the home club and after Saturday's defeat by Acomb they finished the season bottom of the league with only one victory to show for their considerable efforts. This very young side will no doubt do better next season, which everyone hopes will be able to have a full programme of matches.

Yesterday, after losing an early wicket, the home side showed much promise with a partnership of 103 for the second wicket between Harry Allinson and William Bates. Allinson fresh from his fifty for Yorkshire under 18s last weekend, scored another half century in partnership with Bates who did so well at York last week. However when 105-1 soon became 105-3 the usual middle order collapse set in and the run rate failed to accelerate towards the end of the innings. Harrogate finished the forty overs on a rather meagre 158-7.

Acomb's reply can best be described as a stroll in the park. William Wade, in the process of become the league's leading run scorer, made 60 not out in a partnership of 134 with fellow opener Matthew Dale, who made 71. Harrogate used seven bowlers who all failed to make much impression until a late spell from Cooper Smith slowed things down somewhat with figures of 5.5-0-15-1.

The sun shone throughout despite a stiff breeze and the crowd, including a good following of away supporters, enjoyed the end of season leisurely atmosphere. The admirable league website was updated early in the evening with all today's results, a final league table and best performances for batsmen, bowlers and fielders.

Harrogate cricket club.

Dunnington, whose game did not start until 1 p.m., whereas all the others started at mid-day, came from behind with a victory to pip Stamford Bridge for the league title by the narrow margin of three points. As previously mentioned William Wade of Acomb was the leading run scorer with 494 runs as well as the top average of 70.57 which just beat Christopher Bilton of Woodhouse Grange with an average of 70.40. The top bowler was Tom Forsdike of York with twenty four wickets.

Some slight consolation for Harrogate came with the news that skipper Harry Stothard had made the highest score of the season with his 116 not out against Driffield. Of course the big news of the day locally was Harrogate Town's first match in the Football League, which they won 4-0 away to Southend United and probably to their surprise find themselves, if only briefly, top of the Second Division table!

York break even at Clifton Park

 Posted by Tony Hutton

In the penultimate round of Yorkshire League North's truncated season last Saturday, York cricket club managed a victory over bottom club Harrogate to leave the home side in an unaccustomed fifth place out of ten in the league table, having won four and lost four. In a stiff breeze, which led to most spectators watching from the comfort of their cars, York batted first. 

Clifton Park, York

Guy Darwin went for thirteen with the total on twenty five to a good catch by Henry Thompson at mid off, before a century partnership between Duncan Snell and Harry Adair put York in command. The prolific Snell was caught behind for 62 and Adair must have had thoughts of a century until he was run out by Harrogate skipper Harry Stothard for 78. The powerfully built Nick James then pushed the score along with a rapid 50, but York didn't really take full advantage of their strong position finishing on 253-4 in their forty overs.

However, despite a brave effort by the visitors the total remained tantalisingly out of reach with a final score of 216-7 leaving them just 37 runs short and still rooted to the bottom of the table with just one win. The one player to give them hope was William Bates, promoted from the second team, with a fine innings of 95 not out at the end, just missing out on what would have been a deserved century. York's best bowler was young spinner Tom Forsdike with 4-35.

Next Saturday, in the last fixtures of the season, Harrogate will be looking for a home win against Acomb, while hoping that York get another victory at Driffield which would enable Harrogate to get off the bottom of the league and condemn Driffield to last place.

The Harrogate side, containing a good crop of teenagers, is one for the future and is was good to hear that several of them played the following day for Yorkshire under 18s against Lancashire at Castleford. Opener Harry Allinson top scored with 52 and all rounder Cooper Smith made 24 in the Yorkshire total of 168-5. In addition young off spinner, the other Ben Stokes, was also in the Yorkshire side. Unfortunately the game was rained off with Lancashire on 47-0.

Amendment to Nidderdale league playoffs

 posted by John Winn

As anticipated the Division 8 playoff match between Arthington II and Thirsk III will now be played at Thirsk, Saturday 12th September 2020 wickets pitched 13:00

Whixley miss the cut

posted by John Winn

The Nidderdale League, like many others, has made the best of a bad job and in the truncated season each team has played each other once and although there is no promotion or relegation at stake the implementation of playoffs added spice to last Saturday's games. On my door Whixley's first XI were at home to Scotton and a victory would guarantee the Cherrymen a place in the Division Two  playoffs, a fine performance in their first season in this division.

I arrived as the players took the field with Whixley batting and after the loss of two wickets they mounted a recovery through Jack Whitham, 69 and Josh Forster, 63 but after these two were out the middle order and tail did not cash in and a total of 196 all out in the 45th and last over while respectable was a little disappointing.

In reply Scotton made a steady start but heavy rain drove me to my car and after about twenty minutes twenty minutes the players were forced to leave the field with the score at 90 for two. This was my signal to seek refreshment in The Anchor Inn but no sooner had I gone through the sanitation process than the sun came out which allowed Scotton to knock off the remaining runs and win by three wickets with more than four overs to spare. Top score for Sam Halliday with 48 not out and third place for Scotton in the table. Meanwhile in Wensleydale Thornton Watlass, despite losing to Masham finished four points above Whixley and thus qualified for this Saturday's semi finals. There was double disappointment for Whixley for in Division Seven their second XI lost to Little Ribston thus extinguishing their hopes of extending their season for another week at least.

Scotton's reply after seven overs.

The full list of play off matches is as follows, all one o'clock starts

Division 1 Darley v Harrogate III, Pateley Bridge v Helperby

Division Two Killinghall v Thornton Watlass, Masham v Scotton

Division Three Arthington v Walton Park, Upper Wharfedale v Raskelf 

Division Four Hampsthwaite v  Ouseburn II  Markington v Thornton le Moor

Division Five Pannal II v  Newton le Willows, Studley Royal III v Lofthouse and Middlesmoor

Division Six Kirby Malzeard v Harrogate IV Marton cum Grafton v North Stainley II

Division Seven Kirk Deighton II v  Pannal Ash  Middleham II v Darley CC

Division Eight Arthington II v  Thirsk III Walton Park II v Rainton II

There is no indication on the website as to how the problem of both Arthington teams being at home will be resolved. 

An eventful year with Cumberland county cricket

 Posted by Tony Hutton

Have just finished reading yet another remarkable cricket book. I have already got through quite a few in the last few months, but this one was rather special in several ways. The Wicket Men by Tony Hannan, an author probably best known for his writing on Rugby League, tells the story of Cumberland County Cricket club's season of 2018. The significant sub-title is for me a most disturbing one - 'The last rites of Minor Counties cricket'.

The reason I say that is due to the fact that I have spent parts of the last twenty seven years, since enforced early retirement, visiting all twenty Minor Counties to watch a particularly attractive form of cricket which as the title of the book suggests is very much on it's way out. As most true cricket lovers will know the game which we have known and loved all our lives is being altered in many ways by the money men who now govern proceedings.

The proposed changes affect not only the first class game, but further down the scale where the long traditions of the Minor Counties game and University cricket are being decimated. Tony Hannan tells the story of how the proposed changes were to be implemented during the current season with the word 'Minor' being considered a negative aspect for possible sponsors. The new title being the National Counties Cricket Association. The major changes involve much more one day and T20 cricket at the expense of the more traditional three day games which are to be reduced to only four games for each side per season.

However, with all that lurking in the future during the year in question, we are able to follow the Cumberland team as they tour their own county and much further afield. The author is party to much of the off field events which make such interesting reading as the problems of selection, travelling late on Saturday nights after league cricket to distant destinations for Sunday morning starts, and eventually to real controversy and falling out amongst players and officials.

Having met the author during his travels during 2018 it is flattering to receive several mentions throughout the book, none more so than in the summing up when an extract from one of my blogs outlines my own feelings about the changes in format quite clearly. I understand that the basic problem is all about central funding from the ECB, which in effect seems to have blackmailed people into accepting the new proposals without much protest at all.

A very sad day for all traditionalists like myself who feel that we have been robbed of something very special. Four championship games a season, of which at least one is likely to be affected by the weather makes for poor fare all round. For ground hoppers like myself the possibility of distant journeys to such lovely grounds like Sedbergh, Brockhampton, Eastnor, Colwall, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Instow, Truro, North Perrott and many many more will become a thing of the past.

I have enjoyed my travels with Cumberland in the past and it is now sad to see that the proposed name change to the modern day county of Cumbria has at last come to pass. Another consequence of the fall out at the end of the season has now seen the team's leading spin bowler and greatest character, Toby Bulcock, depart to pastures new in Staffordshire.

I have perhaps been sidetracked by the changes and controversy but there is plenty more to this book as Tony Hannon travels to many off the beaten track league grounds throughout the county, soaking up the atmosphere of some very remote places and the people who inhabit them. What is more he gets to know all the players and officials of the club as the season progresses and describes the very special atmosphere of Minor Counties cricket which it will always remain to me.

75% strike rate near Fitzwilliam.

 Having been informed by Andrew Marr on Sunday that it was the last day of summer I decided to take advantage of a lovely day on Monday to see some league cricket. In order to allow clubs the opportunity to play each other once in this truncated season the Pontefract League had allocated the bank holiday for a round of fixtures but allowing clubs with the approval of their opposition to use as an alternative either  Sunday August 23rd, Sunday 6th September or Saturday September 26th, a date which might allow some pcws to extend their season. Thankfully a reasonable number of clubs had opted to play on the appointed day and I selected a number of grounds  in postcode WF4, none of which I had visited before. 

First stop was Ryhill and Havercroft CC, a facility shared with Ryhill FC. The entertainment here was a Division 5 game with Normanton St John's CC and as I arrived the umpires took the field. Ryhill find themselves well adrift at the foot of the division and on slow wicket within a large playing area made only slow progress against some steady bowling, slow to the extent that they made only 67 for 9 off their 30 overs. Normanton, who had won the toss knocked these off with time to spare and for the loss of four wickets.

The seasons overlap at Ryhill

Next stop, and not far aware is Nostell St Oswald CC, but on arriving at the ground I found it deserted and the square roped off. I discovered later but too late to retrace my steps, that a burst water main had caused the game to be relocated to Thorpe Audin. Another short trip took me to The Sidings at Crofton where home side Crofton Phoenix II were batting against Burton Salmon, a club I visited in 2105 when they were in the York Vale League. The ground is an attractive one, set in parkland with again a large playing area and football pitches in the distance. 62 for 0 read the board with 14 of the prescribed overs left. As wickets began to fall a gentlemen seated with the Burton Salmon scorer got increasingly excited, even more so when Rupert Jones and son arrived. Rupert is a man I have always identified as an Arthington Festival enthusiast but neither my name or face meant anything to him. Nevertheless we found plenty of common ground for conversation, much of it about Steve Bindman's book reviewed by Tony a few weeks ago. As the overs ran down wickets fell  Mr Burton Salmon who had done much to revive the club when it folded got increasingly excited, even to the point of describing a wicket taking ball as a ripper, an unforgiveable offence in my book. 

The innings closed with the score at 157 for 8, or so the scorer told me but the league website says 147 for 8. Whatever the case it proved too much for Burton Salmon who were 89 all out. Three run outs suggests some confusion in the middle order. Phoenix lie second in Division Five, Burton Salmon in mid table.

Last ground on what was still a beautiful afternoon was that of Old Sharlston where I arrived just after the home team's second eleven had begun their reply to South Kirkby II who had been bowled out for 78, five wickets for Tom Maskill. In  front of a very good crowd Sharlston began confidently mainly through Colin Scattergood and won by five wickets taking a ball more than 26 overs. This is another attractive ground with an outfield that would serve very well in a much higher standard of cricket. This was a Division three match, a section in which a young South Kirkby side are finding it tough going and Old Sharlston are two places above them, third from bottom. Good to see so many watching on a bank holiday at a club which I sense  serves as something of a hub in the community. 

 Old Sharlston CC

On the 45 minute journey home I reflected on what had been an interesting afternoon and although disappointed by missing out at Nostell I felt a strike rate of 75% was not a bad return at this late stage in such a strange season. 

Knaresborough go clear

I first visited Knaresborough's Aspin Lane ground in 2008 when they were members of the Aire Wharfe league and despite it being little more than a twenty minute drive from my home I have been there only once since, until Saturday that is. Since switching from the Aire Wharfe Knaresborough have played in the York League and this season find themselves in North Division 1 where they have contested the leadership with Easingwold and Sessay. Last Saturday at Aspin Lane their opponents were the former of these and play had only been underway about ten minutes when I arrived at the well appointed ground. 

Knaresborough were batting and although one of their players informed me that they would have preferred not to on a bitterly cold afternoon with a strong northerly wind their openers made good progress against the Easingwold attack .A couple of sharp chances went down, one a return catch that seemed to go through the bowler's hands and onto his face. After Friday's heavy rain both pitch and outfield were slow but skipper Greg Pickles in particular played some fine attacking shots. Along with Andy Ward jnr Pickles added 101 for the first wicket until Ward was out for 41.Pickles received further good support from Toby Giddings in a fourth wicket stand of 47 until the innings closed on 187 for 4 with Pickles out for 97 off the last ball of the 40th over. 

This was my cue to leave but Easingwold after good start fell 52 short and with Sessay's match against their second eleven a victim of the weather Knaresborough are three points clear at the top. Sessay are second, three points behind and Easingwold a further point adrift. There are two matches left to play and on Saturday Easingwold will host Sessay while Knaresborough travel to take on Sheriff Hutton Bridge II. In the last round of matches on September 12th Knaresborough will be at home to Harrogate II while Sessay play SHB II and Easingwold visit Malton and Old Malton. Plenty to play for but Knaresborough must be favourites to finish top. Let's hope the weather is not the decider.