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
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