Helperby stay top by a whisker

 posted by John Winn

Helperby CC

Having billed Helperby v Darley as 'match of the day' in the Nidderdale league the least I could do on a lovely afternoon yesterday was to pitch up at the attractive ground that is the home of Helperby CC, a few miles west of Easingwold. With a fine tree offering shade my deck chair was set up just as Darley took the field at 1:30.

Before the game the two teams occupied first and third places in Division 1 with Birstwith and a couple of points separating them. Helperby's openers began steadily, the first five overs were maidens, the pitch offering some help but gradually the shackles were loosened as openers Rees-Hughes and Corner began to find the boundary line. Corner led the way until he was caught behind for 46 which included nine fours and the total was 84 for 1. The run rate increased when Daniel Spink came in at the fall of the third wicket and his 39 which included three sixes helped Helperby reach 204 for 6 off their 45 overs.  

With Darley considered a better bowling than batting side this seemed a defendable total and so it proved for they fell 51 short but their last pair held out to deny Helperby maximum points. All Helperby's bowlers went for less than four an over and each took at least one wicket. Meanwhile Birstwith were rattling up nearly 300 against Harrogate III to win by 106 runs which enabled them to draw level with Helperby on points and separated only by the narrowest of run rates. Darley are third, 14 points behind. 

Still with club cricket the Voneus* Village Cup has reached round five with 32 teams still dreaming of  Lord's. The sixteen ties are scheduled for this afternoon and are spread across four regional groups. In the north which includes Scotland past winners Woodhouses, Folkton and Flixton and Houghton Main are still involved. Some familiar names are missing, these include Reed, three times winners and Woodhouse Grange (4x). In the south east which stretches from Buckinghamshire to the south coast two clubs in particular caught my eye and face each other today, Crowhurst Park (East Sussex) and Linton Park (Kent), two grounds on which I have played. Linton were victors in the 1978 final which was in the era when I played on their ground. Good luck to all teams involved, especially with the weather.

* the competition has lacked a headline sponsor for the last two years so credit to broadband provider Venous for stepping in.