Clifton Park provides the perfect day

 

County cricket was played at Clifton Park, the home of York CC, in 1890. There followed a 129 year gap before, in June 2019, Warwickshire won  an absorbing championship match with just six overs to spare. Only six of the players who turned out in 2019, three from each side, were on the team sheets when Warwickshire returned yesterday for a fifty over match in the Royal London Cup. Fifty over cricket, a form of the game downgraded this season by the ECB by being played at the same time as you know what and having its final played at Trent Bridge instead of Lord's just two days after the semi finals so making it difficult for supporters of the finalists to arrange accommodation and travel. 

The sun was already doing its stuff when our foursome left the Lower Ure Valley shortly after 8:30 for the twenty minute drive to York and it was only a whisker after nine when we set up our chairs behind the 'covid line'. The almost two hours before the call of play passed quickly as we greeted old friends some of whom we had not seen since pre pandemic days. Warwickshire skipper Will Rhodes, remember him, won the toss and gave Yorkshire first use of the wicket and to be fair it did not start too well for White Rose hopes, Fraine caught at slip first ball and Luxton committing suicide before the end of the over was not the ideal beginning. Forty nine overs and one ball later the board read 320 for 7 and the belligerent Waite had smashed 42 off 16 balls and the hapless Brookes had seen his last over concede three sixes and three fours. 

Those with the will power to wait until 2:30 for lunch tucked in while those like me who had started feasting before noon took a turn round the ground delighted to see so many, including a contingent from Warwickshire, enjoying the surroundings, beautiful weather and most of all the cricket.  Well done York CC and thank you to Messrs Graves and Harrison who have forced this upon us. 

Warwickshire's start was better than Yorkshire's, it was bound to be, but Yates, of whom I have heard good things was soon on his way for 11 when he miscued Waite to Ballance at mid-off and the Yorkshire bowlers chiseled away at the Bears' batting and when Lamb fell to an excellent catch by Olivier at 134 for 5 some of our coterie felt it was game over and predicted an early finish. Messrs Mousley and Bethell had other ideas and added 115 for the sixth wicket in less than 12 overs but Yorkshire's fielding, noticeably better than the visitors, did not wilt, catches were held, potential boundaries saved and Luxton's earlier run out of Rhodes can rarely have been bettered. Brookes' dismissal effectively brought an end to the run chase and two catches by Tattersall who earlier had top scored for Yorkshire, the second of which was a brilliant effort to end Mouseley's defiance, closed proceedings with Yorkshire winners by 39 runs, seemingly a comfortable victory but that rather overlooks the last over of their innings when 33 were added. That over was bowled by Brookes only because Garrett, who at 11:05 had figures of 1-1-0-2, had left the field injured. 

Our journey home began with a not very surprising u-turn which took us to possibly York's finest pub, The Fox where for the first time in fifteen months I was able to buy a drink at the bar.  So exhilarated was I by this that I bought a round. Blimey. 

Yorkshire are at Clifton Park again on Friday when Notts come to town but the forecast is not great. There follow two away matches at Chesterfield on Sunday and Cardiff on Thursday, contrasting grounds and contrasting teams for Derbyshire are rooted to the foot of the table with only rain to thank for their one point and Glamorgan are top. Derbyshire are in action as I type and look like winning and a win would put them above Leicestershire.

ps Derbyshire did win and are now 8th but have only two games left.