Batsmen prosper in National Club Knock Out.

 Posted by Tony Hutton

One of the many cup competitions currently going on is the ECB club championship, or assuming the most recent sponsors are still with us, the Royal London club championship. This competition which attracts the leading clubs throughout the country gets very little publicity and is perhaps part of what is known in some circles as 'Cricket's hidden agenda'. Something of a breakthrough has occurred this season with the Yorkshire Post newspaper, well known for it's coverage of local league cricket on Monday mornings, somehow managing to give the full results of the the two north eastern groups so far this season.

The two groups covering Yorkshire and the North East reached the semi-final stages this last weekend. In group one Appleby Frodingham from the Yorkshire League South beat Hartlepool from the North Yorkshire & South Durham League and will now meet Woodlands from the Bradford League, who won a very high scoring game with Richmondshire, also from the NY & SD League. Appleby Frodingham, from Scunthorpe are perhaps unlikely area finalists, having had a bye in the first round and a walkover against South Kirby in the second.

Cricket at Richmond.

The game at Richmond saw the home side make 312-3 in their allotted forty overs, with a century from skipper Robert Carr. However Woodlands, losing finalists in the Yorkshire Leagues final at Headingley last season, batted consistently with three fifties together with a not out century from New Zealander Brad Schmulian, to win by six wickets, with four overs to spare.

In Group two South Northumberland, from Gosforth near Newcastle, were no doubt favourites. So it proved with a convincing 86 runs victory over Stockton, following an opening stand of over 200 from veteran Simon Birtwisle and former Durham youngster Sol Bell, who made 137. The other group semi-final was the game we saw at Clifton Park, York. The home side, already topping Yorkshire League North with six consecutive victories, were again perhaps just favourites against a strong Barnard Castle side.

Karl Carver, once of Yorkshire, now top man at Barnard Castle.

The visitors, from just north of the Tees, batted first. Their openers Finn Usher and skipper James Quinn added fifty to establish a good start, but the advent of spinner Dave Brent produced two wickets in his first over. He had Usher caught at slip by Wade for 28, then three balls later overseas player Samarth Seth lbw for nought. Enter Karl Carver, the former Yorkshire left arm spinner, who managed to stop the rot and was indeed still there at the end of the innings with a fine 91 not out, unluckily missing out on a century. Quinn had made a useful 43 before being bowled by Ryan McKendry. Carver received good support from Richard Borrowdale and Josh Bousfield to set a challenging total of 233-6.

Cricket at Clifton Park, York.

York's top three all made useful contributions in the twenties and thirties, but at 120-3 the game seemed in the balance. However captain Ryan McKendry and Guy Darwin put on a century partnership to turn the game back York's way. It was still in the balance when McKendry was dismissed for a splendid 84, closely followed by Charlie Elliott. Darwin held his nerve with wicketkeeper Tom Brooks at the other end and the scores were level with one ball remaining. Everyone missed it and the ball went for four byes to give York the narrowest of victories.

Ryan McKendry, batting for York.

The group finals are scheduled to take place on Sunday 19th June. Woodlands are at home to Appleby Frodingham and South Northumberland at home to York. Both games start at 1 p.m. Other games on that date in the north of England include Furness of Barrow against Northern from Crosby and Wallasey of Cheshire against Leigh from Lancashire. With sixteen groups in all nationwide the competition for the winners will no doubt be fierce, including last year's winners Bath from Somerset.