Burley celebrate Queen's Jubilee in style

Posted by Tony Hutton

The Saturday of the long Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee proved not to be an ideal day for watching cricket, the cold weather changing our plans to travel further afield. Scarf and gloves were the order of the day (in flaming June!) and we travelled no further than North Leeds cricket club, who were hosting Burley-in-Wharfedale in the Airedale and Wharfedale League division one. Jubilee celebrations were going on in the neighbouring Soldiers' Field with all the fun of the fair and loud music in evidence.

A rare push for a single during an avalanche of boundaries.

However this did not deter the visitors from putting on a fireworks display of their own. The club that helped produce Yorkshire batting star Harry Brook, and are in fact captained by his uncle Richard Brook, always seem capable of scoring runs and today they did it with a vengeance. The two openers Jason Wright and Alfie Webb were well on their way to a century partnership when we arrived. The pair were dismissed almost together, Wright having made a quick fire 70 (8 x 4 and 4 x 6).  His younger partner having gone first for a more sedate but well made 37.

A modest contribution of 15 from next man Matthew Hastings did include just one six, but number four Redmond Bolton really got things going with 62 runs in a mere 36 balls (6 x 4 and 4 x 6). The shortish straight boundary proved the main attraction and one or two parked cars made a quick exit before a passing cyclist, completely oblivious, just escaped serious injury. Redmond was out soon after the total passed the 200 mark in only 28 overs and it was obvious a huge total was on it's way.

At this point another tall blue helmeted batsman, presumably the brother of Matthew Hastings, with the unlikely Christian name of Danger, entered the fray to join Nicky Bulcock. This pair did not mess about, adding a further 161 runs, nearly all of them in boundaries, in double quick time. The pair kept pace with each other but were running out of overs when both moved into the 80s. Bulcock was in fact dismissed for 80 (11 x 4 and 2 x 6) but Danger Hastings continued to hit out and eventually reached his century with one over remaining, having hit 16 x 4 and 3 x 6 in only 69 balls. An amazing innings. 

Danger Hastings celebrates his century.

The scoreboard tells the story.

The final over was something of an anti-climax with skipper Brook taking a single from the first ball and Hastings, despite several huge swings unable to make contact to an unlikely five dot balls. The final total of 382-5 was just short of the 411 achieved last weekend in Division three of the league by Kirkstall Educational. However a tremendous performance which must have left the North Leeds bowlers somewhat shell-shocked. We will gloss over the bowling figures and enough to say that Jack Harland and Aftab Karim both took two wickets and Karim also bowled the only maiden over of the innings.

In reply North Leeds managed a respectable 222 all out in 42.2 overs, but were never really in with a chance of chasing down such a large total. Asif Iqbal top scored with 90 not out and there were three wickets apiece for Nicky Bulcock and Shane Etherington. However the message for Aire Wharfe bowlers for the remainder of the season must be look out for Dangerman Hastings.