Three excellent days at Park Drive, Hartlepool.

Posted by Tony Hutton

The attractive ground of Hartlepool cricket club has long been one of my favourites. Situated in a pleasant residential area, adjacent to an attractive park, this well run club are long standing members of the North Yorkshire and South Durham cricket league. I managed to work out that my first visit was forty years ago for a Minor Counties game between Durham and Cheshire. Since then I have seen county championship matches in the early days of Durham as a first class county, together with county second eleven games and various age group matches.

Hartlepool pavilion.

Welcome to Park Drive, play gets underway.

This week they staged a three day game between the under 18s of Durham and Yorkshire. As previously reported Durham were fresh from a major victory over Lancashire, whereas Yorkshire were probably on the wrong end of the draw with Leicestershire. Durham won the toss and asked the visitors to bat on a morning when rain was forecast, but fortunately failed to arrive. Yorkshire were captained by home team player Yash Vagadia, who opened the batting with Alex Cree. Sadly Vagadia was soon caught behind by Hayden Mustard, son of Phil Mustard the former Durham wicketkeeper. The young man from Methley soon followed however, becoming another victim of Luke Robinson, from the Philadelphia club, who produced the bowling performance of the day with an admirable 7-38 in fifteen overs. Yorkshire in trouble at 19-2.

Yorkshire batting carefully on day one.

Noah Kelly from Driffield, who has been playing first team league cricket since the age of 14 and Harry Allinson from Harrogate were just short of a fifty partnership when Allinson was caught out from the bowling of Rohan Vagadia,  younger brother of the Yorkshire opener, who was appearing for Durham. Kelly stuck around to make a workmanlike 41 and Harry Finch made a good looking 36 before wicketkeeper Isaac Light, from Harrogate, who has been in good form recently, made top score of 68. Robinson returned to the attack to demolish the tail and Yorkshire were all out for what appeared a below par 271 all out. Can't fail to mention the youngest player on the field 15 year old leg spinner Charlie Scorer from Hartlepool, who bowled seven good overs.

Best view of the ground at Hartlepool.

Durham started well in reply with skipper Ben McKinney, who I understand will captain England under 19s later this month against Sri Lanka, looking in good form. Together with Ramisetty he had put on sixty before his partner was bowled by George Booth for 36 just before the close. On day two McKinney and Ross Whitfield, scorer of a double century last week, looked comfortable against the Yorkshire pace attack. Then Whitfield was caught behind off Jack Luxton, younger brother of Will, Yorkshire's first team batsman. That wicket seemed to give Yorkshire more confidence.

Looking towards the Park Drive end of the ground.

When Dawson followed with an identical dismissal it was 139-3 and very soon 142-4 when Luxton got his third and most vital wicket dismissing McKinney for 60 when he was caught by Vagadia. Twenty runs later the tables were well and truly turned when Maloy was bowled by left arm spinner Clarke Doughney and Ditta brilliantly run out be wicketkeeper Light. 163-6 and really no way back for Durham. The later batsman all seemed to look for quick runs but Vagadia, with a tidy spell of off spin, finished them off with four quick wickets, one of which fell to a brilliant catch by Hoyle to dismiss Mustard. Durham 214 all out, Yorkshire led by 57 runs.

Can't see the wood for the trees.

After this dismal pre-lunch session for Durham, they were soon happy again when Cree was bowled by Harry Lumsden for a duck. Yorkshire then proceeded to progress the game, despite the slow over rate involved by both sides, which resulted in play going on to 7.45 p.m. on day two. Vagadia set the tone with a fine fifty supported by a more restrained 32 from Noah Kelly. Allinson then made a rapid 42 putting on 57 with Finch, who top scored with another impressive innings of 78. Later in the day runs really came quickly with 45 from Light and 47 from Doughney, which enabled Yorkshire to declare at 347-9, setting Durham the unlikely target of 405 to win.

The sunshine prevailed for most of the match.

Durham set off quickly in the late evening session and, despite losing Ramisetty, were well past the fifty mark in only ten or so overs before the extremely late finish. The intention was clear Durham would go for the win despite the size of the target. Day three, when the windy conditions earlier in the game dropped somewhat, was fine and sunny, and the cricket of a high standard as both sides went for the win. Initially McKinney and Whitfield looked confident and their partnership of 115 gave every confidence to the home side. Leg spinner Josh Hoyle, from Shepley in the Huddersfield league, eventually broke the deadlock having Whitfield caught by Finch for 54 with the total 150-2.

McKinney went to a well deserved century just before lunch, but by then had lost both Dawson and Ditta to a stumping and a catch by Kelly, who had taken over as wicketkeeper. The 200 also came up before lunch so virtually another 100 per session would give Durham victory. When Maloy became Doughney's second victim just after lunch it was 214-5 and the game seemed to be going back Yorkshire's way. Even more so when McKinney finally fell, caught at mid wicket off Vagadia, when the Yorkshire captain returned to the attack.

Yorkshire applaud McKinney's century.

The scoreboard tells the story Durham almost half way there.

However Durham fought back with a vengeance and a partnership between Hayden Mustard and Luke Robinson put on 82 for the eighth wicket, leaving Durham with just 63 runs to get with plenty of overs left. All to play for still at the tea interval, any result still possible. Robinson hit two huge sixes into or over the pavilion and the most unlikely of victories looked on the cards.  The turning point came when Robinson was sent back by Mustard and Doughney hit the stumps direct with a splendid throw to run him out for 42. Rohan Vagadia followed at the same total and the game finally ended on the stroke of 5 p.m., with still another hour possible, when Allinson completed a tumbling catch on the boundary to dismiss Mustard for a splendid 74. Durham 363 all out in an epic run chase, Yorkshire won by 41 runs.

Yorkshire celebrate Allison's catch to win the match.

Yorkshire led off the field by skipper Yash Vagadia.

Finally sincere thanks not only to our friends in the north, but to the players and umpires, all connected to Hartlepool cricket club and last but certainly not least to the one and only Mrs Mulholland, the Queen of cricket caterers, for feeding everyone as well as ever. It was certainly a memorable three days.

Handshakes all round, the coaches congratulate the winners.