Second weekend of cricket with the sun shining.
On Saturday the first match was Leeds and Bradford U niverssity against Loughborough.
One of the first person I saw wandering about was Graham Dilley who is the coach of Loughborough.The first ball was a wide which started the extra column which was to become the highest scorer for Leeds.
However the major match I was going to was Pudsey St. Lawrence against Wrenthorpe.
It is always a nice view of the Church.As it happens a Vicar sat next to use after beening at a wedding and enjoying the sunshine.Bob Procter arrived with some World War 11 scorecards he had won on e-bay.We did a swop for those I had spare.
Pudsey St. Lawrence opening the batting and were one down when we arrived.They struggled against a good attack and got to 156 with still overs to spare in a 40 over match.Meet Rowland Parker who played with Horace Fisher during the War and at Holbeck.Also there was David Leatherdale father who also played at Holbeck.
Ron Stansfield won a the sweepstake on The Grand National.David Stiff opened the bowling for Pudsey and started also with a number of wides.His first over scored 19 and Woodlands were on their way to victory.Woodland are a excellent side produced by cash.
Called back at Weetwood and the match was over Leeds losing easily.Went across the road to New Rover were they were batting against Wakefield Thornes.It was a exciting finish with New Rover winning by one wicket with only a few balls spare.Nice finish to the day.
Sunday the sun was still shining and set off for Weetwood were Leeds were playing Loughoborough again but this time a two day match.The official umpire was Alex Wharfe ex Yorkshire, Glamorgan and England cricketer.
Loughoborugh batted first and struggled against the bowling with the ball swing.It would have been interesting if Dilley and Wharfe had bowled on the wicket.At lunchtime we moved up to Old Mod,s ground to watch the first Cup Final of the season.This was The Betty Chadderton Rose Bowl where St.Chads Broomfield were playing Shadwell. Both teams from the Wetherby League.
All the professional cricket watcher were there with Reg Parker entertaining us.
St Chads batted first with a very short boundary near the clubhouse.You had to be careful were you parked the car to stop the ball hitting it. I parked behind a tree and was not hit my the ball.One of the Limbecheya brother,s hit a excellent 50.He was only 18 and looked a good prospect.St Chads scored over 200 in forty overs.
However we had decided to go back to Weetwood to see the evening sesson.We called into New Rover who were playing Windhill. They had scored over 250 and were bowling to New Rover.Windhill would be to good for New Rover.
Brian Senior and Peter Mann were getting hungrey so we went back to Weetwood.Loughoborough were seven wickets down for about 170 in 65 overs. Slow going in helpful conditions.Patal for Loughborough came in at number 3 and scored a century.The innings finished about 5.45 and they scored just over 200 in 94 over about the same scored St Chads scored in 40.
Leeds lost a wicket near the end and will start to-morrow morning.A busy week of cricket at Weetwood and Headingley. The local leagues start on Saturday.Start planning the season ahead. Hope it keeps fine.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
A Capital Day Out
Posted by John Winn
Early Friday morning saw me on an train from York to London King's Cross. Having booked my ticket in January when snow was still on the ground I blessed my good fortune that the sun shone out of a cloudless sky and there was zero chance of rain.
Large test match grounds are not always the best places to watch county cricket but I have visited The Oval, my choice for that day's action, in each of the last three seasons and found it an agreeable experience. An excellent seat in the Upper Bedser stand cost £10 from where the play between Surrey and Northamptonshire could be viewed from behind the bowler's arm.
Only Middlesex and Derbyshire finished below these two counties in 2010 and Surrey members in particular will be demanding much better this year. Young captain Hamilton-Brown will no doubt have learned lessons from last year and he led from the front top scoring with 74 in their total of 322. Several other batsmen got good starts but nobody seemed to want to play the kind of innings that would have seen them still batting at the close. Northants' attack, even with the experienced Chaminda Vass taking a wicket with his second ball, is not the most frightening and on the usual good Oval strip Surrey will feel they should have done better.It was hard not to feel sorry for Surrey opener Michael Brown, who missed the whole of last season through injury. 2011 began inauspiciously for him when he was lbw first ball.
Northants, who two years ago had a significant South African contingent, are now coached by their local former player, David Capel, and are said to be placing the emphasis on home produced talent, but of the eleven who took the field on Friday, only one, Mal Loye, was born in the county. Contrast that with the Yorkshire side in action at Worcester whose only non-native is Gerard Brophy.
For those with access to smart phones it is possible to be updated constantly with scores from other county matches round the country. It was pleasing therefore to know that Yorkshire were progressing well at New Road and Durham's batsmen enjoying first knock at The Rose Bowl. Perhaps this is an appropriate time to declare 'dual nationality' i.e. Durham born but living in Yorkshire; this coming Thursday at Headingley will present its usual challenge to one's loyalties.
The day at The Oval ended with Surrey all out for 322 and Northants 12 without loss. Just time to get something to eat before catching the 19:30 back to York where we arrived bang on time at 21:20. Capital!
Early Friday morning saw me on an train from York to London King's Cross. Having booked my ticket in January when snow was still on the ground I blessed my good fortune that the sun shone out of a cloudless sky and there was zero chance of rain.
Large test match grounds are not always the best places to watch county cricket but I have visited The Oval, my choice for that day's action, in each of the last three seasons and found it an agreeable experience. An excellent seat in the Upper Bedser stand cost £10 from where the play between Surrey and Northamptonshire could be viewed from behind the bowler's arm.
Only Middlesex and Derbyshire finished below these two counties in 2010 and Surrey members in particular will be demanding much better this year. Young captain Hamilton-Brown will no doubt have learned lessons from last year and he led from the front top scoring with 74 in their total of 322. Several other batsmen got good starts but nobody seemed to want to play the kind of innings that would have seen them still batting at the close. Northants' attack, even with the experienced Chaminda Vass taking a wicket with his second ball, is not the most frightening and on the usual good Oval strip Surrey will feel they should have done better.It was hard not to feel sorry for Surrey opener Michael Brown, who missed the whole of last season through injury. 2011 began inauspiciously for him when he was lbw first ball.
Northants, who two years ago had a significant South African contingent, are now coached by their local former player, David Capel, and are said to be placing the emphasis on home produced talent, but of the eleven who took the field on Friday, only one, Mal Loye, was born in the county. Contrast that with the Yorkshire side in action at Worcester whose only non-native is Gerard Brophy.
For those with access to smart phones it is possible to be updated constantly with scores from other county matches round the country. It was pleasing therefore to know that Yorkshire were progressing well at New Road and Durham's batsmen enjoying first knock at The Rose Bowl. Perhaps this is an appropriate time to declare 'dual nationality' i.e. Durham born but living in Yorkshire; this coming Thursday at Headingley will present its usual challenge to one's loyalties.
The day at The Oval ended with Surrey all out for 322 and Northants 12 without loss. Just time to get something to eat before catching the 19:30 back to York where we arrived bang on time at 21:20. Capital!
Thursday, 7 April 2011
To the land of the Prince Bishops
Posted by John Winn
A forty five minute journey by train from York took me to Durham for a fifty over friendly between the University and Durham II.I enjoyed the walk from the station to the racecourse ground which took me past the flat where I spent a year as student in the sixties and past The Dun Cow pub where I also spent time during that year. With permanent seating for twelve people it is difficult to imagine that the ground, from where can see both the cathedral and the jail, hosted a crowd of six thousand, described by Wisden as 'excited', for Durham's first match in the Sunday League in 1992. When I arrived, about fifteen minutes before the start of play, six would have been a reasonable estimate of the number of spectators.
The county side had a number of experienced players including Will Smith, Kyle Coetzer, Harmison the younger and skipper Gareth Breeze. This time last year Smith was captain of the county champions, twelve months on he enjoyed a generous mixture of long hops and full tosses to rattle up 61 in good time. The student bowlers did restore some measure of control until Harmison took full advantage of a short legside boundary to hit four sixes and with good support from Breeze Durham reached 306 in their 50 overs.
Although Graham Onions is not expected to be fully fit until midsummer, his class was evident from the first ball he bowled and he took three for twenty five off his ten overs. After a poor start the university recovered well and eventually finished 57 runs short. Amongst the Durham wicket takers was Jonny Killeen, son of Neil who is now on Durham's coaching staff and there in that capacity today.
Of the University eleven I can tell you nothing. There was no team sheet and there was no public address, too much to ask for an MCC Centre of Excellence?
A forty five minute journey by train from York took me to Durham for a fifty over friendly between the University and Durham II.I enjoyed the walk from the station to the racecourse ground which took me past the flat where I spent a year as student in the sixties and past The Dun Cow pub where I also spent time during that year. With permanent seating for twelve people it is difficult to imagine that the ground, from where can see both the cathedral and the jail, hosted a crowd of six thousand, described by Wisden as 'excited', for Durham's first match in the Sunday League in 1992. When I arrived, about fifteen minutes before the start of play, six would have been a reasonable estimate of the number of spectators.
The county side had a number of experienced players including Will Smith, Kyle Coetzer, Harmison the younger and skipper Gareth Breeze. This time last year Smith was captain of the county champions, twelve months on he enjoyed a generous mixture of long hops and full tosses to rattle up 61 in good time. The student bowlers did restore some measure of control until Harmison took full advantage of a short legside boundary to hit four sixes and with good support from Breeze Durham reached 306 in their 50 overs.
Although Graham Onions is not expected to be fully fit until midsummer, his class was evident from the first ball he bowled and he took three for twenty five off his ten overs. After a poor start the university recovered well and eventually finished 57 runs short. Amongst the Durham wicket takers was Jonny Killeen, son of Neil who is now on Durham's coaching staff and there in that capacity today.
Of the University eleven I can tell you nothing. There was no team sheet and there was no public address, too much to ask for an MCC Centre of Excellence?
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Things can only get better
Posted by John Winn
For the small crowd gathered to see a forty over friendly at New Rover yesterday with Olicanians the visitors, the first sound of summer proved not to be bat on ball but ball on stumps as the Olicanians'opening bat was bowled by the first ball of the season. The game having started a few minutes before its appointed time of one o'clock the unfortunate batsman was actually on his way back to the pavilion at 12:59 which somehow seemed to make it an even more disappointing beginning to his 2011 campaign. To his credit he could see the funny side of things and his only complaint was that the borrowed bat he used appeared not to be the regulation width.
Not surprisingly for a match played so early in April the wicket had more than a greenish tinge and the outfield was slow. The stiffish breeze had just enough bite in it to remind spectators that it is spring rather than summer and New Rover's numbers were made up by a young lad in jeans who during the early overs fielded as fine leg at both ends. On being questioned he revealed that he was the scorer and thus his attire was excusable. By the time I left after 15 overs he had demonstrated enough expertise to be promoted to deep extra cover. At this point Olicanians had recovered from their bad start to reach forty for two with an lbw decison accounting for the second wicket. Alas the victim did not share the opening batsman's sense of humour, making it very clear that he did not agree with the umpire's decision.
Lots of possibilities for the professional cricket watcher this week with the forecast suggesting a renewal of the dry weather on Wednesday. A further piece of good news is that second eleven and minor county fixtures are restored to Playfair following complaints about their omission from the 2010 edition.The sad news is that second eleven fixtures take up significantly less space than when they were last published two years ago.
For the small crowd gathered to see a forty over friendly at New Rover yesterday with Olicanians the visitors, the first sound of summer proved not to be bat on ball but ball on stumps as the Olicanians'opening bat was bowled by the first ball of the season. The game having started a few minutes before its appointed time of one o'clock the unfortunate batsman was actually on his way back to the pavilion at 12:59 which somehow seemed to make it an even more disappointing beginning to his 2011 campaign. To his credit he could see the funny side of things and his only complaint was that the borrowed bat he used appeared not to be the regulation width.
Not surprisingly for a match played so early in April the wicket had more than a greenish tinge and the outfield was slow. The stiffish breeze had just enough bite in it to remind spectators that it is spring rather than summer and New Rover's numbers were made up by a young lad in jeans who during the early overs fielded as fine leg at both ends. On being questioned he revealed that he was the scorer and thus his attire was excusable. By the time I left after 15 overs he had demonstrated enough expertise to be promoted to deep extra cover. At this point Olicanians had recovered from their bad start to reach forty for two with an lbw decison accounting for the second wicket. Alas the victim did not share the opening batsman's sense of humour, making it very clear that he did not agree with the umpire's decision.
Lots of possibilities for the professional cricket watcher this week with the forecast suggesting a renewal of the dry weather on Wednesday. A further piece of good news is that second eleven and minor county fixtures are restored to Playfair following complaints about their omission from the 2010 edition.The sad news is that second eleven fixtures take up significantly less space than when they were last published two years ago.
Here we go again
Cricket in March at Weetwood, Leeds
Posted by Tony Hutton
My first pleasant duty of the new season is to welcome John Winn who has joined our ranks from the other side of the Pennines. We look forward to more contributions from him as the season progresses.
The cricket season in West Yorkshire got started earlier than ever before, with a
practice match for Leeds/Bradford University players at Weetwood on 23/24 March.
Amazingly the weather was fine on both days with plenty of sunshine and some good
cricket to enjoy. The best innings came from wicktkeeper Dan Hodgson with 76, ably supported by Joe Leach with 57.
An added bonus was a two day game at Headingley between a Yorkshire XI and the University side on 29/30 March. We only got to know about these games at the last minute thanks to the Brian Senior grapevine. He had been helping with a mail out at Headingley and found out about both games then. Otherwise there was no publicity for either of them and of course only a few people turned up.
Again the weather was good at Headingley on day one and Gerard Brophy was the star of the show with a very accomplished innings of 130. Joe Root also looked in good form with a splendid 46, after his winter trip to Darren Lehman's Academy in Australis. He must be pushing for a first team place.
Unfortunately on day two rain came in the afternoon after the University had made 147-8 in reply to Yorkshire's 336-8 declared. Steve Patterson had the best bowling figures removing three of the first four batsmen for only nine runs.
Good to see a fine gathering of professional cricket watchers at New Rover yesterday for the game with Olicanians. These included Peter Davies and his Dad. They both took advantage of their first cricket teas of the season with piled high plates.
Peter said it may be the first, but certainly not the last of the season. He is planning a visit to Aigburth on Friday to see his beloved Lancashire perform.
Monday, 28 March 2011
Not long now
In describing a match at New Rover in April 2009 Tony Hutton summed up perfectly the thoughts of the 'professional cricket watcher' at this time of year when he wrote 'The cricket itself does not really matter. The fact that it is taking place at all after a long hard winter brings a smile to the face of the few diehards who make up the small crowd.'
Two long hard winters have passed since then, that of 2010-11 harder and longer than most and so it is with more anticipation than usual that this particular enthusiast awaits the new season.The signs are there: this last week has been unseasonably warm,lawns have been mowed, the clocks have sprung forward, Wisden and Playfair are ordered and we can look forward to cricket where there are no drums, no maximums, no reviews of umpire decisions and no dancers celebrating an edged four.
Yesterday the YCC Supporters'Association held its spring lunch at Headingley. It was good to meet old friends who are equally excited about the new season and April 14th in particular when Yorkshire take on Durham at Headingley in the first home County Championship match of the season.
I am very grateful to Peter for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to this blog and I hope its followers will find something of interest in my season's wanderings.
John Winn
Two long hard winters have passed since then, that of 2010-11 harder and longer than most and so it is with more anticipation than usual that this particular enthusiast awaits the new season.The signs are there: this last week has been unseasonably warm,lawns have been mowed, the clocks have sprung forward, Wisden and Playfair are ordered and we can look forward to cricket where there are no drums, no maximums, no reviews of umpire decisions and no dancers celebrating an edged four.
Yesterday the YCC Supporters'Association held its spring lunch at Headingley. It was good to meet old friends who are equally excited about the new season and April 14th in particular when Yorkshire take on Durham at Headingley in the first home County Championship match of the season.
I am very grateful to Peter for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to this blog and I hope its followers will find something of interest in my season's wanderings.
John Winn
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