YPN too good for NYSD

posted by John Winn

Yesterday was semi-finals day in the KO  competition between the four Yorkshire ECB Premier League champions. This year the organisers were saved the embarrassment of the NYSD being won by a team from north of the River Tees for it was Richmondshire who had that honour and entertained Sheriff Hutton Bridge, winners of the Yorkshire Premier North. Less than an hours drive took me to Hurgill Road, a ground where I always enjoy watching cricket.

I was joined by Keith and Leslie from Darlington and tapped in to their extensive knowledge of all things NYSD and later by Starbeck Steve who is similarly on the ball when it comes to the various Yorkshire leagues. Richmond won the toss and chose to field and after a stand of 27 for the first wicket the decision began to bear fruit with the wickets of Louis Foxton and Ed Barnes falling in close order. Wickets continued to fall  and despite a bit of a recovery mainly through Dulash Udayanga, at 94 for 6 it looked like the Dalesmans' match to lose. 

Cometh the hour and all that, in this case Matthew Fisher, and the game changed very quickly. Stands of 43 and 57 for the seventh and eight wickets had the pundits shifting their positions and when the innings closed on 208 for 9 the hot money was on Bridge. Fisher out for 87 including four sixes. And that was as good as it got for RCC for they were shot out for 42, Ed Barnes the chief destroyer with four for 12 off seven overs and two wickets each for Mark and Matthew Fisher and David Henstock aided by  some sharp catches in the slips and behind the stumps. Top score was 8 not out for number 10 Craig Swainston and the highest partnership 12 for the fourth wicket. All done and dusted in one hour twenty minutes. 

Meanwhile seventy miles south another one sided match was deciding who Sheriff Hutton Bridge would face in the final at Headingley next Saturday (wickets pitched 10:30). This fixture was at Albert Terrace, Bradford, the ground of Bradford league champions Woodlands CC where Doncaster Town were the visitors. Here the home team had  been put in to bat and rattled up one short one of three hundred for 8 wickets with New Zealander Brad Schmulian leading the way with 122. Doncaster fared a little better than Richmond but never threatened such a formidable total and had no answer to the bowling of Chris Brice who took 6 for 20 off his twelve overs. I look forward to seeing these two in action at Headingley next Saturday. Let's hope for a closer contest than last year's final when Wakefield Thornes gave Great Ayton the run around. If last year is a guide then we might expect the game to be played on the wicket to be used in the Yorkshire v Kent match starting tomorrow and scheduled to last four days. We shall see. 

Durham at Lord's

posted by John Winn

Yesterday Durham beat Middlesex at Lord's for only the third time in a championship game. I had spent the first two days there, travelling home on Wednesday evening but I believe Tony was there yesterday and if so we can expect a fuller report from him in due course. Suffice to say it was a low scoring game with all four innings completed without two hundred being reached by either side. At lunch yesterday Middlesex looked favourites but we reckoned without Brydon Carse who after lunch took 5 for 11 in 4.4 overs. Surrey thought to be showing interest .

The win took Durham up to third place although this is not likely to last much beyond lunch today by which time Northants should have beaten Leicestershire, a win that will lift them into the promotion places. Durham go to Wantage Road on Monday on the back of an unbeaten run of eight matches. I am listening to the other game still in progress in Division Two where at Bristol Gloucestershire seem to be in a hurry to lose to Sussex. This will make the situation at the top of the division very close as we go into the last two rounds of matches.

The statistic with which I began the posting, namely that yesterday's win was only Durham's third in St John's Wood was quoted several times yesterday afternoon but without the additional information as to when the other two victories had occurred. One stuck in my mind because I attended on the second day and it finished in most dramatic way. It was played in the first week in June 1998 and Durham won by one wicket with Melvyn Betts hitting 'Tuffers' for six in the penultimate over and then running three off the next ball with 'rising star' Steve Harmison. The win took Durham up to the then dizzy heights of second in the table but  it was to be their last win of the season and they finished fourteenth, at that time their highest placing. 

Durham's second win at Lord's came in more recent times for we only have to go back to this time of the year in 2014 when Durham overcame their hosts by 141 runs. 176 for Scott Borthwick was the highlight of the Durham batting and Malan got 97 for Middlesex. I wasn't present on that occasion opting instead for three glorious days at Trent Bridge when Yorkshire clinched the championship. Durham finished fifth and Middlesex seventh. 

Perhaps a little of the gloss has gone off Monday's game at Headingley given the events at Taunton yesterday but assuming the key to the red ball cupboard can be found it will be nice to welcome back championship cricket to Headingley after a two month absence. Kent, fresh from mauling the hapless Notts yesterday will be formidable opponents. In the meantime I will be at Richmondshire tomorrow when the champions of the NYSD take on Yorkshire Premier North winners Sheriff Hutton Bridge. The Richmond website confirms wickets pitched 11:00. 

Make the most of it

posted by John Winn

An usual event will occur tomorrow when all 18 counties will be in championship action with a reasonable spread of matches across the country. This rarity will be repeated twice more before the season ends on September 26th.Following yesterday's events at Old Trafford some of the fizz has gone out of the final test beginning at The Oval on Wednesday and once that finishes on Sunday only the T20 finals day on Saturday week is left to distract our attention from cricket's oldest competition. Plenty remains to be resolved and if we can have the sort of weather we enjoyed yesterday and not the rain that is falling as I type, then there should be some good cricket to watch.

In the first division match of the week is at Taunton where Yorkshire are the visitors and while I am usually reticent to use the phrase 'must win match' this is one occasion when it is justified for the white rose county. 35 points behind Somerset and a further two behind top side Essex are big gaps to close and should Essex win at Edgbaston and Yorkshire not do so at Taunton then even the most optimistic would have to concede the title will not come to LS6 this year. Yorkshire's squad still appears to be under wraps but is sure to include Maharaj in what will be his last game of the season and he was certainly given plenty of bowling in Yorkshire's practice game at Weetwood last week. He will be replaced for the last two matches by Mumbai born but New Zealand test player Ajaz Patel. Spinner Ajaz is leading wicket taker in the Surrey Championship, albeit his club Cranleigh play in the second tier
Somerset too have strengthened their side for the run in being joined by India top order batsman Murali Vijay.

Down at the bottom it looks pretty dire for Notts, 42 points behind seventh placed Warwickshire and without a win in 18 championship matches, a run stretching back to last June. A glance at the Trent Bridge website suggests they are well and truly focused on the T20 finals.  If they do have hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon and the single relegation spot then the 'must win match' phrase needs to be used again. Otherwise the doors of the last chance saloon which have been swinging in the wind all summer will be well and truly shut. Neither Essex's twitter account or website give any indication that they are expected in Birmingham for a 10:30 start tomorrow but presumably a coach containing players and backroom staff will be making its way up  from Chelmsford to Edgabston today.


With three promotion places on offer in the second division there is plenty to play for over the next three weeks and even 8th placed Derbyshire might be considered to have a chance. Lancashire, who threw away their Blast quarter final against Essex last week, are twenty nine points clear and the visit of the Peakites to Old Trafford should guarantee enough points to justify opening the champagne. Behind them Gloucestershire have a 14 point advantage over Northants but can expect a tough fight when Sussex come to Nevil Road. Should Glos go up then that would give them at least one game against Somerset next season which will be a must see for me, number 152 out of 153 in my quest to see every county play every other county.

Northants will fancy their chances at Grace Road, and Durham who having lost their first four matches have gone unbeaten in seven will be looking forward to their trip to Lord's to face a Middlesex side that have disappointed their followers this season. The last time these two met at  HQ in 2016 Middlesex were en route to the championship and give Durham a fearful pasting. From the Durham XI that played in that match only two, Burnham and Rushworth are likely to play tomorrow. The remaining match in this division is at New Road where third placed Glamorgan are the visitors. Remember it is 10:30 start in all the games. Try and get to a game for who knows what the championship will look like next season.

MCC member anticipates a big crowd at Lord's tomorrow.

End of season for Yorkshire Premier Leagues.

Posted by Tony Hutton

Nothing at stake for the last round of matches in the four Yorkshire premier leagues, apart from Richmondshire avoiding defeat by nearest rivals Nunthorpe to clinch the North Yorkshire and South Durham League title. Apparently there is a change to previous years when the champions knock out semi-finals were played on neutral grounds so that Richmondshire will host Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Woodlands, of the Bradford League, will be at home to Doncaster Town. Both games to be played on Saturday 14th September with the NYSDL website suggesting an 11 a.m. start. The final will be at Headingley on Saturday 21st September.

We spent the day on Saturday at Weetwood for Yorkshire Academy's final game of the season against Harrogate. With the visitors having avoided relegation with Sessay and Beverley going back to the York Senior League, they put out a side missing several regulars and lost a rather one sided contest by a margin of 77 runs. The Academy have had rather a mixed season often missing players through injury or representative calls and not able to field a settled side. They finished just below half way in the league table but produced several excellent performances along the way.

Yorkshire Academy squad in pre-season (Picture from YCCC website)

James Wharton and Matthew Revis, the latter fresh from an appearance for MCC Schools at Lord's, put on a century partnership for the first wicket. Both of them got half centuries, Wharton 67 and Revis 51. Wharton got rather bogged down after Revis was out and it was down to Finlay Bean, who top scored with 70, to increase the scoring rate. As ever Tom Geeson-Brown was the stand out bowler for Harrogate, although a little expensive, with 3-64.

Stand in wicket keeper Harry Stothard played his part with three catches and a stumping but a fair number of wides took the extras total to 27. Harrogate's Sri Lankan spinner Abeysekera did not have the best of days, his two wickets coming at the cost of 82 runs. A late flurry with a rapid 26 from Harry Duke took the Academy score to what looked a winning total of 269-7 in their 50 overs.

Weetwood pavilion.

With veteran Alexis Twigg out early, Harrogate relied on their deputy captain Josh Atkinson who held things together with useful contributions from youthful Harry Allinson (23) and Harry Stothard (39) before the introduction of left arm spinner Harry Sullivan saw him caught and bowled for 46. After that there was only token resistance from a rather longish tail and the two Sullivan brothers (Harry and Josh)  saw the Academy home with three overs to spare and seven wickets between them.

George Hill was top scorer for the season with 514 runs in only ten appearances, with James Wharton 504 runs in 18 appearances. Harrison Quarmby was the leading wicket taker with 22 wickets followed closely by the two Sullivan brothers with 21 each.

The Academy in action at Weetwood earlier in the season.

The small band of regular Academy supporters were rewarded first with biscuits bought for them by the players and later by chocolates from groundsman Richard Robinson, who really deserves a much bigger reward for the excellent job he has done at Weetwood all season, first for Leeds/Bradford University and then for the Academy. A day when the weather conditions relented for once and we were able to enjoy the sunshine for most of the day which brought our league season to a very pleasant end.

Sheriff Hutton Bridge win Yorkshire League North

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 31st August, 2019 Harrogate v Sheriff Hutton Bridge.

The Yorkshire League North has produced a close battle for the title this season, unlike some recent seasons when York have been runaway winners. York did make a late challenge and Woodhouse Grange were also contenders for some time but in the end the consistency of Sheriff Hutton Bridge brought them the title with a win over Harrogate at St Georges Road.

Sheriff Hutton and their supporters celebrate their league title at Harrogate.

The Bridge will now compete for the champions trophy with the other three premier league winners - Woodlands from the Bradford League, Doncaster Town from the Yorkshire League South and most likely Richmondshire from the North Yorkshire and South Durham League. If they get through to the Headingley final they will remember their memorable league victory over Yorkshire Academy on that ground earlier in the season.

It has been a great team effort with every member of the squad contributing to their success, although it must be said that the ability to have produced three Yorkshire players in Matthew Fisher, Ed Barnes and Karl Carver has been a real bonus. Karl Carver was without doubt the man of the match today when he chipped away at the Harrogate batsmen in a twelve over spell which brought him the excellent figures of 6-38. He was also there at the end of the Bridge's innings to make the winning runs in partnership with Matthew Fisher who steadied the ship with 44 not out.

Karl Carver holds the ball which brought him six wickets at Harrogate.

The Harrogate innings, having won the toss, never really got off the ground. Most of the batsmen got into the teens but no further and top score by a long way was extras with 29, of which 25 were wides!
Sri Lankan Dulash Udayanga, who has also made valuable contributions, got the final wicket as Harrogate were all out for 143 in 44.4 overs.

Geeson-Brown, as ever, fought hard for Harrogate and took three wickets, including that of Udayanga for 41, but in the gathering gloom with an ever-present risk of the earlier rain returning, Sheriff Hutton Bridge reached the target in the fortieth over and achieved victory by six wickets to the delight of their small band of supporters.

We hope to be able to see them in action again in the semi-final against Richmondshire on Saturday  14th of September when the venue is eventually announced and possibly yet again in the final at Headingley a week later. Well played the Bridge!

(Pictures from the Sheriff Hutton Facebook pages).

A day at Denby

Posted by Tony Hutton

Tuesday 3rd September and off to deepest Derbyshire where the county second eleven were playing a friendly game with Middlesex seconds at the delightful Denby ground just north of Derby.
I have been a regular visitor to this excellent venue for many years now, always for county second eleven games and usually with plenty of runs being scored. Today was no exception on day two of this four day game and a very strong looking Middlesex side, having dismissed Derby for 219 yesterday, were piling on the runs.

Middlesex started the day on 13-0 with the experienced pair of Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins, regular opening batsmen in championship cricket, but obviously surplus to requirements in the present T20 competition. Gubbins, who has not been in the best of form this season surprisingly stepped across his wicket to be bowled leg stump by Taylor for 10 and he was soon followed by another product of Leeds/Bradford MCCU, Andersson a prolific scorer at the University, caught behind by Hosein off Hutchinson for 5.

The ground at Denby looked in excellent condition in the morning sunshine.

By this time Robson was well into his stride and occupied the crease until mid-afternoon in a partnership with Max Holden which put on 166 runs for the third wicket. Robson was finally out lbw to the new South African signing Dustin Melton, who played against Australia for the county first team last week. Robson made a fluent 122 with nineteen fours and two sixes. Holden, the left hander, was somewhat more circumspect, but he too went to his century later in the day. The young man from Afghanistan, Hamidullah Qadri, toiled away without reward for much of the day bowling his off spin and finishing the day with figures of 0-99.

Robson straight drives Qadri for four.

Despite a fresh breeze blowing across the ground, which is situated in a bowl enabling spectators to watch from the top of a bank on one side of the wicket, the sun shone for much of the day before the cloud came down later on. Middlesex had relied on the experience of another first teamer to bowl Derby out yesterday as Tim Murtagh had excellent figures of 5-25. Unfortunately Derbyshire had no such experience among their rather limited bowling attack. The close of play score was 351-4 with Holden still going strong on 151 not out.

First team scorer John Brown takes a busman's holiday to watch from the boundary.

A most enjoyable day with half a dozen Middlesex youngsters who had played for the under nineteens side at Todmorden on our recent visit there. We were rather disappointed not to see one man named on the scorecard, who we had heard much about, in Dan Lincoln, a non-league football goalkeeper and hard hitting club batsman who has recently joined Middlesex. In fact he had been playing for Berkshire as they won the Minor Counties West Division during the first two days of this game. However he did apparently turn up the following day, taking Murtagh's place and scoring 34 runs as Middlesex took their total to 474 not out.

The Denby pavilion in the background.

Middlesex went on to win the game by bowling out Derby for 261 in their second innings, despite a fine century by Mattie McKiernan, who we had seen doing so well for Cumberland in the past. He was finally dismissed for 134 by the very occasional bowling of Sam Robson, who managed to finish with figures of 3-17 and probably surprised himself in the process. Despite losing Gubbins for nought, Middlesex knocked off the seven runs required for victory by nine wickets.

A varied week of cricket watching.

Posted by Tony Hutton

A mixed bag this week starting with two Yorkshire League North games over the Bank Holiday weekend. Yorkshire Academy hosted Castleford on Saturday at Weetwood and Harrogate entertained Scarborough on Monday. Nothing much at stake in either game, except for the very faint possibility of Harrogate being relegated,  as the premier league season nears it's conclusion but plenty of good cricket to watch.

Weetwood, Leeds.

Castleford under the captaincy of David Wainwright, former county cricketer, who seems to have been with the club for ever, looked a useful outfit, despite having to call upon veteran Andrew Bourke, another long serving member of the Castleford club. Good innings from Wainwright, wicketkeeper Eitan Litvin and Chris Briggs combined to give the visitors a useful total of 202 all out.

The Academy were missing several regulars all selected for the Loughborough regional under 17s competition and their reply seemed to get off to rather a slow start, with useful contributions for Wharton, Ramkumar and Loten, the captain still only just returning to form after a long injury lay off.
However George Hill gave the innings more impetus with a splendid 84, including nine fours and a six. However with the overs running out and only 19 required for victory he went down the pitch to the wily Morrison, who saw him coming and bowled it wide for an excellent stumping by Litvin to clinch victory in the end by just nine runs.

Three run outs had not contributed to the Academy cause and the middle order collapse cost them dear. Morrison's spell of 13-1-54-3 proved decisive and he got excellent support at the end from the slow left armer Jack Young who took 2-55. Wainwright was his usual economical self but for once took a back seat to his younger colleagues.

Harrogate cricket club.

In Monday's game at Harrogate, Josh Atkinson was the mainstay of the home club's innings against Scarborough with 62 and the final total of 195 seemed somewhat below par with Linden Gray the best bowler with 5-54. Scarborough seemed to be coasting towards victory with an opening stand of 89 between skipper Sam Drury and Darren Harland but when Drury was out for 58 wickets began to fall with a clatter. Sri Lankan Ishan Abeysekara started the collapse with 5-49 and Scarborough were finished off by Tom Geeson-Brown's three wickets to be all out for 170. Victory for Harrogate by 25 runs and thoughts of relegation could now just about be forgotten.

Tuesday and Thursday were spent at York watching Yorkshire seconds taking on Surrey seconds in a game seriously affected by rain on the second day. This resulted in some manipulation on Thursday morning with Yorkshire declaring on 39-1 and Surrey batting for just four overs to add 21 more runs to their first innings score of 326-5, thus setting Yorkshire 309 to win. This never really looked likely despite good efforts from Waite with 45 and Loten 42. The star for Surrey was slow left armer Moriarty (not a character from Sherlock Holmes) who took 6-71 and outshone his better known colleague Virdi on this occasion. Yorkshire all out for 216 and Surrey won comfortably.

Hullen Edge, Elland.

We were lucky with the weather on Wednesday travelling to Elland cricket ground, near Huddersfield for an Under 19 game between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Despite a drizzly start and a short stoppage just before lunch almost a full day's play was possible unlike the wash out after lunch at York. A modest crowd included several well known professional cricket watchers, including the inimitable Blackpool Ken, whose amazing knowledge of all levels of cricket in the North of England together with public transport timetables is a thing of wonder.

'Blackpool Ken' at Elland.

It was very much Lancashire's day on day one of this two day game in the six counties' competition which is not funded by ECB and therefore gets very little publicity and full scorecards never seem to be available. However Lancashire dominated proceedings against a hastily assembled Yorkshire side and totalled 358-8 declared with wicket keeper Owen Feakes from Greenmount cricket club making 138 not out.

Clifton Park, York.

The following day, when we returned to York, Yorkshire were really humiliated at Elland when bowled out first for 158 and then following on all out for just 70. Lancashire convincing victors by an innings and  130 runs and with Middlesex unable to clinch victory in their match, were declared winners of the six counties trophy for the second year in succession. Full marks to them and having seen both their under 17s side as well as the under 19s it is obvious that there is a lot of local talent coming through. One can only hope that some of them will actually reach first team level, which seems rather unlikely in view of the current policy of buying in players from elsewhere. Something that Yorkshire of course are now unfortunately emulating.