Harrogate to High Wycombe and back (Part 1)

Posted by Tony Hutton

Apologies for the delay in my ongoing cricket travels which has been caused by computer problems, but now hopefully restored to full throttle once more. Going back a week to Saturday 29th April I saw Yorkshire League North champions Harrogate in action at home to Stamford Bridge. The visitors have recruited well to add to their already strong squad. The two main newcomers being Ryan McKendry, the former York all rounder and Max Maciver, who has been performing well with both bat and ball for Leeds/Bradford University. Yorkshire batsman Will Rhodes and his brother Dominic are also useful performers with both bat and ball, so a close contest was expected.

         Harrogate CC - Yorkshire League North champions                        
              
The champions have also added to their squad with a new overseas player from Tasmania in Kellen Bond, prolific batsman Josh Atkinson from Otley and batsman wicketkeeper Eddie Wilson from the Huddersfield League, who has played for Yorkshire second eleven. It was their tried and trusted opening bowlers who made an instant impact reducing the Bridge to 38-5 in no time and the game seemed almost over. All the big names, Will Rhodes (in the first over), Maciver, McKendry and West Indian Sinclair were all out for single figures. Three wickets for Geeson- Brown, one for Stow and the fifth from young Macgregor a local youngster.

Stern resistance from the middle order and the tail, notably from top scorer Dominic Rhodes with 49, managed to produce a respectable total of 161 all out. Soon this looked like a winning score as Harrogate started in similar vein being reduced to 12-4 in no time at all. The opening bowlers Robinson and that man Dominic Rhodes again were the wicket takers and star batsmen Tattersall, Potticary (another Leeds/Bradford University man), Bond and skipper George Ross were all back in the pavilion.
This time the batting recovery was led by Josh Atkinson, with good support from Wilson with 34. Then wickets began to tumble again and 74-4 became 112-8 and the Bridge were in sight of a famous victory.

However Atkinson reached his fifty and went calmly on his way but with only Macgregor and Edmondson, two inexperienced youngsters to follow, the champions were certainly facing defeat. However the game swung back their way with a vengeance with Macgregor playing his part with twenty not out and Atkinson, very much the man of the match, with a splendid 81 not out pulling off a remarkable victory. Harrogate won by two wickets to take full points.

The following day, also at Harrogate, the Yorkshire Women's team were taking on Berkshire and despite missing some of their England players on tour in the UAE, they managed a very easy victory. Yorkshire made 199-9 in 50 overs, helped by no less than 41 extras, which included 31 wides. Top scorers for Yorkshire were Rebecca Newark with 38, Maddy Walsh coming in at number eight with a very sensible innings of 29, and finally a 50 run last wicket partnership between the two Katies, Levick and Thompson.

Yorkshire's bowlers were just too good for a rather poor Berkshire side, only skipper Alice Macleod with 17 and Anna Harris with 25 showed any resistance. Levick took 4-8 and Walsh 3-9 in a very comfortable 110 run victory. Berkshire were all out for 89. The home side faced rather stronger opposition the following day
in Middlesex but as John Winn has already reported, highlighting again the number of extras, they managed another good win. They now look forward to entertaining Lancashire at Harrogate on May 14th.

After that it was off to distant parts heading for Merchant Taylor's School at Northwood and High Wycombe to see Yorkshire second XI face MCC Young Cricketers in a one day game, followed by a three day encounter. Hopefully the weather would be warmer down south, but full report in my next blog.

In and Out of the East Riding

posted by John Winn

On Saturday the weather was typical of the last few weeks, a cold wind from the east but with no threat of rain and I mapped out a visit to a number of new grounds in the Goole area. First stop was the small East Riding village of Pollington, just a mile south of the M62, for a Pontefract League Division 3 with visitors Nostell St Oswald batting. Largely through byes and despite the presence of a fielder best described as long stop,  they made a brisk start. The ground is a small one but neatly kept and I found shelter from the stiff easterly, unimpeded by any high ground in this area, on a bench in the lee of a hedge. The first wicket went down at 13 when Whelan was lbw to Richard Ellam but the Saints descended from 139 for 5 to 144 all out with Moosa Patel taking six for 38. To some extent Pollington's innings mirrored that of St Oswald's with a clatter of late wickets falling to Jamie Buttery but the homesters got home by 1 wicket and man of the match Moosa, 36 not out.

From Pollington it is a short journey to Carlton Towers but one that took me past a sign saying welcome to North Yorkshire. The history of this York and District league Club is an interesting one for it was founded in 1858 by Lady Isabella Beaumont for the benefit of workers and tenant farmers who played in the grounds of Carlton Towers until the late nineteenth century when they moved across the road to the present ground in Fish Pond Field. Their opponents on Saturday in a York League Division Two Ebor Section match were Hemingbrough. Carlton just missed out on promotion last season and while I watched from the shelter of the car their openers made very swift progress with a hundred up without loss by the time I left after 16 overs. The ground has a large playing area with the pavilion set against an impressive stand of trees and the large space available for parking had attracted a number of spectators. Towers built on their flying start to reach the impressive score of 384 for 5 but Hemingbrough held out at 186 for 6, a result which gave Carlton 26 points to their visitors 7. This morning's table shows Carlton second and just three points behind leaders Bridlington.

Back into the East Riding and to Carr Lane, the home of Goole Town CC with Castleford visiting for a York League Premier Division game and at 2:45 a deserted field, Goole had been bowled out for 105, catching the refreshment department on the hop but the players were soon tucking into a knife and fork tea while I enjoyed more modest refreshment in the impressive pavilion, opened by Chris Old in 1996. Amongst the many photographs on display were two showing Goole teams from the 1930s as winners of the West Riding Cup, a competition for which they were eligible at that time when the inland port came under the auspices of the West Riding County Council. Castleford, relegated from Yorkshire Premier North in 2016 lost early wickets which suggested they might struggle but got home with six wickets and plenty of overs to spare, a result that leaves them in mid table with the pace being set by Sessay and Studley Royal. Goole are just one place above the relegation zone.

Heading east from Goole and crossing the River Ouse via Boothferry Bridge I passed through the historic market town of Howden, a town given to the Bishops of Durham by William I in 1080. My next match was at the small village of Eastrington, York League, Division Four, Ebor Section. Here tea was approaching but the hosts and a reasonable number of spectators were enjoying some late order  hitting, 7 sixes in all, against Carlton Towers II. 247 for 8 looked a good score on a wicket that looked a bit grizzly, rain needed here, like just about everywhere else, but Carlton held out at 142 for 9 to take 7 points to the host's 27. In a division where the lead is shared by Bishopthorpe and Pocklington II Eastrington lie fourth and Carlton T 8th.

Resisting the temptation to revisit Goole to see Shakin' Stevens in concert I returned to North Yorkshire and a game in my third league of the afternoon, the York Vale  League. Here on ground within a community playing facility it was Hemingbrough II v  Thorpe Willoughby and tea just coming to an end but not too late to sample a fresh pot especially made for me. In a Div Two match Hemingbrough had posted 184 for 6 but this proved not enough as newly promoted Thorpe Willoughby got home by six wickets. So five new grounds, three leagues and apart from Hemingbrough all within the DN14 postcode area.

Just three miles east of Eastrington lies the village of Gilberdyke (postcode HU)  who have two teams, a first XI in the York League Conference, Division 1 and a second XI who play under the same umbrella but in Eastern Conference Sunday Division West. West indeed for the clubs include Knaresborough, 53 miles from Gilberdyke, a somewhat curious state of affairs and a long journey for the Knaresborough lads on alternate Sundays.

Players of Eastrington and Carlton Towers II line up

Cook sees both sides at Headingley

posted by John Winn

Stephen Cook, Durham's overseas player for the first half of the season, had a day of contrasting fortunes at Headingley yesterday. Cook made an inauspicious start to his time at the Riverside, three scores of two or less in his first two championship matches, but he has been running into form and after 60 in the Bears' den on Monday he hit 106 at Headingley yesterday and assisted by two of his fellow countrymen, Jennings and Richardson  helped Durham post 335 for 5, a total that seemed to guarantee a decent crowd an entertaining afternoon in pleasant sunshine. And boy did we get entertainment, principally from Johnny Bairstow who broke all kinds of records in hitting 174. The 174 which included 16 fours and 7 sixes was the highest List A score by a Yorkshireman  at Headingley and set up the county's  highest successful run chase in that form of cricket.

The ECB had depleted both sides with the late withdrawal of Plunkett and Willey for Yorkshire and Wood for Durham. Withdrawals so late that even the ECB felt sufficiently embarrassed to issue an apology but the two obvious replacements, Coad and Onions were left on the sidelines as Durham elected to bat. This was Cook's moment for he had an opening stand of 124 with skipper Jennings and then added exactly the same with Richardson. At this point the innings faltered a little, four wickets down for 32, but Steel, surprisingly I thought preferred in the batting order to Poynter, batted sensibly to add 55 with Richardson the latter going to his century off the last ball of the fifty overs. Those of us who had found the fence a little uncomfortable now rested for the most part on the Durham side while we ate what little of our lunch had survived until 2:30.

Yorkshire began their reply briskly with Bairstow looking in good form from the start but Lyth was less confident and fell for 19, nicely caught by Weighell* at square leg. Root did not look very assured but he was happy to leave it to Bairstow who was particularly severe on debutant George Harding and leg spinner Cameron Steel, Harding who reached the Riverside via Dorset, Cheshire and Lancashire suffered the unkindest cut of all when Bairstow was on 71and was put down by Cook at long off.  It is tempting for a Durham member to think that this was the turning point in the game but with Handscombe and Ballance to come and Waite as low as 8, a more considered view might be that Yorkshire would have won anyway, a thought that had it crossed his mind might have helped Cook to sleep last night.

As it was by the time Bairstow was caught behind off the persevering and no doubt perspiring  Weighell Yorkshire's task had become a relatively simple one. Root, played on, and Ballance, hit wicket, found two of the more unusual ways of getting out but Handscombe,  with a little help from Bresnan, saw the White Rose home before six o'clock and with 14 balls to spare. Three out of three for Yorkshire and next up Worcestershire at New Road on Friday when Durham, one win, one defeat, one abandoned, take on Leicestershire at  South Northumberland on the same day.

Finally a little titbit from yesterday's run glut is that in the 97 completed  overs there was just one maiden and I am grateful to Graham Sykes for pointing out to me that it was bowled by Weighell to Ballance.

* pronounced as in wheel, not as in whale which BBC Five Live extra commentators seem to think.

Extras, extras, read all about them

posted by John Winn

A rather gloomy morning in the Lower Ure Valley yesterday, replicating conditions at Headingley where the lights were in use from the start of play, saw me Harrogate bound for the game at St George's Road between Yorkshire Women and their Middlesex counterparts. This was the second match of the weekend for both teams with Middlesex having gone down to Lancashire at St Anne's on Sunday while Yorkshire had had a comfortable win over Berkshire.

As I drove through the gates the Yorkshire players were just congratulating themselves on the fall of the third Middlesex wicket, 57 for 3 in an innings built almost entirely round an knock of 80 from former England player, Beth Morgan. Apart from 18 from skipper Naomi Dattani no other batsman reached double figures, with 23 extras boosting the final total to 142. Wickets were shared between the Yorkshire bowlers with Katie Levick the pick of the bunch with 3 for 19 off her 10 overs.

Middlesex's innings had been played in poor light with an interruption for drizzle but after the interval conditions improved and by the time play finished shortly after five the small crowd were able to enjoy some sunshine. Yorkshire began  their reply in a confident mood  with Hannah Buck and former Middlesex player Anna Nicholls adding 24 at close to a run a ball and the innings settled into a pattern of a partnership followed by two wickets falling in close order. Impressive among the visitors' bowlers were New Zealander Holly Huddleston and spinner Sophia Dunkley.

The innings was anchored by the patient Rebecca Newark but when she was out for 22 it was 96 for 6 and both David Thorpe and I thought it might go either way. Fear not, an excellent partnership between Stephanie Butler and Maddy Walsh, added 37 and even the recall of Huddleston and Dunkley failed to disturb them until Butler was out with just nine were needed for victory. Number 9, Charlotte North faced  six balls without scoring but with Dattani forced to recall her opening bowler Ria Raval, who did not have the happiest of afternoons, Yorkshire got home by three wickets with more than ten overs to spare. The final over illustrated a problem both teams had faced through out the game, namely a plethora of wides and it was perhaps fitting that the winning runs should come from such a delivery. That run cemented extras' place as Yorkshire's top scorer, 24 in all with 19 coming from wides and meant that 16% of the afternoon's runs had come without help from the batsmen.

Two good wins for Yorkshire but Middlesex badly let down by a lack of depth in both batting and bowling. Commiserations to spinner Dunkley who had the remarkable figures of 4 for 7 off her 10 overs. Both teams return to action on Sunday May 14th with Middlesex at home to Berkshire and Yorkshire back at St George's Road where Lancashire will be the visitors. 11:00 start in both cases.

Fixtures for May

posted by John Winn

Monday May 1st Warwickshire v Durham (50 overs) Edgbaston
                             Yorkshire v Lancashire (50 overs) Headingley
                             Northants II v  Durham II (SET)  Milton Keynes
                             Notts II v Worcestershire II (SET) Oakham School
                             Leeds/Brad MCCU v  Exeter Weetwood
                             Yorkshire Ladies v Middlesex Ladies Harrogate

Tuesday May 2nd  Derbyshire v Notts (50 overs) Derby
                            Leicestershire v Warwickshire (50 overs) Grace Road
                            Northants II v  Durham II (SEC) Milton Keynes
                            MCC YC v  Yorks II (SET) Merchant Taylors' School
                            Durham MCCU V Exeter    Racecourse, Durham City

Wednesday May 3rd    Yorks v Durham (50 overs) Headingley
                           MCC YC V Yorks II (SEC) High Wycombe
                            Durham MCCU V Loughborough Racecourse

Friday May 5th Durham v Leicestershire (50 overs) South Northumberland
                          Lancs v Northants (50 overs)  Liverpool
                          Worcestershire v Yorkshire (50 overs) New Road
                           Varsity T20 match - Leeds University v Leeds Beckett (Weetwood)

Sunday May7th Durham v Northants (50 overs) Riverside
                           Notts v Leicestershire (50 overs) Welbeck CC
                          Yorkshire v Derbyshire (50 overs) Headingley
                          Cumberland v Lincs (MCKO)    Penrith
                          Atkinson Swires Cup Round 1
                          Harrogate v Elsecar (National Club KO)

Monday May8th  Durham II v Notts II (SET) Riverside
                             Lancs II v Northants II Northop Hall
                             Yorks II V Warwickshire II (SET) York
                             Durham MCCU V Leeds/Brad MCCU BUCS 1 day (Racecourse)

Tuesday May 9th Durham II v Notts II (SEC) Riverside
                             Yorks II v Warwickshire II (SEC) Harrogate
                              Durham MCCU v Leeds/Brad MCCU (2 days) (Racecourse)
                              Yorks over 60s v Durham over 60s (Masham)

Wednesday May 10th Lancs v Worcestershire (50 over) OT
                                     Northants v Yorks (50 overs) Wantage Road
                                     Leeds University v Edinburgh University Weetwood

Thursday May 11th Notts v Durham (50 overs) Trent Bridge
                                 Grammar School at Leeds v MCC Alwoodley Gates

Friday May 12th Lancs v Derbyshire (50 overs) Blackpool

Sunday May 14th Notts v Lancs (50 overs)  Trent Bridge
                              Worcestershire v Durham (50 overs) New Road
                             Lincolnshire v  Norfolk (MCKO) Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln
                            Village Cup and National Club KO matches
                             Heavy Woollen Cup Round Two
                             Yorkshire Ladies v Lancashire Ladies (Harrogate)

Monday May 15th Notts II v Warwickshire II (SEC) Notts Sports Club
                               Leicester II v Yorkshire II (SET) Lutterworth

Tuesday May 16th Derbyshire v Worcestershire (50 overs)
                               Durham v Lancs (50 overs)
                              Yorks v Leics (50 overs) Headingley
                              Lancs II v Durham II (SET) Bowden CC
                              Lancs over 60s v Yorks over 60s Heywood

Wednesday May 17th Ampleforth College v MCC
                                     Yorkshire over 50s v Notts over 50s (venue not known)

Thursday May 18th Headingley Evening League matches start

Friday May 19th   Lancs v Yorks (CC) Old Trafford
                              Derbyshire v Worcestershire (CC) Derby
                              Durham II v Yorks II (SET) Brandon

Sunday May 21st Sussex v Durham (CC)     Hove
                             Northumberland v Lincs (MCKO) Jesmond
                             Cumberland v Norfolk (MCKO) Netherfield


Monday May 22nd Durham II v MCC YC (SET) Riverside


Tuesday May 23rd Lancs II v Worcestershire II (SEC) Northern CC, Crosby
Durham II v Leicester II (SEC) Riverside


Wednesday May 24th England v South Africa (ODI) Headingley



Thursday May 25th Derbyshire v Leicestershire (CC) Derby



Friday May 26th Glamorgan v Durham (CC) Swansea
                            Notts v Glos (CC) Trent Bridge

Saturday May 27th Yorkshire v South Africa A Headingley

Sunday May 28th Village Cup Round 3
                              

Monday May 29th Derbyshire v South Africa A Derby
Yorkshire League North & South full league programmes

Tuesday May 30th Leics II v Yorks II SEC) Kibworth
                               Yorks Under 17s v Durham Under 17s (1 day) Weetwood

Abbreviations - CC county championship (4 days)
                          SEC second XI championship (3 days)
                          SET second XI trophy (1 day)
                          MCKO minor counties knock out (1 day)

More National KO news

posted by John Winn

Tony's account of the thrilling National KO match he saw on Sunday made me realise that I had been remiss in not drawing the attention of our readers to the start of the 2017 competition. Too busy fuming over Hampshire perhaps but by way of catch up Group 1 (North East and North Yorkshire) saw wins for Barnard Castle over Dunnington, Driffield beat Brandon, Scarborough beat Benwell Hill and Stockton were too good for Stamford Bridge. In Group Two Cleethorpes got home in the last over v Chesterfield, Elsecar were much too strong for South Kirkby and Woodhouse Grange gave Grimsby Town a fearful pasting with a winning margin of over 200 runs.

Some of the big guns including last year's winners South Northumberland had byes and Tony has mentioned that Sheriff Hutton Bridge's reward for Sunday's win is a trip to Newcastle to beard the champions in their lair. Other interesting games in Round 2, scheduled for May 14th, include Chester le Street v Scarborough, York v Driffield and Sheffield Collegiate v Woodhouse Grange.

The Cricketer Village Cup gets underway this Sunday although a paucity of entries means in some areas there are no matches until Round Two on May 14th. In Yorkshire there are however fixtures in all areas and these can be found at nationalvillagecup.com.

Blessed by mainly dry, if at times cold weather, the county championship has got up a decent head of steam and two thirds of counties have played three matches. Surrey head Div 1 with their two recruits from Durham, Stoneman and Borthwick, having scored over 550 runs between them. Close behind them are Lancashire who enjoyed an excellent fourth day at Old Trafford yesterday with a win over Somerset who in contrast to last September when they were squeezed out of the title on the last day of the season now find themselves bottom of the table, four points behind Warwickshire who have played a game more. The only newcomers to the top table, Essex will be pleased with their start which sees them undefeated after three games and a win under their belts. Their game with Middlesex was the commentary match on Five Live Sports Extra yesterday with the excellent Kevin Howells in charge, bad light thwarted the champions here with Essex eight down when the game was called off. Yorkshire largely thanks to Ballance's runs and Coad's wickets are just a point behind Essex.

Notts and Kent are setting a fierce pace in Division Two with three wins from their three games. Northants and Worcestershire have two wins each which in another year might have seen them in the top two but leaves them off the pace at the moment. Durham are over 100 points behind Notts but do have a game in hand.

If the interesting cricket that has been played has whetted your appetite for more then you will have to contain yourself for a while for the day after tomorrow balls and clothing change colour when there are six matches in the 50 over competition and championship cricket puts its feet up until May 19th. Safe your breath John, nobody's listening.

National club knock out starts with a classic

Posted by Tony Hutton

Plans for Sunday 23rd April changed quite rapidly. Originally Trent Bridge was the favoured destination, but Sussex laid down and died in two days so that was a non-starter. There were several games in the National club knock out including Scarborough versus Benwell Hill from the North East, but reports of recent weekend traffic chaos on the A64 ruled that one out. So we decided on another club knock out game a bit closer to home and not far from yesterday's trip. Sheriff Hutton Bridge, a few miles north of York, were taking on Richmondshire also from North Yorkshire with two strong looking sides.

New season and new pavilion extension at SHB.

The visitors batted first and opened with Gary Pratt, once of Durham, now captain of Cumberland Minor Counties. He opened with wicketkeeper Mike Layfield, who set about the bowling from the start in a pinch hitter role. He hit five fours in just eighteen balls before he was caught for 25. He had outscored his partner at that point but as soon as he was out Pratt took control. He straight drove left arm spinner Carver for two sixes and ended his first spell after just three overs. Batsmen came and went but Pratt dominated proceedings for almost the rest of the innings.

Gary Pratt starts to dominate the scoring and below in full flow.

The Richmondshire skipper scored a splendid 121, which included two sixes and ten fours before he was out to a stunning low, diving catch by Yorkshire's Karl Carver. The score then was 238-6 and the visitors eventually ended their forty five overs with a good total of 251-8. The home side took several excellent catches but also managed to drop a couple of easier ones.

Gary Pratt goes to his century and eventually departs for 121.

The Bridge did not start their reply too well, losing two wickets early on and falling quite a bit behind the scoring rate. Opener Mark Fisher, brother of Yorkshire's Matthew, held things together well with a sound innings of 60, but when he was out at 145-4 they were well behind the required rate. Enter a recent newcomer to the club, none other that Oliver Grayson, son of Paul now coaching Durham University and Yorkshire Ladies. Oliver is studying at Leeds University and made his debut for the Bridge yesterday.

Olly Grayson

Karl Carver

He played a match winning innings of 67, watched by proud grandad Adrian, and in partnership with Karl Carver put on ninety runs in very quick time. Carver became the six hitting hero as he raced to fifty off just thirty four balls and Bridge were very much back in the game. When both were out with the target almost achieved it was left to the two tailenders Russell Robinson and wicketkeeper Ben Gill to keep their cool with seven to win off the last two balls of the match. Gill finished the game in style with a four and a two to bring the scores level. Sheriff Hutton Bridge go through to the next round as they lost one fewer wicket. What a game - roll on the next round in three weeks time when the Bridge will face South Northumberland away.