York Cricket Club

York took the first step towards semi-final qualification in the Yorkshire League North T20 a controlled innings from Duncan Snell who made 45 form 43 balls guiding them to a four wicket Group B win over Sheriff Hutton Bridge at Clifton Park. Three wickets each from Clark Doughney and Guy Darwin were also key factors in restricting the visitors to a total of 145 after they had made a strong start.

The visitors opening pair of Arthur Campion and Freddie Collins got the innings off to a brisk start, despite a quarter of an hour interruption for rain, sharing ten fours in the opening five overs and it was right at the end of that period that Doughney took the first of his wickets. Collins had dispatched three of the spinners first five deliveries to the boundary but over-balanced attempting a repeat and was stumped by Alex Liley. Tommy Hudson continued the good work Collins had begun and the scoring rate and the total passed 100 at the start of the thirteenth over. A second wicket partnership worth 55 from 48 balls was ended when Campion, who had scored 42, miscued a ball from Guy Darwin high off the leading edge and the bowler took a comfortable catch. Hudson fell in similar fashion this time Liley pouching the catch the batsman having scored 38 from only 30 balls. Matthew Roberts, making his premier league t20 debut, bowled with great control the spinner sending down 3.5 overs of spin at a cost of just 16 runs through to the close of the innings, conceding just one boundary. Visiting captain Mark Fisher was fourth out for just three Harry Adair taking a well-judged catch at long-on to give Darwin his third wicket with the score on 115, but it was the loss of three quick wickets that really put the brake on the scoring just as ‘Bridge should have been looking to accelerate through the closing overs. Roberts fellow spinner Doughney operating from the Shipton Road end picked up two wickets in the space of three balls including Tatenda Shuttleworth-Richardson for 13. Dave Henstock provided some late fireworks striking Doughney for the consecutive boundaries one of which was a maximum but he was then stumped off Roberts at the start of a final over which included two run out and saw the visitors bowled out for 145 with a ball to spare.

Freddie Collins should have had a wicket in the opening over of the hosts’ reply but the straight-forward catching chance offered by Harry Adair was put down, and although it would prove ultimately to be too costly it allowed York to get off to a flying start with 36 on the board before the third over had been completed. Charlie Elliot’s was the first wicket to fall, having taken two boundaries off the luckless Collins but an attempted third saw a leading-edge carry to Mark Fisher at mid-wicket. That was the first of three wickets to fall in as many overs Adair failed to control a cut stroke that climbed on him and Finlay Bean went after a wide ball, both shots resulting in catches for ‘keeper Nicholas Gill and after a bright start the home side found themselves 39 for three an needing to consolidate. Guy Darwin has discovered some good early season form with the bat and joined skipper Duncan Snell at the crease, their partnership of 39 from 28 balls bring the required rate down below a run-a-ball for the first time, the inclusion of eight wides in the opening ten overs also assisting the hosts cause. Darwin contributed 12 to the partnership before being caught at mid-off and when Matthew Roberts was caught by a diving Andy Frank at extra cover York had once again slipped behind the rate with 54 more required off 44 balls. What should have been the bonus of a free hit from a David Henstock no-ball back-fired when Alex Liley having failed to beat Mark Fisher with a drive was unable to re-make his ground and was run out. With the total on 116 for six and more than six an over required the home sides chances looked dependant on their captain remaining at the crease although in the closing stages he was outscored by Oliver Leedham. The critical over turned out to be the penultimate one off the innings bowled by Mark Fisher it began with 14 runs still required for victory but a lofted blow into the legside and an outside edge which ran away for four both from the bat of Leedham combined with some quick running reduced the target to two off the final six balls. The match concluded in somewhat bland circumstances, given it had been for the most part an absorbing contest, Matthew Bird sent down the sides fifteenth wide to bring the scores level and an eleventh leg-bye signalled an end to proceedings, a total of 28 extras the third highest contribution to the total.

Tom Forsdike was the hero of York’s latest nerve-shredding victory, the spinner picking up three wickets in the final over including two in two balls to close out the match and secure a five-run win against Woodhouse Grange.

 The task for the fielding side was hampered when Jonathan Moxon had to withdraw from the attack having bowled four overs for just ten runs, and the move almost certainly took some of the early pressure off the Woodhouse’ openers. The departure of Andrew Bilton to neighbours Dunnington has been offset somewhat by the recruitment of Harry Gamble, Beverley Town’s leading premier league run scorer in 2019, and the new arrival made 25 before sending a catch to Duncan Snell at mid-off with the total on 72 at the start of the 14^th over, fellow opener Tom Young having earlier departed caught at point by Harry Adair off Guy Darwin. Christopher Bilton is among the all-time leading run scorers in Yorkshire League North and was able to take advantage of a wicket pitched off centre demonstrating the full array of stroke play that has brought him nearly 3000 runs at this level. He brought up his fifty off 44 balls and when Henry Wilson matched the efforts of his captain albeit at a slightly slower rate of scoring the pair were in the mist of a partnership which looked to be taking control of the game. It needed a good ball from Clarke Doughney to alter the course of proceedings and he found it to bowl Wilson, and four overs later the youngster picked up the crucial wicket of Bilton, this time courtesy of an excellent catch to a diving Nick James at extra cover.  That wicket came in the final over of the spinners spell and at a critical point in proceedings with a further 44 runs required from 36 balls. In the very next over Guy Darwin had Christopher Suddaby caught at wide mid-off by Alex Liley and in the space of a dozen balls ‘Grange lost three wickets when Stephen Burdett picked out Darwin fielding at long on to give Tom Forsdike his first wicket of the afternoon. Tight overs from Forsdike and Darwin increased the pressure on the batting side and tilted the equation in the visitors’ favour leaving 23 required from the final two overs. A six from Declan Eastwood off Snell in the penultimate over breathed new life into the contest and gave the home side renewed hope only for it to be tempered when Tom Neal was caught by Adair with five balls of the match remaining. A slip in the field gave Eastwood a much-needed boundary but then attempting to find what would have been a match winning maximum he was caught by Guy Darwin at long-on. It brought an end to an enterprising innings of 26 off just 17 balls but left Alfie Oliver to face the last ball knowing only a six would do. Thankfully for York his swing failed to connect and having strayed from his crease presented Tom Brooks with a stumping opportunity which the ‘keeper gleefully accepted. The chaos of the final over left Forsdike with back-to- back four wicket hauls, the fourth spinner to do so for the club in the Premier League North era.

The new season dawned belatedly under leaden skies and despite an assured half-century from first team debutant Alex Liley reigning Yorkshire League Champions Sheriff Hutton Bridge recorded their third consecutive victory in the league at Clifton Park, but this was the closest of them with a three wicket win coming with just three balls to spare.

Before play got underway players and officials from both sides gathered on the square to honour the memory of York cricket club captain Daniel Woods with a minutes silence, notable absentees from the scene were the trio of Simon Lambert, Ben Robinson and James Billington who all failed to return from a winter in Australia before travel sanctions were imposed. That led to the decision to move Guy Darwin up to open alongside skipper Duncan Snell and meant Alex Liley, who has progressed through the junior ranks at Clifton Park, joined new signing Harry Adair in making their debuts. Snell’s decision to bat first meant the visitors, who suffered several high-profile departures over the winter, had to contend with a wet ball throughout the innings as light showers became a feature of the early afternoon. Darwin lost both opening partner Snell and newcomer Adair inside the first 14 overs but a solid defence and a degree of patience was rewarded with a half-century off 74 balls including seven fours which was arrived at  just after the mid-point of the home sides 40 over innings. A third wicket partnership of 46 alongside Nick James was the most productive of the innings, and it was the departure of James for 24 that brought Liley to the crease. The debutant had scored 16 and the total had reached 127 when Tommy Hudson took a fine over the shoulder running catch at backward point to dismiss Darwin (59) and give ‘Bridge’s new signing Matthew Bird the second of what would quickly become three wickets as the hosts lost three wickets in the space of four overs just as they should have been looking to accelerate. Jonathan Moxon struck some much needed boundaries either side of a rain break which saw tea taken and coupled with the intent from Liley, whose game looked well suited to the demands of the situation, 38 were added to the total in the space of four overs. Liley was dismissed for 52 off the first ball of the final over, an innings of 48 balls including four fours ended by a full delivery from Freddie Collins who struck again with the final ball of the innings to claim figures of 4-34 as the home side closed on 195-9.

York began well in the field Oliver Leedham rewarded for a tight new ball spell with the early wicket of Louis Foxton and when a slip from Adam Fisher left Arthur Campion stranded mid-pitch resulting in a run out the visitors found themselves 26-2 after 10 overs. The next 18 overs however belonged to the batting visiting skipper Fisher and Tommy Hudson taking full advantage as the change bowlers offered scoring opportunities on both sides of the wicket. The total moved on to 113 from 25 overs, with Hudson having passed 50 (off 52 balls) and his partner seemingly destined to do likewise, before Tom Forsdike was introduced to the attack. Holder of the club competition best 7-28, the spinners impact was almost immediate. Two wickets in his second overs removed the dual threat of both Fisher brothers, Adam miscued a sweep to short square leg four runs short of a half-century and younger brother Mark was caught and bowled without scoring. Fellow spinner Clarke Doughney had Freddie Collins caught in the deep and with six wickets down and a required rate exceeding a run a ball the hosts looked to be in the ascendency. Hudson continued to take the attack to the bowlers and in Toby Latham found a willing ally, the seventh wicket pair added 46 in only 36 balls but with victory in sight there was late drama when Leedham trapped Hudson lbw for 90 with seven still needed from nine balls, but Latham with just two previous 1st team appearances back in 2017 held his nerve to pick off the winning runs.