Cricket 3rd XI roundup

Due to the term structure at the University of York there is little time to prepare for the University’s cricketers as the BUCS season starts even before most people have returned. Two terms of preparation in the indoor centre and an Easter holiday spent mesmerised by the delights of the IPL turned out to be ill-fitting preparation for the grit and green wickets of Northern Division 5B.

Tim Blades’ tenure as captain began with a chance for bragging rights in a varsity fixture against cross town rivals York St. John. A side that barely knew each other’s names let alone abilities decided to bat first on the often fairly innocuous 2nd team pitch on 22 acres. Fresher Nihal Patel started positively, driving on the up and flashing his way to 16 before he had a go at one too many. Owen Felsinger followed soon after, before Andreas Papadolambakis joined James Phillips and steadied the ship. This however proved to be the only fruitful partnership for York, as Phillips’s 37 proved to be the major contribution in an innings of 130 that succumbed to some rather mediocre legspinners on a spongy track. York St. John ran out winners by 4 wickets after less than 30overs, but to do so they used up a season’s worth of luck in one innings. Papadolambakis took a couple of wickets, one pouched impressively by a dive from the skipper at first slip. Dropped catches cost York, and early season rustiness as to become a theme for the league campaign.

For round two the team travelled to Leeds Trinity. After one of the drivers decided to take the scenic route, York won the toss and decided to have a bat on a ground with short boundaries on most sides, and with a gradient across the field steep enough to trouble Richard Kirtley’s Everest cricketers. Patel was again positive, and Phillips abandoned his caution of earlier in the week as both tucked into plenty of long hops from the TASC openers, before Patel spooned one up to cover for 27. Keeper John Waghorn got a vicious yorker from quickie Mills that had time to make a cup of tea and take out middle stump before the batsman’s bat got down. Andreas P played a positive if edgy second fiddle to Phillips’ excellent 60, before he too fell for 24 as part of a collapse that took the visitors from 142-4 to 169 all out. Despite several first choice bowlers being unavailable, York felt confident of defending such a total. However, it seemed that Will Smith’s and Alex Reid’s radars had not recovered from the magical mystery tour on the journey to Leeds and the TASC openers filled up on plenty of short and wide dessert offerings to an impressive cooked tea at the local pub. With the home side passing a 100 after 10 overs, the game was all but up. However, captain Blades used the slope and swing on offer to stem the rate. One opener managed to get himself caught at mid-on to the usual early spell short rubbish from Blades, who then went on to castle one lad through the gate and gain a slightly dubious LBW decision to send back Mills. At the other end, Andreas picked up two wickets, one cutting back up the hill to clip the off peg of one gun-hoe batsman. But the optimism gradually faded towards acceptance of defeat as TASC hacked and edged their way to the 170 required.

In the most recent and last league fixture (due to rain cancellations), a very understrength and hastily assembled York team travelled to Sunderland: a side that had comfortably beaten York’s 2nd XI a week earlier. In the unsuitably grand setting of Ashbrooke sports club, York managed only a pitiful 67 all out, with only two members of the original top 6 playing. In defence on such a low total, York’s bowlers were unable to take a wicket, but not for lack of effort by James Harmer in particular who had the batsmen beaten on many occasions. The winning runs came off a wide at the end of the 10th over.

Hopefully the friendlies scheduled will allow the side to regain some pride and show that they are indeed as capable on the field as they are on Micklegate.

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