Split loyalties??

My 2018 cricket season

April – 2nd XI Friendly v Yorkshire 2nd XI at Old Trafford (day one)

Visiting Old Trafford for the first time for 20 years!

Lucked in, slightly, by deciding to go straight to Old Trafford in the morning. Ended up seeing all the day’s play as rain arrived just before lunchtime. That would be where the luck finished, as a lot of the cricket on view was attritional to say the least. Rob Jones benefiting from being given an early life by the Yorkshire slip cordon.

I can understand why the game was arranged to be played at Old Trafford, being early season, but 2nd XI cricket is much better suited to out grounds. Old Trafford is soleless, by comparison, when empty.   Walking round it is clearly a different place to 20, 30, 40+ years ago. Had to smile at some attempts to preserve and highlight tradition : Only 5 magic moments and 7 legends, no wonder someone was trying to take it down. Can also understand some members’ frustration at the lack of facilities. 

Thankfully the pavillion bell remained at the “members” end under the old players’ balcony.   Even if the club is now increasingly referred to as Lancashire Cricket Club.  What’s a missing C to supporters and members?  Maybe that was why the sign was being taken down.

Interesting to learn in a short chat with Stefan Franklin, at the Point, about cricket in Switzerland.  I didn’t realise they had a national team.  Club cricket is full of ex-pats, no surprise there then.

So then it was off to the Northern Quarter in search of Street Art. Final anecdote for the day was to be while waiting at Piccadilly Station for the train home when a Commonwealth Games athlete walked by, in her official tracksuit complete with silver medal round her neck and no-one blinked. She was completely blanked. Wonder who she was?

June – (2 x) Unicorns T20 matches: Cumberland CCC v Staffordshire CCC at Penrith

With the move back up North all the way to West Cumbria, it was only a matter of time before I joined Cumberland CCC and started watching my new home county.  The Penrith ground benefits from the view of Beacon Hill and provides a friendly place to watch.

Sensibly like the first-class county second teams, two games are played. So there is a full day’s play to watch (well more or less with the possibility of 80 overs).

But why do cricket administrators keep favouring games where the batsmen just clear their front leg and swing? Over simplified, naturally, but all the same.

Game One. Cumberland scored a mere 221 so match effectively over. Won by 80 runs in the end.
Game Two. Cumberland scored only 133, resulting in a far closer game.  Staffs needed 19 off the last 3 overs with 5 wickets down to win it by 4 wickets with 6 balls left.

What’s more entertaining, a tight finish or games constantly delayed whilst the ball is fished out of a hedge or the next door school? Surely that is a no-brainer, except for the ECB who need to reinvent cricket for shorter and shorter run fests.

Fair play to Sam Dutton though: 112 from 49 balls followed up by 56 from 42.

Lancashire Academy  v Sedbergh School at Sedbergh (friendly)

Added another beautiful ground: Sedbergh School, to watch a very young Academy / Emerging Player Programme Lancs team play Sedbergh School.

Side comprised 3 from the academy (Lavelle, Morley and Dorsey) several from the EPP (mainly from the u17 age group team) and a couple from the junior (under 15) EPP (Fielding and Mahmood). A third Lancs junior EPP player was playing for the school side (Aspinwall).

George Lavelle made the headlines (at least on the club website the next day), for his century from 93 balls, but he was badly dropped very early on, when perhaps in single figures. Still he had the temperament and talent to cash in, as the saying is. Louis Botes also impressed, as did Tom Aspinwall aswell as George Hill (on Yorkshire’s books) playing for Sedbergh.

Lancs will have to make a decision soon with Buttler, Vilas, Davies and Guest already on their staff. I hope we don’t have another John Simpson situation.

How many end up with county contracts in the first class game is anyone’s guess, but certainly enjoyable and many thanks to all those who identified the players for me.

July – (2 x) Unicorns T20 matches: Cumberland CCC v Northumberland CCC at Workington

On the face of it, this was well scheduled.  Both sides needing to win both games (and improve their net run rate) to qualify for finals day.  However it did not work out for either side.  A close first game, won by Northumberland, leaving Cumberland eliminated and the visitors with just too much to do in the last game, although they gave it more than a go.  Needing to win inside 12.4 overs proving too much.

A much changed side for Cumberland compared with the Penrith double header last month, availability problems no doubt.  Good crowd though.

Another new ground to me, and with both sides playing in green (!), it was perhaps as well that the outfield was somewhat less so, due to the lack of recent rain.

Until the day that was.  Does Duckworth Lewis (Stern) work for T20?  Rain reduced the match to 16 overs per side just over half way through the Cumberland innings.  Adding 6 runs seemed a poor choice against playing on, as there is so much time available on these 2 T20 match days.  But that was it for the T20 competition. Whilst, I’m sure the players enjoy it, does it really help MC players get noticed at county level?  Maybe that’s not the point.

September – Unicorns Championship: Cumberland v Lincolnshire at Carlisle CC (day one)

So the season spectacle ends in a similar way that it began, rain reduced and attritional play. If a little further North.

Arrived to find Cumberland (at least – not sure of Lincolnshire) had a weakened team due to various National and County Cup finals and semi finals being played. Will have to get used to this.

Despite a late start 1.30 (scheduled for 10.30) and an early finish 6.10pm (scheduled for 6.30 ability to continue to 7pm) there were still 78 overs of play. So no complaints there. Spinners on both ends after the first couple of hours.

Top of the division Lincolnshire’s batting was dogged and on a slow pitch only took more than a while to reach the heady heights of 2 runs an over. There was one half century scored from 127 balls fair play to Louis Kimber.

More rain scheduled for second day, but as a post script.  Cumberland lost after two innings were forfeited and they were bowled out following a wash out on Day Two.

And to finish the season in style:

Cockermouth  v Wigton (North Lancashire and Cumbria Cricket League, Premier Division)

Arrived in time for the Wigton innings, after Cockermouth had posted 252/3 from 40 overs.   How Wigton must have rued winning the toss and choosing to field.  I assume Cockermouth had batted in the sunshine, rather than under cloudy sides.

Cockermouth became Premier League champions with a game to go by working their way through the Wigton batting, to firstly take 9 wickets (and secure the bonus points needed), the ninth on a fair one handed catch by Alex Grainger.  Then off the last ball of the match won the match by taking the final wicket.  Celebrations rightly followed.