Season to savour

It is difficult to be certain for a club with over 200 years of recorded history. The mid-Victorian era must have been good when landlord Richard Letby ran the club from his pub, the Cricketers' Arms, on Toft Green.

The club's ground was then on the site of what is now York Railway Station and saw the introduction of overarm bowling and a visit from an All-England Eleven.

Certainly, it is unlikely that Letby's outfit was as big as the current club where all its four senior sides have enjoyed success.

There was some disappointment that the first team did not win their last match to clinch the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB Premier League title.

However, at the start of the season there was concern that the batting might lack depth with Nick Kay out through long-term injury. Australian Nash Stone played in the second as the overseas player berth was taken up by Kiwi Jeetan Patel. As Patel was unknown and being joined by another spinner Dan Broadbent from Yorkshire's Academy outfit, the attack was something of an unknown quantity.

However, it was policy decisions to major on spin and Patel and Broadbent rose to the challenge and took over 90 wickets between them, playing some timely knocks in mid-order to boot. With Rob Flack and Greg How using their experience with the new ball, the attack was always on the spot and the fielding generally excellent.

Whatever the concerns about the batting, it certainly did its job. Higher totals were built as the season ran on. Stephen Piercy and Simon Mason both got 700 runs and Marcus Wood almost 500.

Flack did a good job of filling the unwanted number three spot while Dave Catlow and Mike Mortimer also made telling contributions so generally the side got the total it needed. Additionally, the side was able to give experience to youngsters, Duncan Snell and Tom Pringle, which should serve them well in the future.

Nigel Durham, behind the stumps, set a good example in leadership which was followed in the lower sides.

Andy Kay steered the second eleven to promotion to the premier division of the York and District Senior League.

Aussies Stone and Sean Hunter were the star turns with 2,000 runs and over 60 wickets between them. As neither is likely to play next year, promotion is something of a challenge which will require some team building.

But there was quite a lot of unexploited talent in the team which will get more exposure next year. Kay often batted low down and John McGrady, an excellent wicketkeeper/batsman, hardly batted.

Additionally, Will Warne with youngsters James Pringle, Stephen Sacks, Tom Bartram, Ben Hough and James Taylor, will contribute more but the bowling could be a problem despite Rich Carroll's steady progress to increase his wicket haul by 50 percent.

Kevin Mendham's third eleven was something of a mismatch in the bottom of the York Senior League winning most of their matches by comfortable margins offset by the odd blip defeat.

Mendham and Steve Jones were heavy scorers with 15-year-old Brendan Ledgeway an improving all-rounder. Simon Hall and Graham Mackfall were leading wicket takers, supplemented by the wily left arm slows of Tony Hall.

The fourth eleven, led by Phil Hulse, played in the fourth division of the York Vale League after obtaining promotion by a re-allocation of clubs.

So, it was something of a surprise that they finished second and they were much indebted to league bowling prize winner Dave Murray's 47 wicket haul. There were plenty of players making all round contributions and allowing scope for junior players to get experience of senior cricket.

The club's success extended to its newly-formed women's team which won the Lady Spearman League at the first time of asking.

The team was somewhat reliant on York University undergraduates Sarah McDowell and Kate Alexander along with Australian visitor Melissa Campbell. Hoever, local players Karen Wilson, Mairi McLaren and Jess Hemingway form a core which will enable the team to maintain its planned progress.

The York club is fortunate to have a burgeoning junior section and the star component was the senior Under-13 side managed by Ernest Taylor which won their age group league and overall Championship as well as the Costcutter Knock Out Cup.

Captain Matthew Wilks, Chris Horner and George Featherstone all played senior cricket. Luke Wilson enjoyed an amazing average of 241 by virtue of being dismissed only once and John Brown was leading wicket taker with 15 wickets at five apiece.

Bob Paddison's two Under-11 squads managed to give match experience to over 30 youngsters but the senior side's season ended in disappointment when the League decided to truncate the season. Until then they had threatened to beat all-comers with Joe Fox and Tom Collins leading the batting and Tom Feasby and Bobby Bates the bowling.

Six-year-old Charlie Elliott played in the most games including the attempts made at Under-Nine cricket. York will be looking further afield to ensure that there are enough fixtures for this age group.

Maybe the senior success will be difficult to repeat but the encouraging feature for cricket is that there are enough youngsters wanting to come forward if opportunities can be found for them.

Roll of honour:

York I - 3rd in Yorkshire Premier League

York II - Promoted to York and District Senior League premier division

York III - Division Six champions of York and District Senior League

York IV - Promoted to York Vale League division three.

York Ladies - Winners of Lady Spearman League.

York Under-13s - Championship, Group League and Costcutter KO Cup winners

York Under-11s - Unbeaten

Updated: 11:24 Wednesday, October 01, 2003