HOUSE OF YORK LOOKS SET TO RENEW REIGN PF POWER
John Fuller pays a visit to York CC to assess how the 14-times champions are shaping up for a new season
York Cricket Club’s Clifton Park base is a hive of activity on this sun-splashed Saturday for the visit of Sheriff Hutton Bridge in the ECB Yorkshire League North.
Coach Jim Love pumps steepling catches into the heavens and there’s the satisfying thump as throws are rocketed back into his baseball mitt.
The purpose of my visit is to take the temperature at York, one of Yorkshire’s most dominant forces in league cricket; assessing how a club of their size and scope maintain the lofty ambitions that has seen them win the Yorkshire League 14 times.
Winter recruitment has seen Yorkshire County Cricket Club all-rounder Matthew Waite join White Rose top-order batsman Jack Leaning at York – though both were required by their county and other withdrawals meant a first-team debut opening the innings for 15-year-old Finlay Bean.
York’s captain is left-arm spinner Dan Woods, who also represents Cheshire in Minor Counties cricket and joined the Yorkshire club at the suggestion of Leeds Bradford UCCE (now MCCU) team-mate Duncan Snell years ago.
“I’ve always loved York and never looked back since I joined,” Woods says. “The key principles of the club remain the same. We’re really lucky that we’ve got a strong committee who sing off the same hymn sheet...they’re all cricketers and understand the game really well.”
Woods recognises that history alone won’t propel York forwards and evolution allied with self-improvement are the watchwords.
“We pride ourselves on the success that we have had but we’re also very conscious that is in the past,” he said. “We can’t rest on our laurels as other sides in the league – Sheriff Hutton Bridge being an excellent example – are going to keep pushing us.”
Once upon a time, it might have been said that York were the elite name in North Yorkshire’s cricketing circles and going there, above other destinations, advanced a player’s county or league prospects.
While their offering as a vibrant multisports club remains attractive, a by-product of the restructuring of the old Yorkshire League towards four ECB Premier Leagues, including ECB Yorkshire League North, has widened the appeal of the region’s clubs as well as strengthening the standard of cricket.
Now, according to ex-Yorkshire and England batsman Love, who also coaches at Appleforth College,York are in the same boat as everyone else in terms of having not just to recruit but to retain their talent.
Harrogate won the league last season while Sheriff Hutton Bridge and Yorkshire Academy are just two other squads who’ll expect to be in the running across all formats whereas other Premier Leagues in the county typically have just a couple of front-runners.
Of course, a cricket club’s success shouldn’t be interpreted solely through the prism of their first eleven and York put out four senior sides on a Saturday, have an intermediate U19s squad plus juniors from U9s through to U15s.
Junior cricket is set for fresh impetus with the launch of the England & Wales Cricket Board’s Allstars programme aimed at five to eight-year-olds and York have signed up as one of 1,800 national centres with Mark Armistead appointed as the club’s Allstars Activator.
Much is being pinned on Allstars to connect with younger children by offering eight one-hour sessions, held over eight weeks, and it will be intriguing to see how clubs like York see the benefit and whether they can attract newcomers alongside those who already know about the cricket club.
Looking at the broader picture across the age groups, honorary secretary Nick Kay is bullishly optimistic but York are not immune to selection woes: “In terms of volume, we’re more or less bursting at the seams,” says Kay. “Getting four teams out is a challenge, we can’t always fulfil our fixtures but those situations are few and far between.”
If numbers, both playing and nonplaying, are a worthwhile barometer then York are fighting fit with Kay reckoning the membership figures are as high (400) as they’ve been during his 15-or-so year stint as secretary.
Kay’s involvement on the committee has coincided with a trophy-laden
If numbers, both playing and non-playing, are a worthwhile barometer then York are fighting fit
decade and a half that also netted the National Club Championship in 2012 and he acknowledges the buzz of winning reaps rewards.
“Success in itself brings curiosity and people down to watch,” he said. “The hardest thing is when you get someone turn up for the first time on a Saturday, how do you explain that this is the place they want to spend the rest of their summer?”
Aside from the quality of cricket, convenient accessibility off the ring road twinned with facilities that Kay believes aren’t bettered by any amateur club in the north of England are reasons to linger. First-floor decking provides an elevated viewing platform outside or the sports bar with TV screens (showing the embers of York City’s football season when I was there) offers warmth and the prospect of a pint.
Any cricket club, but particularly one of York’s stature delivering as much cricket as they do, rely on more than fresh air and goodwill to keep them ticking over.York’s catalogue of sponsors from estate agent to BMW dealership and caravan park all helps balance the books but the membership remains integral to their future plans.
Another of York’s assets is unquestionably the consistently high standard of the cricket pitches – they host Yorkshire County Cricket Club second eleven matches – and this association with the county club is something they’re keen to build on.
It was probably a bitter-sweet compliment that York’s all-rounder and previous groundsman Liam McKendry departed for London over the winter and is now installed at the Oval as an assistant-groundsman for Surrey CCC.
To return to the match itself: What a cracking advert for the intensity and calibre of the ECB Yorkshire League North and a full-throttle debut for young Finlay who had Sheriff Hutton Bridge’s overseas star Sam Rainbird, opening bowler for Big Bash League outfit Hobart Hurricanes no less, hurling thunderbolts at him. He survived for six torrid runs.
York’s 236-8 was underpinned by a classy hundred from Duncan Snell (128) who looked at ease against the highcalibre pace of Rainbird (2-57) and contrasting spin from Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Karl Carver (3-44).
At 130-2, Sheriff Hutton Bridge were handily placed, courtesy of 56 from Robert Pindar, but York imposed a trial by spin as Woods (6-36) and Tom Pringle (3-57) helped deliver victory by 31 runs. Woods could reflect on a captain’s performance. His were the best league figures by a York bowler since his 9-38 against Appleby Frodingham in 2013.
As much as you can ever judge these things from a solitary trip,York look well placed to maintain their pedigree as one of Yorkshire’s premier clubs. They were humble about achievements to date while being generous with their time to explain their journey and vision.
Whether it’s gunning for the league and cup double, lifting national club silverware or defending their Black Sheep Champions trophy, time will tell if the House of York give battle in vain but they’re certainly up for the challenge.