Thank goodness for the Yorks cricket team, I needed a boost after last night's result & boy have they delivered in spades.
4 wickets for Best on debut then an unbroken opening stand of 233 between Gale (125 not out) and Rudolph (101 not out) to give us victory by 10 wickets.
Plus they batted well on Saturday to easily save the game against Kent.
Let's hope they can keep it up this week against Durham at Headingley.

Good to see the team starting the season so well!

When was your first Playfair?

My level of cricket interest can be charted by how battered and worn my copy of Playfair for that year is.

The 1991 annual with Robin Smith on the front is practically falling to bits. 1992 with Phil DeFreitas and 1993 with Alec Stewart on are also pretty battered then they are gradually in better condition until about 2004 which was the last one I got.

I also picked up a 1986 one with Allan Border on the front, from a charity shop once for about 50p.

I bought my 1st Playfair cricket annual in 1959 & have bought one every year since. Sadly I left all the early ones at my late mother's so they disappeared when she moved. Now I have them all from 1980.
It's quite touching (to me at least) to see all these old guys at any cricket ground poring over their copies of this little gem.

looks like its how ever many runs Yorkshire want today
will need to get a few early wickets and look for a follow on!

Edit: 610-6dec
Jacques Rudolph 228*

& to top off a good day rashid takes 2 in 2 so they end up on 54 - 3.
Di Venuto & Benkenstein still there tho.
Rudolph was supreme today, no chances & scarcely a false stroke,
McGrath toughed it out, Gale was a bit scratchy considering the game situation when he came in.
With the bat Rashid again delivered, 43 at a run a ball, mind you it was ale house fare from Durham by that stage.
Tino Best was all hell & no notion but he could be fun on a fast track.
Only downside I'm suffering from wind burn, face glowing like a tomato.
Let's hope the weather allows us a full game, only one winner from here & Durham will have to bat well to claim a draw.

So, 2 wins and 2 draws (both where we had the upper hand) from the first 4 games, and now looking very good for a big win against Essex - throw in 2 big wins in the 40 over league and this is a way, way better start to the season than I could have hoped for! Also, with the exception of Tino Best, virtually the same side that struggled so badly at times last year - amazing what a bit of confidence and a new captain can do isn't it?

To have Essex following on 310 behind and already 2 down in their 2nd innings is a damn good effort, especially by Patterson, picking up (I believe?) his first 5 wicket haul for Yorkshire? Good times......

Both Patterson and Hannon-Dalby have picked up 5-fors already this season.

Given that arguably their two best bowlers are away with England and that Scarborough is a traditionally flat surface it's a good effort against an admittedly poor Essex side.

good to see Hannon-Dalby and Paterson really coming on in leaps and bounds this year, especially-as has been said-with Bresnan & Shazad away on england duty. In Bresnan, Shazad, Rashid, Wainwright, Bairstow, Lyth, Patterson & Hannon-Dalby we have a great young set of players for several years to come.

Don't forget that Gale is only 26, McGrath at 34 is the only player over 30 & 9 of the team have come through the club's academy system.
Parallels here with the Rhinos.
Build success from within.

Another cracking win for the lads, by an innings & 96.
Top of the league still.
Good win for England too.
Come on Leeds Utd & the Rhinos to make it a clean sporting sweep.

Brilliant stuff. In recent years I've dreaded going to Headingley, due to Cas always getting tonked and not knowing what I'll get from Yorkshire. One year they were chasing just 200 in a pro 40 match and found themselves 24-7l. This year has been magnificent though so far. I've wrote a few articles in Spin Magazine, I look forward to writing a more positive one & getting down Headingley once my exams are over with. In Gale we trust!!!

Great effort by Yorkshire and great to see K.P on fire in the 20/20.

< blatant plug >

I play for the Yorkshire Post CC as does the occasional poster Schoey's socks, we are based up on Glen Road in Headingley, the club has previously had guest appearances from Ricky and a somewhat press ganged Lawrie.

We played our first ever season of league cricket last year, and finished 3rd in the Leeds West Riding 1st Division, and have this season joined the Wetherby League - starting off in Div 6 we are 3 from 3 at the moment.


Most weeks we play

[listsaturday - league games
sunday - friendlies
midweek - friendlies / cup 20 20 games[/list

If there's anyone on here who used to play league cricket but has drifted away from the game, but fancies getting back into it a bit - or indeed if you are intersted in getting involved as a supporter or sponsor please get in touch with me

Our website is in my sig (we average over 4000 page views per week)

< plug over >

thanks

i

Soooooooooooooooo .....

Lancashire are doing well arnt they