Match reports.
Sunday 30th June - U10 Tykes (104 all out) v U10 Phoenix (87 all out) - Ossett CC
U10 Tykes won by 17 runs.
In the first of their head-to head fixtures, the Phoenix won the toss and elected to bowl first on a track that was green and looked as though it would provide some assistance to the seam bowlers.
With the score on only 9, the Phoenix made an early breakthrough as Oliver Williams (1-12) bowled William Grainger for 0 and Enzo Campagna soon followed for 3, bowled by fellow opening bowler Harry Dixon (2-7), reducing the Tykes to 12-2. A recovery between Alex Strain and Louie Wilson took the score to 32 before both Wilson and Strain fell to Will Dooling (2-10). Dylan Oeppen batted sensibly to top score during the innings with 28 from 49 balls, but wickets continued to fall with only Umayr Hewitt with 14* building a considerable score. The Tykes innings eventually closed on 104 all out from 36.4 overs with all bowlers used taking at least one wicket; Charlie Atkinson (1-6), William Taylor (1-10), John Wyndham (1-9), Noah Saunders (1-22) and Joash Duggal (1-5).
In reply, quick wickets were again taken with the Phoenix being reduced to 20-4 with Theo McLelland bowling very well with the new ball to finish with figures of 4-9 from 5 overs. Only Noah Saunders (12) and Harry Dixon (17) made double figures for the Phoenix with Matthew Hands (1-16), Umayr Hewitt (2-30), William Grainger (2-2) and a run out from Sam Gianini helping to restrict the Phoenix to 87 all out and win the first contest by 17 runs.
Overall, all but 4 of the wickets that fell were clean bowled. A sign that the bowlers were able to bowl well in the conditions, and that batsmen if facing similar conditions again had to adapt to situations.
Thursday 4th July - U10 Phoenix (157 all out) v U10 Tykes (161-4) - Copley CC
U10 Tykes won by 6 wickets.
The next fixture between the two U10 Yorkshire sides followed quickly at the picturesque Copley CC.
The Phoenix again won the toss and elected to bat first on this occasion in warm, clear conditions. Rather than the early wickets at Ossett a few days earlier, a good opening stand of 33 between Thomas Rook (13) and Jack Winterbottom set the foundations that progress to to 74 when Jack was the 2nd wicket to fall with the score on 74, falling for a well made 48 from 77 balls, including 8 boundaries. With 26 from Joash Duggal helping to push the score on to 148-4 going into the last 3rd of the innings, a big score looked possible. But good bowling from the Tykes, polished off the remainder of the Phoenix order to bowl them out within 34.3 overs. Wickets were again shared for the Tykes with Oscar Firth (3-12), Louie Wilson (3-28) and Umayr Hewitt (4-42) sharing the wickets between them.
In reply, Oliver Williams again made an early breakthrough removing captain Alex Strain for only 1 on the board. However, large partnerships were then built with 54 between William Grainger (18) and Oscar Firth, and a further 69 between Firth and Dylan Oeppen 28. Phoenix took their final wicket on 145 when Firth went for a well made 63 from 76 balls, including 7 boundaries, with Enzo Campagna finishing the innings with 17*. Oliver Williams (2-11), William Dooling (1-13) and Noah Saunders (1-22) sharing the wickets as the Tykes reached their target in 30.1 overs.
Friday 1st July - U10 Phoenix (128-1) v Staffordshire U10 (127-6) - Aston Hall CC
U10 Phoenix won by 9 wickets.
In their first fixture away from their fellow Yorkshire Tykes, the Phoenix welcomed Staffordshire to Aston Hall CC on a warm summers day.
Staffordshire won the toss and elected to bat first. For the third game in a row, Oliver Williams made an early breakthrough with the new ball (1-21), and Harry Dixon (1-8) removed their other opener to have Staffordshire at 31-2. The score had progress to 51 as captain John Wyndham (1-20) made the breakthrough. The introduction of spin as Staffordshire had moved the score onto 72, saw 3 wickets quickly fall to Joash Duggal (2-7) and Noah Saunders (1-5), including their number 3 and top scorer Arjan Barard (34) and the runs dry up over the 10 overs they bowled in tandem. Late innings runs from Jack Saunders (13*) and Connor Shrehorm (29*) saw them bat out their overs and make 127.
As the Staffordshire team had shown, it was possible to build partnerships and the Phoenix boys started well, putting on 55 for the first wicket before Thomas Rook was superbly caught in the gully on 15. That was to be the only wicket for Staffordshire as Jack Winterbottom, following his 48 at Copley CC the day before, followed this up by retiring on 50 from 76 balls, including 6 boundaries. He was assisted by Joash Duggal (28*) and Harry Dixon with a quickfire 10* to see the team home with over 12 overs remaining and record their first win of the season.
Wednesday 17th July - Lancashire U10 (104 all out) v U10 Phoenix (159 all out) v - Colne CC
U10 Phoenix won by 55 runs.
The Phoenix made the trip over the border to their roses rivals for their first clash of the season. The Phoenix winning the toss and electing to bat first.
Despite a couple of early losses, Phoenix progressed to 67 before losing their 3rd wicket following a partnership of 54 between Harry Dixon falling for 24 and opener Thomas Rook. Rook went on to make his first half century of the season, and was eventually unluckily bowled on 62 from 69 balls, 6 boundaries. Rook the 4th man out, following another good partnership of 63 between him and both Oliver Marsh (who had retired hurt and eventually returned to make 9) and Noah Saunders (12). As had been the case in their earlier fixtures, a loss of a number of wickets quickly would again be the case, with the Phoenix collapsing from 120-4 to 159 all out with Charlie Atkinson remaining on 16* as the innings closed in 34.5 overs and the Phoenix again failing to bat out their allotted 40 overs.
Luke Wilson (3-15) made a pair of early breakthroughs to reduce Lancashire to 30-2. Despite the efforts of opening batsman Huzaifah Patel (20), wickets regularly were taken, seeing the Lancashire middle order come and go quickly, and as the 8th wicket was taken Lancashire were on 67. William Taylor (2-12), John Wyndham (2-10), Charlie Atkinson (1-12) and Will Dooling (1-11) all bowling well throughout the middle overs of the innings. A late rally by number 8 Aveen Dalugoda (28* from 28 balls) helped the red rose get over the 100 run mark, but a run out by Thomas Rook broke the 9th wicket on 104, and it was then left to Luke Wilson to return to take the final wicket and to give the Phoenix their 2nd 40 over win of the season.
We look forward to playing Lancashire again later in the season when they will be taking part in a tri-T20 with both the Phoenix and Tykes squads at Dunnington CC.
Monday 29th July - U10 Phoenix (155-9) v Cheshire U10 (144-7) - Aston Hall CC
U10 Phoenix won by 11 runs.
The U10 Phoenix returned to Aston Hall CC having previously beaten Staffordshire earlier in the month, in what would eventually be a well earned, tight victory.
Cheshire having lost heavily recently to Warwickshire, requested an uncontested toss, with Yorkshire batting first. Despite the rain over the preceding days, the game started with a predominantly dry pitch and a drying outfield. Yorkshire soon found themselves a wicket down as Noah Saunders was bowled with the first delivery of the match by Maaz Afridi but a partnership of 40 in 11 overs between Thomas Rook and Joash Duggal (14) rebuilt the innings.
Small partnerships continued with Thomas Rook being run out on 27 after a period of pressure in the field and Charlie Atkinson being trapped LBW for 12 shortly after to leave the score on 77-4 after 20 overs, and by the 24th over a further couple of quick wickets had fallen to leave the Phoenix in trouble at 88-6. Number 4 Harry Dixon was supported by keeper James Wilkes, putting on 43 for the 7th wicket, before a mix up between the pair saw Harry run out for a well made 45 from 71 balls. James continued to bat sensibly with the lower order, to finish on 16* and helping the Phoenix to bat their full 40 overs that had been a problem in earlier games.
Unlike the start to the Phoenix innings, an early wicket was not forthcoming. Oliver Williams made the eventual breakthrough with the score on 21, having opener Jakob Jordan caught behind by keeper Barnes Walker. Cheshire continued to bat sensibly, building a further partnership of 24 as Leo Burns nicked off to Wilkes off the bowling of William Dooling (1-11). Having made a couple of breakthroughs, the Phoenix were hopeful of making some quick inroads into the middle order but a partnership of 81 between opener Liam Yahathuoda (69 from 95 balls) and Alfie Usher (33 from 62) took the score to 126 at the end of the 32nd over. It took a moment of quality to break the partnership as Oliver Williams, fielding at midwicket, was able to take a diving catch at full length to his left hand side off Harry Dixon (1-9).
Having made the breakthrough, Phoenix applied pressure through the remainder of the innings, bowling full lengths and backed up by tight fielding. A further catch by Williams off Will Taylor (1-16) at cover, and a run out from Noah Saunders, aided by Williams (2-5) returning to the attack to take a further wicket saw the Phoenix close out the innings and restricting Cheshire to 144-7 and winning by a margin of 11 runs.
A game where the Phoenix, although not at their best in bowling in consistent areas and continuing to lose clusters of wickets were able to win by a tight margin thanks to a spirited fight back in the field.