v Cheshire U17s.
The first day of Yorkshire Cricket Board U17s championship match against Cheshire could hardly have gone better after they ended the day on 139-2 having earlier bowled out the home side for 166.
Under clear blue skies and with temperatures set to sore a lost toss meant the visitors lead by Ben Birkhead started the day with ball in hand, and after a wicket less first hour the indications were that it would be a long hot day in the field. The breakthrough came just prior to the drinks interval Birkhead diving in front of first slip to take an excellent single handed catch off Nathan Snookes and when in the first over after the break the ‘keeper took a second catch this time off Tom Loten both the openers had been sent back with the score on 47. With conditions limiting the bowlers to short spells to retain their effectiveness it was not long before Abdi Ahmed replaced Loten and within two balls of the start of his spell the third wicket went down as Edward Fluck (27) was beaten by a delivery which clipped the top of his off stump, and when the same bowler picked up his second wicket on the cusp of lunch courtesy of an lbw decision the visitors were able to reflect on a successful morning with the score at 114-4.
The first hour post lunch saw the bowlers press home their advantage four wickets falling in the space of six overs. Henry Dobson (27) was first to go trapped lbw by Tom Loten. Alec Drury then produced an excellent spell of off spin picking up 2-8 from nine overs, his wickets split by a run out, Snookes calm pick up and throw enough to beat the retreating batsman. That reduced the hosts on 131-8 before a partnership of 33 for the ninth wicket between Edward Galley (11) and Owen Feakes (19) frustrated the bowling side for time until the latter came down the wicket to Drury (3-13) and was bowled, leaving Adam Ahmed to take the final wicket in the following over with the total on 166.
Bilal Anjam and Tom Loten got Yorkshire’s reply off to an excellent start with a partnership of 64 from 22 overs either side of tea, and the pair were looking increasingly at ease until Loten was given out caught at leg slip off spinner Shane Patel for 28. The bowling sides only other success came when Richard Brown (5) hit a catch straight at mid-wicket with the total on 75. Anjam went to his half-century off 92 balls, with 46 having come from boundaries as he proved adept at punishing anything wayward, although he should have been out on 17 but the chance in the deep was spilled. The opener had reached 72 by the close, and along with his skipper had added 64 reducing the first innings deficit to just 27.
The full scorecard for day one can be viewed HERE
Report by Kevin Hutchinson, YCCC U17s scorer