Match reports.
Yorkshire U12 Development 285-3 (Robbie Murray 100*, Sam McBride 100*, Will Bennison 32) beat Cumbria U12 159-4 by 126 runs.
Cumbria won the toss and elected to field on a bright and warm day. Yorkshire scored 55 for the first wicket, with Will Bennison the casualty for 32. 27 runs were added for the second wicket as runs were scored at a good rate, but 82-2 soon became 82-3 with a good catch accounting for Matthew Firbank. A magnificent stand of 203 followed as Sam McBride played the anchor role, scoring exactly 100* (with seven fours and a six) and Robbie Murray took the aggressive route, hitting his own 100* off 85 balls (including 13 fours). They complemented each other with good running between the wickets and shot selection that didn't put either under any pressure and Yorkshire finished on 285-3 at tea.
Cumbria made a lively start with Oliver Spedding, the captain, scoring 27 at a run a ball, before Jay Singh claimed his wicket with a smart catch by keeper Joseph Hall. The scoring rate quickly changed as Cumbria set about survival as opposed to scoring the required runs and, coupled with some lack lustre bowling by Yorkshire, they had a relatively smooth passage, finishing on 159-4. A disappointing approach as it was a high scoring ground with a very short boundary on one side. There was a wicket each for Matthew Firbank and Bradley Sylvester as Cumbria fell 126 runs short of the target.
Scorecard: https://yorkcb.play-cricket.com/website/results/4050996
Yorkshire U12 Development 248-6 (Will Bennison 123*, Matthew Firbank 45) beat Leicestershire U12 92 all out (Seth Pickering 3-9, Jamie Ridgewick 3-19) by 156 runs.
Will Bennison won the toss and decided that Yorkshire would bat first on a good looking wicket, with weather conditions spot on, with sunshine and a light breeze. Sam McBride was the first casualty, bowled with only 11 on the board. The score had moved on to 34 as Bradley Sylvester was bowled. A stand of 76 followed, with Matthew Firbank returning to form; scoring a well made 45 (with eight fours). Bennison, then on 45 not out, increased the tempo with partnerships of 37 and 36 with Robbie Murray and Harvey Laverack respectively. A final flurry from Bennison saw him finish on 123 not out and Yorkshire 248-6 - a very competitive score.
Opening bowlers Laverack and Jay Sigh (1-11) made life difficult for the Leicestershire batters. There was no respite as Jamie Redgwick joined the attack with his off spin and claimed 3-19, aided by some excellent catching and ground fielding plus a run out, to leave Leicestershire on 52-5 and in trouble. Matthew Stewart (2-20) and Seth Pickering (3-9) demolished the middle order and tail as Yorkshire ran out comfortable winners.
Scorecard: https://yorkcb.play-cricket.com/website/results/4028202
Yorkshire U12 Development 195-9 (Will Bennison 54, Archie Phillipson 54, Robbie Murray 38) beat Durham U12 169-7 by 26 runs.
Durham elected to field on winning the toss. A magnificent stand of 116 followed as Archie Phillipson and Will Bennison went about their work without any undue alarms. Bennison was the first to fall for 54 and Phillipson soon followed, also for 54, without any addition to the overall score. Wickets fell at regular intervals as the Durham bowlers bowled better and gained an element of control. Robbie Murray continued his good form and, together with Bradley Sylvester, moved the score to 183-6. Murray perished some 11 runs later for 38 and a clatter of wickets saw Yorkshire finish on 195-9 - which, given the start, should have been 220 plus.
Durham's first wicket fell at 24; an early scalp for Jay Singh, who claimed a second victim with the score on 49 and finished with 2-19. A wicket for Matthew Stewart came with the score on 68 and, 19 runs later, one came for Harvey Laverack too. However, Callum Gaffney had forged some useful partnerships by batting sensibly and not taking any risks. The run rate was manageable and was starting to cause concern for Yorkshire. An inspirational bowling change saw Seth Pickering remove Gaffney for 53 and, eight runs later, he claimed his second to finish with 2-8. With the run rate now under control, Sylvester claimed a wicket and, despite a late flurry by the Durham keeper, they fell short by 26 runs.
The game had been far more competitive than the earlier encounter with Durham, as Yorkshire were pushed all the way and their response under pressure was commendable. Thanks to Will Gidman and all staff at Hetton Lyons CC for a great day.
Scorecard: https://yorkcb.play-cricket.com/website/results/3859791