Kettering, For One Day Only
Yorkshire beat Northamptonshire by 202 Runs
Yorkshire 374 for 5
Northamptonshire 172 all out (38.5 overs)
One Day Cup, 50 Overs
Friday 8 August 2025
Played at Northampton
NBDR
No Beer Don't Read
Fuck Sake. Northants have had a tonking there. Leaving Yorkshire on the heady heights of played two, won two. No, really.
Lots of disquiet in, and from, The Spencer Pavilion. Including the worst, the absolute worst;
“Get him off.”
With Liam Guthrie going for 87 runs, and Luke Proctor 78, and Yuzrendra Chahal for 69, there were multiple choices for “him” to get off.
Will Luxton was run out for 41 off 42. That made it 91 for two. The other end was “there's a run out coming” candidate, Imam-ul-Haq. I'm not saying it was his fault. I'm saying “he's a candidate” and Luxton never looked back as he trudged off.
I don't know if Imam-ul-Haq felt he had to make amends. Whatevs. He was superb. James Wharton went on 249 for 3. And Imam-ul-Haq survived to 324 for 4. Still five overs left. Gone for 159 off 130. Twenty fours & two sixes. And. You know what? He'll be disappointed he got out.
Hell of an ask for Northants that. And they lost wickets at regular intervals. And never got anywhere near. Dan Moriarty the pick with four for 38. An absolute tonking.
Keen Blog readers will recall the fucking shenanigans for Yorkshire's first 50 over game at Scarborough. Where the train I caught “terminated short” at Filey. And I had to complete my journey using my Bus Pass.
Well. Today was also a Rail Rollercoaster. Read on.
In case you didn't know, Northampton is on the rail line running from London Euston to Birmingham New Street. So, “the App” route back to Sheffield is from Northampton, changing at Birmingham. But, crow flies, Northampton ain't too far from the East Midlands line, running from St Pancras through Wellingborough, Kettering and Market Harborough to Leicester, and onwards to Sheffield.
And, Wantage Road, the Northamptonshire County Ground is even in the right direction, lying North East of the centre of Northampton.
And, there are buses running from Northampton, passing nearby the County Ground, playing with your mind.
“Ooooohhhh. What if I got a Bus to the East Midlands line? Wouldn't that be better than going back into Northampton, and fucking around in Birmingham?”
Thing is. A few years ago. East Midlands Rail stopped direct trains from Wellingborough, Kettering and Market Harborough to Sheffield. So, even if you get a bus East from the County Ground, you've still got to fuck about changing in Leicester (at least).
Even worse, a quick check on the Apps revealed overhead cable issues on the East Midlands line at Radlett (of all places). Timetable now reduced to just one train an hour North from St Pancras to Sheffield. Pretty confident that meant the Carrier Bag Firm would sack off the Bus from Northampton to all points East. Except. Hold up. Am I reading this right?
All year round, trains from St Pancras to Sheffield do NOT stop at Kettering. First stop is Leicester. Except today. With overhead lines down at Radlett. For “one day only”. The day I am in Northampton. EVERY train from St Pancras to Sheffield WILL STOP at Kettering. EVERY train.
Tuesday fucked by train NOT going where it should.
Friday saved by train stopping where it shouldn't.
What a fucking carry on.
The 10/X10 runs from Cedar Road Bus Stop to Kettering. And for one day only, connects with a direct train to Sheffield. I was on the X10!!! With my Bus Pass natch.
(Only two Blogs behind now FFS)
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