The Sheffield Trap
Warwickshire 244 all out
v Yorkshire 28 for 0
County Championship Division 1
Close on Day One
Thursday 19 May 2022
Played at Headingley
Today. I'm afraid. We have another "Memory Match Feature". This time v Warwickshire at Abbeydale Park, Sheffield in August 1979.
Yorkshire batted first and made 259. Only Phil Carrick (65) went past 50. Stephen Perryman took 5 for 60 off 37 overs (17 of which were Maidens) for The Bears. David Hopkins also took 4 for 65.
For Warwickshire's first dig, The Birmingham Post reported…
"Overnight rain created a treacherous pitch on which Warwickshire's batsmen were hopelessly at the mercy of the Yorkshire seam bowlers."
Skittled for just 35 all out in 18.4 overs. Geoff Humpage, he went on the Rebel Tour to South Africa in 1981/82, and Chris Maynard were joint top scorers with 9 (nine). Graham Stevenson took 6 for 14!!!
John Hampshire enforced the Follow On. The Birmingham Post reported…
"With conditions easing considerably as the wicket dried out, Warwickshire's batsmen hit back in their second innings."
Both openers (Amiss & Smith) went past 50. And, a bit of late order humpty pushed it to 255 all out. Carrick took 5 for 80 off 35 overs (14 Maidens). Yorkshire had claimed the extra half hour late on this, Day Two, to push for a Golf Day. Once the final Bear trudged off, and a bit of abacus jiggling, I heard David Bairstow proclaim (the equivalent of);
"the umpires say we've got 4 overs to knock off 32"
Bairstow himself (came in at 6 in the first dig) opened with Bill Athey (I'd have gone with Graham Stevenson myself). But, they could only manage 30 runs off the four overs. Agonisingly two short of a two day win. Cricket is mad at times. The whole Circus had to go back to their Guest Houses & Homes, have a night in. (But, I strongly suspect, a night out). And come back to Abbeydale the next morning - to score just two runs.
"Did the erstwhile Carrier Bag Firm swerve it Phil? Do some college work or summat?"
NO. We were there. Front And Centre. Next morning. Two required. All day to get them. Warwickshire's Wicketkeeper & future SA Rebel Tourist, Geoff Humpage came on to bowl. I've retold this story time & time again and I don't know fact from fiction any more. In my head, I see Humpage wearing Black Brogues rather than Cricket Boots. Some Warwickshire slip fielders wearing jeans. And, a number of players' cars have their engines running. I'm not sure all (any) of that actually happened. But you get the general picture.
The Birmingham Post again;
"Bill Athey square-cut for two off the last ball of Geoff Humpage's over to take Yorkshire to their required 32 runs."
Difficult decisions in 2022 what to do if you win the Toss. Warwickshire batted. 28 for 1. 28 for 2. 41 for 3. 43 for 4. All in twenty overs. But, a fifth wicket stand of 74 built it up a bit. Michael Burgess came in then. He batted sensibly. But, in the circumstances, that meant aggressively. He was last out. Caught & Bowled Patto for 96 off 106 balls. He put on 41 with Oliver Hannon-Dalby - who didn't score a run!!!
Thompson & Patterson, three wickets apiece.
In old money, if you bat first, you want more than 244 in 81.4 overs. Yorkshire - over to you. First objective. Get to the close. Tick.
Polly's Brew Co (Flintshire), Collab with Big Mountain Brewing Company (Passy, France), Oh My…, Citra & Sabro Pale on Keg at 5.8%. (In the Arcadia).
That was a nice beer. I wouldn't particularly say I could get anything particular out of those hops. Maybe some coconut. But, really - nice n standard.
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