The Yorkshire Academy visited early pacesetters of the YLN, Acomb on Saturday and for the first time this season the weather was suitable to watching cricket.
Acomb won the toss and put the Academy into bat and quickly lost two wickets with the total only on 18 in the 8th over. Matthew Weston and James Wharton took the score to 64 before Wharton fell for 20. Weston followed soon after for 26. Harry Allinson and Daniel Ford put on a fifth wicket partnership of 55 before Ford departed the crease for 31 with the Academy score on 129 for 5 in the 36th over. The lower order helped the total to a respectable 199 for 8 after 50 overs with Allinson 66 not out from 79 balls with 6 fours.
The wickets were shared between the four bowlers utilised by the home side with Darius D’Silva 3 for 31 from his allocated 13 overs and Darcy O’Connor 2 for 49 from 12 overs.
In the reply Acomb were struggling at 16 for 2 in the 7th over before a partnership of 76 for the third wicket between William Wade and Darius D’Silva took the score to 92 before Wade was stumped to become the first of Harry Sullivan’s eight victims for 49 from 98 balls with 4 fours. Three balls later the fourth wicket fell with no addition to the total. Darcy O’Connor and D’Silva took the score to 135 before D’Silva was dismissed for 48 from 80 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes. 65 were required from the last 12 overs with five wickets remaining. Sullivan continued to tie the home side down as he took two wickets in the 42nd over to leave Acomb on 155 for 7 so 45 required from 45 balls. Who would hold their nerve in this tense finish? The home side edged closer to the target before O’Connor was caught on the boundary to become Sullivan’s sixth wicket for 44 from 54 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes. The home side were now 184 for 8 with only needed 16 from 25 balls with only two wickets remaining. The 9th wicket fell at 189 with ten required from 16 balls. The last wicket pair took the score to 199 which meant the home side only needed one run from six balls to be bowled by Sullivan. The first ball was a dot and trying to clear the field from the next ball it was caught as the match ended in a dramatic tie and only the second in Yorkshire League North history. What a finish!
Harry Sullivan returned the excellent figures of 12.2 overs 1 maiden 8 wickets for 52. It was a remarkable piece of left arm spin bowling especially as he didn’t come on until the 26th over. It is the second best bowling figures in the YLN behind Jared Warner 9 for 19 also for the Academy against Castleford in 2016.
Points: Acomb 5 Yorkshire Academy 5.
The Yorkshire Academy next two fixtures are at home against York on Spring Bank Holiday Monday and Sheriff Hutton Bridge next Saturday.
Andrew Hinchliffe – Yorkshire Academy scorer
