A new book on county cricket, Summer Days Promise, has plenty to interest Yorkshire supporters, including a piece on the 2018 Championship match against Surrey at Scarborough.
The return to Scarbados is upon us, Yorkshire facing current league leaders Surrey there, starting today, in a pivotal clash for the county’s hopes of a third title in nine years.
Writer Paul Edwards, a regular in the Headingley press box and who has covered recent Test Matches for the club’s website, is the author of the new book which will be published next week.
In the book, Edwards has collected together his favourite pieces from a decade or more of writing on county cricket.
He recounts day two of the 2018 clash between Yorkshire and Surrey, a topsy turvy affair which the visitors ended up winning by seven wickets chasing 228.
It was a day best remembered for “Mist. Mist everywhere.”
Yorkshire started it on 299-8 in their first innings before moving to 342 before Surrey replied with 219-7, including three wickets for Tim Bresnan and a doughty unbeaten 34 from Ollie Pope.
“Rarely can the weather have determined a the nature of a day’s cricket as much as it did at North Marine Road this extraordinary Tuesday,” he writes before talking about the “religious pilgrimage” to watch cricket at this venue.
“Hotels are booked by the second Sunday in Advent.”
If recalling a Yorkshire defeat is not for you, then fear not. There is a piece from the 2015 season when the county lifted the title having beaten Sussex during the final week of the campaign at Headingley.
Coach Jason Gillespie and co had retained the title they won in 2014 a couple of weeks earlier at Lord’s, despite defeat against Middlesex. But the season was ending with a bang.
Yorkshire had beaten Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl by five wickets and confirmed their status as top dogs with a 100-run success against Sussex, who were consigned to relegation.
Of the fourth day, which saw Sussex bowled out for 208 chasing 309 – three wickets apiece for Messrs Bresnan, Brooks and Rashid – Edwards wrote: “The supporters gathered on the outfield and watched their players begin the first of what will be very many celebrations.”
We can only hope that such celebrations are repeated again come the end of September, when Gloucestershire visit Headingley during the final week of the campaign.
For that to happen, you feel a victory over Surrey is of vital importance at North Marine Road this week.
Summer Days Promise has been published by Fairfield Books and is priced at £22.
