Yorkshire’s men’s Academy side are coming to the end of a week of friendly T20 fixtures against a quartet of select XI sides from the county’s Premier League competitions, with them so far winning two of three matches.
The Under 18s have beaten both Under 21 sides from the North Yorkshire South Durham and the Bradford Leagues since last Monday, losing the other against the Yorkshire Premier League South outfit.
Tomorrow evening, Tom Craddock’s side face a YPL North U21 side.
The two victories have been by landslide margins.
Last Monday at Marske, Yorkshire posted 180-5 batting first against NYSD thanks to top order contributions of 46 from Noah Kelly, 58 from fellow opener Henry Pearson and 55 from Jack Redshaw.
Pearson had an excellent evening, adding 3-13 from three overs with the ball as the home side’s reply of 111-9 – a 69-run victory for the county’s teenagers. Josh Hen-Boisen also struck three times.
On Thursday at Pudsey St Lawrence, the Academy romped to a 10-wicket win inside 11 overs chasing 141.
Showing a pleasing variety of lofted straight drives, square cuts and flicks through mid-wicket, followed by ramps and reverse sweeps, Redshaw and opening partner Alex Cree both finished on 67 not out.
After being put in, the Bradford League side looked on for a score of around 200 when they were 99-1. However, eight wickets then fell for just 34 runs as Hen-Boisen (4-8) and Jawad Akhtar (3-28) produced a trial by spin.
The defeat against YPL South Under 21s at Barnsley on Tuesday saw the hosts post 132-9, including three wickets for the spin of Akhtar, the all-rounder who is having a fine summer.
Captaining the side, he then made 41 opening the batting in Yorkshire’s 104-6 as they lost by 28 runs.
It has also been T20 time for the Diamonds, with Academy, Emerging Players Programme and second-team sides in action.
On May 31, the Academy claimed a pair of wins over the Blaze at Lady Bay in Nottingham. The first game was won by five wickets chasing 122 and the second by 57 runs having posted a total of 153-3.
Captain Harriet Robson had a fine day with 40 not out in the first game opening the batting, adding an unbeaten 75 in the second.
The following day, at Northallerton, the Diamonds EPP squad was split into two.
Performances of note through a pair of games went to Rhia Sedha (52 not out), Amelia Oliver (50 not out), Grace Thompson (52 not out). Teams A and B shared a win apiece, with a number of bowlers taking two wickets.
On Thursday just gone, two experienced Diamonds and Thunder sides played second-team friendlies at Blackpool, the teams sharing a win apiece.
The first game was won by Thunder, who posted 145-7 and bowled the Diamonds out for 56.
In the second, the Diamonds made 150-4 thanks largely to opener Erin Thomas, who made 53 off 40 balls. In reply, Thunder were limited to 111-3 – a 39-run win for the visitors.
