Leaders Embsay blown off course against Bolton Abbey

Embsay Cricket Club passed the ultimate test with flying colours. Sometimes I tell a club I’m coming and sometimes, I’m a tad disorganised, decide on the day or change my mind and we just hit the road.

From the moment we parked up outside the gates, the Embsay flag not so much fluttering as writhing in fiesty winds, Mrs Cricket Yorkshire and I were well looked after.

The tea ladies were plating up as the first innings headed towards the halfway point. No sooner had we sat outside to catch a few overs than Bolton Abbey’s batting at 70-0 had a minor wobble to become 76-2.

Opener Dave Burton (50) reached his half century and then edged one. His partner Robert Mayo (23) followed soon after, given a very shy, almost apologetic LBW decision by the umpire.

Allow me my micro grumble and we can move on. The Met Office forecast was pretty solid. Sunny, pleasantly warm, nudging twenty. We actually had winds where the bails needed glueing on, overcast, leaden skies and the occasional lashing of rain.

What’s that saying? Something like: ‘If you want to know what the weather’s doing, look out the window!’ (Or travel in hope to the cricket).

Spectators muttered that they had been caught out by the weather but even so, there were a decent number in attendance and more came along as the afternoon progressed.

No matter as whatever the weather, Embsay Cricket Club is a humdinger. My technical term for a very attractive cricket ground. This being a village just outside Skipton, it has craggy hills beyond the housing behind the clubhouse.

But the puffin’ glory is the way the treelined vista (currently being shaken mightily by invisible forces) leads the eye straight to Skipton Rock Quarry in the distance.

Steam trains toot at the railway station down the road and chug their way through the fields at the bottom end; the billowing smoke from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway carriages can be seen from the cricket club.

You can walk around the edge at Embsay with a steep slope by the trees on the right dropping to a grassy edge next to our ubiquitous Yorkshire walls. Perhaps pausing as I did to watch steam engines heading towards Bolton Abbey station.

It is a journey I’ve done myself and felt particularly apt given the opposition for today’s fixture; who have their own beautiful slice of North Yorkshire to call home.

By the time I had made my way around to the scoreboard, pausing to foolishly twist my ankle while retrieving the match cricket ball that had scooted past, Bolton Abbey were back on track for a strong score.

They ended up with 243-6 off 40 overs which is going some, even at the Robinson Memorial Field. Mohammed Sami blasted 73 and while the middle order carted the ball to all parts as some bowlers struggled a little in line and length in the growling winds.

Scoring today’s game was Alan Robinson, whose two grandsons were playing and Embsay’s HQ had been named after Alan’s parents who were very much the heart and soul of the club.

Mrs F and I buy and share a cricket tea; nodding away as you do when food hits the spot. Glorious sweet chilli sausages, fruit loaf and even a diplomatic scone where the jam and cream seemed to have been parted like the Red Sea.

The egg sandwich deserved a Mexican wave around the village and I was grateful for a sugary mug of tea to nurse while my eyes watered.

Bolton Abbey would go on to win by 75 runs with the hosts out for 168 off 36 overs. Gareth Wooler’s 52 a highlight while Mohammed Sami’s 3-44 capped a fine display for the visitors.

Embsay (230) remain top of Division Six by just 4pts from Crakehall (226) who have a game in hand.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to have a word and make us feel welcome; you can’t fake that, it’s either there or it isn’t. A friendliness at Embsay that perhaps partly comes from knowing they’re onto a good thing.

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