Yorkshire Tour 2007

Innellan travelled south to Raskelf in the Vale of York to seek out good weather, cricket and Theakston’s Best Bitter. They found all in abundance. The weather hot and sunny, the wickets like a road surface Davie Towie would have been proud of, and the Theakston’s  ideal to slake the thirst afterwards, ( Royal Bar take note).

On Saturday against Huby, Innellan batted first,  McKissock and Dupre Smith entrusted with the opening berths, the former without a run since this time last year. After a look at the first 2 overs the duckmeister threw off the shackles and blasted 12 from the 3^rd. The pair looked comfortable, however in the 8^th over  Smudger got one high on the splice and was easily pouched, 28 for 1. Enter ex Somerfields stalwart Nirmal Singh, his innings began sending the bowler to the boundary twice in succession a partnership of 39 ended when the ‘nirminator’lost his off peg to Taylor for 23,67 for 2, MacKellar came in and proved to be the perfect foil for his senior partner as ones and twos were taken, punctuated by boundaries. In the 24^th over Kissy reached his 50 and with it became the first Innellan player to reach 3000 runs, he retired unbeaten his total 52, 104 on the tins. Gilles was his replacement, but there was no addition to the total when MacKellar became Taylor’s 2^nd scalp.

If  t’bowlers thought t’life were to becoom easier, tweren’t. Gilles simply flayed the bowlers to all parts, if the earlier knock was carefully crafted, this was one of withering power, he outplayed Henry at the other end who fell by the wayside for a quickfire 27, Johnston added 19 before skying one to the weekeeper. Gilles was running out of partners but continued his attack and with 3 balls of the innings left he smeared his 9^th  boundary to bring up his maiden 50 and retired on 51, a flawless innings. Marshall and Higgins the civil partnership unbeaten at the end. 208 for 5 after 40 overs

In reply Huby were strangled from the start Cpt Clark and Singh like they do on most Flag days, giving nothing away. The keeper of the purse strings Higgins in most unusual generosity gave away 6 wides in 2 overs. McKissock got the breakthrough in the 7^th sending Hawkhead’s off bail 12 paces back, Henry ran out Powell shortly after, 22 for 2. Sigsworth, one of Yorkshire’s finest, was policed to the pavilion by  Henry after which when a fine stand between Hawkhead and Goddard had Innellan working hard in the field, none more so than Gilles, we’ve had Higgy Hollow, now we’ve got Gilles Gully. He became the afternoons ball magnet as time after time he pursued the ball, cutting boundaries to ones and twos. Singh removed Goddard only 8 were added when Dupre Smith had Hawkhead caught behind. Gilles was given a rest from his fielding duties an came on to bowl, whereupon he removed Howthwaite by taking a great catch off his own bowling. You simply couldn’t write the script!! Enter former World Motorcycle Sidecar Champion  Steve Webster OBE, who hit a 2 off his first ball, Dupre-Smith removed his wheels next ball - Marshall, the catcher. Taylor was adjudged plumb in front and the game was firmly in Innellan’s grasp, but Fox and Mervyn Duffield are seasoned campaigners, the latter a Village Cup winner at Lord’s, and they pushed the score on as overs dwindled, but Gilles was like Jonty Rhodes on Red Bull, as he hoovered the ball relentlessly. Finally Merv the Swerve was taken at long off by Marshall off the bowling of his biker buddy Higgins. Huby all out 160 off 37.5 overs.

The forecast rain and thundery showers were nowhere to be seen the following day as the visitors played Raskelf on a track so hard, no mark could be made with the spikes.

Raskelf won the toss and batted first. It became clear early on that this was a completely different ball game. This was the cream of Raskelf’s younger players who play/train 4 and 5 times a week and they were out to impress and take no prisoners. It must be said the standard of skill with the willow was far and away better than Innellan have witnessed on tour before, regardless of how they toiled, the bowlers simply couldn’t buy a wicket!

73 was the total when Johnston bowled a peach of a delivery which removed Goddard. But Raskelf’s onslaught was relentless even retirals after scoring 30 runs brought no relief as the next batsman simply weighed in with more boundaries. Marshall was the star in the attack with 2 for 16 off 3 overs, all others suffered heavily Henry and Dupre-Smith taking the brunt of the punishment as the home side rattled up 235 off the 40 overs.

Innellan got off to the worst start as McKissock went for a second ball duck, his replacement Taylor went for only 5, Singh managed a boundary before being nabbed by Knabbs in the deep. Raskelf’s bowling was proving as good as the batting. Marshall stroked 4 glorious boundaries before he was snaffled by Goddard off Webster, 32 for 4. Johnston and Henry got the tins rattling with a stand of 32, including a huge six into the pavilion,when Henry was stumped, 26. The captain joined the frey and he and Johnston took the score to 109, Clark caught Leeming, bowled Hawkhead, 26. Only 9 runs were added before Goddard took his second catch and removed Johnston. Gilles tried to replicate the previous days heroics but fatigue restricted him to only 7 runs this time.

Dupre-Smith was amongst his own folk, but he treated them with some outstanding stroke play with good use of his feet as he marched down the wicket to smash the bowlers around the ground, picking up a 5, a returned ball hitting a curiously placed drinks bottle! He departed with a top score of 29. MacKellar provided an exciting cameo at the tail with 4 fours in his nineteen and Higgins crashed a four to the mid-wicket boundary before the stumps were drawn. A great tour, as always, with great creekeet as Geoffrey would say.

Carlsberg don’t do cricketers, but if they did, they’d call him Andy Gilles!!