NO team named yet. I assume several of the younger players will be given a match, while several veterans (McGrath, Hoggard, etc) will be rested. What about making Kruis the acting captain?
Yorkshire team
AW Gale, A Lyth, A McGrath*, GS Ballance, JM Bairstow, RM Pyrah, LJ Hodgson, DJ Wainwright, SA Patterson, JE Lee
Essex team
ML Pettini*, AN Cook, GR Napier, JK Maunders, RN ten Doeschate, JS Foster, GW Flower, TJ Phillips, MS Westfield, CJC Wright, Danish Kaneria
As measured by the interest on this Forum, this game was a bit of a low key non-event, in spite of a surprisingly healthy crowd on a chily afternoon. It never looked like we had enough runs, in spite of impressive innings from Root and Balance who did enough to suggest that they will be pushing for first team cricket next year. Sadly Pettini had one of those days when he would probably have made any bowler look ordinary - and he was way too good for our inexperienced attack. Hodgson gave it everything, but otherwise we were remarkably lacklustre and flat in the field - apart from one remarkable catch from Pyrah which took us all by surprise. We got pretty much what we deserved in all truth.And none of our team seemd that surprised or indeed bothered.
A miserable steward spent an hour trying to stop boys asking for autographs. There were bargains in the club shop. And a very nice presentation to Simon Guy who was there with his family - he seemed happy enough to me to have a nice life to look forward to away from YCCC.
He got a watch too. (I wonder where Michael's has gone to....Perhaps they posted it)
Deon was there with his daughter. Still smiling and still signing autographs.
And then there was that sad ritual of one last look around the ground and a thousand overheard goodbyes. The new Pavillion will be a different beast when next we meet. (For my anonymous critic - I'm pleased to report that there actually people in the old pavilion - some of whom were clearly awake..)
There's something unbearably maudlin and sentimental about the last game of the season. All the hopes and ambitions of May have come to naught - and the next season is impossibly far away.
TS Eliot was wrong; September is surely the cruellest month...
Was up at Headingley and impressed with the turn out. Quite a few more than I was expecting.
Was really excited to see how Root and Ballance would go today. And they didn't disapoint! Root looked really good once he settled in and deserved more than his 63. Ballance was also very impressive when he was in and gave the innings and nice little boost when it was becoming somewhat deflated. Nice to see Mags getting a few again and Lyth was unfortunate, going for one big hit too many as he had also looked in good touch.
The bowling however, leaves me deeply concered if we lose Shazad and Hoggard in the offseason. Patterson was ok but James Lee was poor again as was Hodgson. Pyrah kept things tighter when he got a go but apart from that, nothing to write home about.
Just back from the game myself. The future with the bat looks very good, but I share the concern about the bowling. However I actually thought Hodgson showed promise today. It was he and Pyrah who slowed down the run rate, but quite honestly none of the bowlers looked that good. My one hope is that this time last year I had not expected AJ to develop as much as he has so hopefully the same will be true of one of the other young quicks.
One other thought. Deon was at the game today so why did he not play? An experienced head with the youngsters would have helped them, and it would have been good for some who could not make the CC game to say farewell properly.
Agree with you all. The future is looking good on the batting front as we do have some excellent prospects in that department. On the other side of the coin, if that is the future of our bowling next season if Hoggy and Shazad join Kruis in leaving, we will have major problems.
Good attendance today, far more than I was expecting. Well done to Root and Ballance, they both looked very capable and I hope they will be challenging for places next season, a special mention to Ballance for 2 sixes off the bowling of Kaneria, one of which was Huge and went straight over the Emerald scoreboard !
Like the previous poster, I am a bit worried about the bowling and this is an area we both need to strngthen and to keep players already on the books.
Well played to Mark Pettini, his century was excellent and good to watch even though it sent us to a defeat !
Thats all the young bowlers need to give them confidence - negative critism!! Have you read some of the young lads averages over the season? Give them a fair crack of the whip and a few games under their belts before you start pulling them down.
I was also there today ... playing a Yorkshire 2nd team against the Essex first team had the expected result so no one was critical .... at one point during the Essex inning Cowley stated looking at the light .... thankfully the sun came out soon after
Root (who's probably only 12) did well but there was a touch of the other Joe about him .... Balance hitting Kaneria was good ... but felt that too much respect was given to Phillips & Flower. The bowling is what you can expect from young'uns against first teamers ... BUT after seeing Hodgson a couple of times I do have to wonder why we signed him. Again feel that Paterson looks good until his delivery stride ... when he jumps up losing all momentum & as a result is 10-20mph too slow. Lee is a lacking in height or size for an opening bowler ... if our opening attack next season is Paterson & Lee we'll 'do a Worcester'
So thats the end of 2009 ...... one of the most miserable season's I can remember. Whilst I was a BIG critic of G**gh I have to admit that his one day captaincy made us look an above average team .... something we didn't approach this year .... & the championship became survival weeks ago. it was also the first season since 2002 that we didn't win a home championship game
Men against boys today so no disgrace in the defeat.
Essex played a very strong and experienced team; Yorkshire played youngsters - probably one or two too many. In particular I'd have liked to see Deon Kruis or Ajmal Shahzad lead the bowling attack. The batting did as well as could be expected given that neither Gale or McGrath made a substantial contribution. Root anchored the innings and played with considerable maturity. He had a pleasing range of shots and a sound defence. It was unsurprising that he was unable to raise the tempo when required; that should have been McGrath's job - but he was out! Ballance had a glorious moment against Kaneria - two succesive sixes. The first nearly killed a little boy in the East Stand; the second sailed way over the top tier of the North East stand in the direction of the Memorial Garden - it was the biggest six I've seen at Headingley for quite a while. Unfortunately, he showed his inexperience by running past a ball later the same over and being stumped. On today's evidence both seem ready for exposure to more first team cricket.
Bairstow was rather untidy behind the stumps but, in my opinion, the ground fielding was reasonable. Root took a good catch in the deep. There was a stunning reaction catch taken - I thought it was by Lee , but it might have been Pyrah, as suggested by someone else. I thought Wainwright was the tidiest of the bowlers. The seamers were rather plain. Pyrah bowled a few good overs as did Hodgson. Lee took wickets but was expensive and rather wayward. Patterson doesn't impress me, I'm afraid.
The Essex batting was very good. They were purposeful and assertive when it mattered. Pettini batted beautifully - in this form he looks one of England's better batsmen; but he's so inconsistent. The others did what was needed. They're a confident side boosted by their promotion. To their credit they didn't arrive hung over and flat.
All in all today was a very enjoyable end to the season. I'm sick at heart, as always when the cricket stops. A good crowd went home uncomplaining about our defeat and reflecting perhaps on the two or three youngsters who did themselves a lot of good today. I think Root can follow Lyth and Bairstow into the first team, given the opportunity. Ballance should enjoy an extended run in the one-day side at some stage next season. Bowling? It's been said all season - we need help!
Lee bowled badly?...but got 2 wickets and his figures aren't much different that Patterson's comments are a little unfair, Pyrah was hit for a couple of sixes. Ballance's short innings was going well and Root looked comfortable on a day when he was probably very nervous.
Bowler O M R W
Lee 6.0 0 43 2
Patterson 6.3 0 45 0
Pyrah 5.0 0 19 1
Hodgson 6.0 0 32 0
Wainwright 8.0 1 36 0
Lyth 2.0 0 11 0
No mention one the openers for the lack of runs and loss of 2 early wickets, and for those members in the crowd who didn't know who Joe Root was ...they do now!
Considering certain members of the crowd were complaining that they had come to see a first team game and saw a second team game they should go away with the thought that Yorkshire have some good young cricketers and they should support them all first or second or even acadamy teams and whilst disappointing that they lost it wasn't that poor a performance.
From what I've seen of Lee this year he seems to be expensive but does get wickets - which is probably why his one-day average is 16.57 and his economy rate 6.56.
I know this was his first appearance in the first team, and I know it was a one-day match, but Joe Root looks like a great prospect to accompany Sayers in opening the innings in the Championship next season. His composure against the likes of Napier and Kaneria was outstanding.