Well done to Dewi and his YG’s team with Wednesday’s win against York University. Dewi’s match report is hot off the press.
YG’s v York University - Wednesday 8th June
With potential rain forecast and clouds looming it was an absolute bonus to get a full days cricket in warm sunshine in what was a most enjoyable game. The university tend to bring a mixed bag of ability but to their credit always battle hard and show good sportsmanship which was appreciated by all. Having won the toss MM Dewi Winkle elected to bat on what turned out to be a good wicket, bounce and pace rewarding bowlers through the day, thanks as always to Barty for the ground preparation.
After a tricky start in which the openers went cheaply, Ozzie Jake Stubbs came to the crease and hurried the score along, he reached 88, a fine and timely knock. It was great to have Chris Gilman back at Escrick and in the runs (22) and knocks of 18 (Cameron King) and 33 (Angus Shaw) with all the tail end chipping in. The declaration being taken at 3.30pm with YGs 218 for 9. It would seem that the 5 bottles of port at lunch took the nerves of any awaiting YGs batsmen.
N Weston with 3 for 48 was the pick of the University bowlers who continued to make it difficult for batsman to settle using the hard track which allowed for some back foot action.
With 45 mins before tea YGs bowled with gusto, James Rossington and Alex Bindloss reducing the opposition to 45 for 3. After tea the steady fall of wickets continued with Jake Stubbs (1 for 18)and Richard Exley (2 for 30) both being rewarded for some fine bowling. Dewi even got in on the action with a fine piece of fielding to run out the University opener Knowles with just a wicket to aim at. Despite a late flurry from the tail it was Alex Bindloss supported with off spin from Angus Shaw who took the final 2 wickets to end the day with 4 for 18 off 10.5, a fine bowling display once again. The university fell well short at 107 all out but a fun day was had by all.
Dewi Winkle
YG’s All Stars Cricket - First Session Friday 10th June 6.30-7.30pm - At Escrick
The YG’s are delighted to be participating in the ECB’s ALL Stars programme for the 2022 season
Phil Holland with the help of Gerhand Landy have done an amazing job of getting the programme up and running. The first session this Friday (10th June) will see 31 youngsters take to the field no doubt with many parents coming to watch and stay for the duration . Phil and Gerhard have further qualified help to run the evenings and the bar will be open.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the club to introduce itself to local boys and girls and their parents. We have a superb setting at Escrick and have an ideal platform to strengthen the social aspect of the club whilst hopefully nurturing some YG’s talent of the future. Your support in person as a YG member during these Friday evenings would be hugely valuable in helping us to promote The Yorkshire Gentlemen’s Cricket Club and the values we hold as a traditional, yet progressive club with a rich and proud history.
What’s is All Stars Cricket?
Running every Friday from 10th June-29th July - 18:30-19:30 at Queen Margaret’s School, Escrick
All Stars Cricket is an ECB initiative that provides a fantastic first experience for all children aged 5-8 years old where they’re guaranteed 8 weeks of jam-packed fun, activity and skills development. The programme is designed to introduce children to the sport, teaching them new skills, helping them make new friends and have a great time doing so.
Every child that registers will receive a backpack full of goodies. Your child’s pack will include:
Backpack
Cricket bat
Cricket ball
Personalised t-shirt with your child’s name
Good Luck to Phil and Gerhard and if you can make it down for a least one of the evenings it would really be appreciated.
Talking of proud history Malcolm Watson and Geoff Wellsteed have been delving into the history books and archives.
Malcolm Watson on news of James Van de Merwe’s double hundred against Leeds University
Following James Van de Merwe's 200*, I have looked at the archive material I collected for writing the first part of the White Rose Gentlemen book.
As far as I can tell James's score is the 4th double hundred in the Club's history following Captain HT Cliff 218* in a YGCC total of 424 for 6 dec versus the Peristics in 1906. Colonel HS Kaye scored 204 in a YGCC total of 324 for 8 dec against the Household Brigade in 1908 at Burton Court, Chelsea on a YGCC Southern Tour and Ed Nichol 200* in 2001 at Escrick. James joins an illustrious band!
Malcolm Watson
Claude Leatham - plaque and history
For a number of years there has been a rather unremarkable rectangular piece of badly discoloured metal, measuring 10 inches by 9 inches, lurking around the bar area. You could readily be forgiven for not noticing it. It was virtually black but if you did see it and looked closely you might have noticed that it was engraved simply -
YGCC
PRESENTED BY
CLAUDE LEATHAM ESQ
1907
No one seemed to know its derivation or background. I was intrigued by it every time I saw it and Paul White, knowing my interest in cricket memorabilia and the social history of the game, readily agreed I could take it away and endeavour to clean it, and hopefully, research its origin. The name ‘Leatham’ was known to me as it appears in White Rose Gentlemen (The History of the Yorkshire Gentlemen’s Cricket Club 1863-2013) albeit that was a reference to GAB Leatham. However, Claude Leatham (the brother of GAB) does appear as a player in Club scrapbooks covering the latter half of the 1800s. Those beautiful leatherbound books, which contain literally hundreds of newspaper cuttings, show he played his last match for the Club in 1896.
I had a suspicion the plaque was brass and cleaning the badly tarnished surface started to reveal a dull gold colour. Proprietary cleaners like Brasso and Duraglit made little impact, however, a mix of distilled white vinegar and salt sea certainly did. The juice of a lemon was even more effective. So after approximately twenty hours cleaning a much more acceptable colour and surface has been achieved. The plaque is now mounted in the clubhouse.
Also held in the Club Archive is the original YGCC minute book from 1863 to 1911 and within the notes of an AGM held in 1907 is the answer to the origin of the plaque. The minutes of that meeting which took place on Wednesday, 24 April 1907 at 16 Coney Street, York includes an entry which records that ‘the Hon Sec stated that Mr Claude Leatham has presented a clock to the Club, which has been placed in the pavilion “in grateful memory of 30 years membership of the YGCC”. It was resolved that a letter of thanks be written to Mr Leatham for his handsome present’.
Presumably the plaque was placed alongside the clock? We can only speculate what happened to the actual clock.
Geoff Wellsteed, May 2022
The completed restoration
Claude Leatham was one of seven sons of William Henry Leatham and his wife Priscilla. His father not only owned a family banking business he was also a Member of Parliament and a Deputy Lieutenant of the County. Leatham’s Bank was eventually subsumed into Barclays. The family lived at Hemsworth Hall, Pontefract. Claude (b 1856) was a lawyer, and with his wife and family, eventually settled at The Red House, Wentbridge, near Pontefract. His obituary in Wisden says he captained Yorkshire Colts in 1876, was a keen follower of the Badsworth Hunt and an enthusiastic golfer. He died in 1913. One of his brothers, Gerald (GAB), played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, and another, Edmund, married into the eminent Cunard family
New Kit added to our official Club Clothing website
To compliment our excellent range of cricket equipment we have added a coloured short sleeved playing shirt and match day trousers - whilst we wear traditional whites on match days these navy blue designs with gold logo pieces can be worn for practice, or if its your look down at the pub. They may be adopted for six a side or future t-20 style competitions !!!! Please take a look and update your cricket wardrobe with our official kit suppliers NXT sports.
Click above to start shopping.
News of Six-a-Side competition and First Draw of Club Lottery coming soon. In the meantime do check out some of the pictures taken during the course of the season so far.