Dramatic day ahead in the NYSD

THE penultimate fixture list of the season has produced the ‘perfect storm’ for those seeking championship glory in the top two divisions of the NYSD League, and it’s to be hoped the weather doesn’t intervene in what promises to be a dramatic day of cricket.

In the Premier Division the top six go head to head, and even though the title stakes are now more or less a three horse race, the fact that the three leading sides all face opposition who have enjoyed excellent seasons themselves suggests that things are far from over.

Meanwhile, in Division One, it has come down to a straight shoot out for the championship and the one promotion spot between Billingham Synthonia and Whitby, with the Seasiders holding a tenuous five point lead ahead of their meeting on the Synners ground this afternoon.

Richmondshire have the comfort of an 18-point lead going into their game at Park Drive, but this will almost certainly prove a testing hurdle for the table-toppers as they come up against former players Shani Dissanayake and Lewis Stabler who have helped instill new life into Hartlepool. The Sri Lankan was hugely popular in his 12 years at Richmond, but he has now become a firm favourite at Pools with his 500 league runs and 59 wickets a key factor in their improved showing.

But Richmond won’t be short of confidence with Gary Pratt and Toby Bulcock on cloud nine following their Minor Counties championship winning success with Cumberland earlier this week. Whilst not scoring the same glut of runs that have marked recent seasons, Pratt still has 870 to his name, and his county teammate Bulcock has proved an inspired signing, becoming the League’s leading wicket taker.

Each side show one change for the game, with Pools skipper Mike Yuill back in place of the unavailable Jack Wilkinson, and exciting young prospect Owen Kelly handed an opportunity for the Dalesmen with Andy Fleming away.

Leven Park is the setting for the battle of the batters. Great Ayton skipper Chris Batchelor, the leading run scorer with 1241, faces Marske’s overseas star, Saeed Bin Nasir, who stands second in the run making ranks with 1056 and who will be determined to sign off for the Seasiders in style ahead of his return home early next week.

Ayton’s eleven game unbeaten run, which has included eight victories, has seen them claw back 64 points on Richmond during that time. In mid July they stood eleventh in the table, just 24 points above the relegation places, but now they are only 18 adrift of the Dalesmen going into the final two games. The villagers have John Grainge back behind the stumps, but Aussie amateur Barry Bester is already back in his homeland and David Grainge may miss the match so John Russell is on standby. The Seasiders are unchanged, which means they have their full strength side out.

Third-placed Barnard Castle, 28 points shy of top spot, travel to Stokesley with the home team unlikely to have James Weighell available as he travelled to Trent Bridge with the Durham team for this week’s county championship game. Barney have a doubt over skipper James Finch who is troubled by an old back problem, and he will face a late fitness test. If he fails that then Jack Robinson will skipper.

At the opposite end of the table Seaton Carew’s seven game unbeaten run, which has included four wins and a tie, has given them every chance of avoiding the drop. They now have a 13 point safety net over the relegation placings, and another victory today at Norton today would almost certainly complete their remarkable rise from the debris of their winless 17-game opening to the campaign.

Seaton have Danny Evans back from suspension while Norton bring in James Tompkinson for Jon Kean. Meanwhile bottom club Redcar entertain unchanged Guisborough, and second bottom Marton expect to have both Jack Hardy and Gareth Shaw returning for their ‘muck or nettles’ derby at Normanby Hall where their hosts await the results of a late fitness test on skipper Leigh Beaumont.