Review of the season 2017 (AKA 50 shades of Ginger)

End of an era

April

Well the season could not come quickly enough but it started with most Yorkshire supporters having a very heavy heart after the passing of our President John Hampshire prior to the season starting.

A truly wonderful man, with a wonderful twinkle in his eye and word for everyone.

A true cricket gentleman.

And then the season commenced.

Cold it was too!!! Flasks of coffee and homemade soup were the order of the day, just to help to keep body and soul together ( and stop teeth from chattering).

Towards the end of the month I headed off to Leeds/Bradford airport and hopped onto a plane for Southampton.

Ah my old stomping ground, so many happy memories.

And meeting up with one of my dearest friends from this time, Terry who over 20 years ago used to look after me at the other Hampshire home ground of Northlands Road.

I also met up with Mark and Cally and two great evenings were had by all.

The cricket could have been better though!

It was all over too quickly and I bade a tearful farewell to Terry and headed back to the North East.

Such a wonderful weekend, such wonderful friends and memories.

Great to see Michael Carberry back again doing what he does best ( and smiling too)

Yorkshire were not on a winning streak

We found out this was HRR's last season!

It was announced that our favourite ex coach would take a temporary role at Kent to help them out.

May

started with cricket at home and a members forum, where we were given more info about  the money needed to make Headingley even greater.
Caught up with the lovely  Mark who  flew in from Northern Ireland. 

Arthur had a rare day out

we saw off ' the dark side'in the one day match which put us all in good spirits 
we then lost to Worcestershire which was not so good .
Jonny Bairstow was omitted from the England team and was relegated to water boy for more matches than I care to remember

Brooksy scored a century against Lancs.!!!

Toddled off  to see Yorkshire take on south Africa A , Jim and Tom tipped up and we were having a merry old time and then it rained, so we went to the Long Room.
And then it was sunny, but they called all play off  so we decided to go into Headingley,

Early

 then it was discovered that I had lost Pink Hippo!!!

He was found face down soaked through in a puddle.

He was put into care at the Headingley Lodge whilst the three of us  headed into town!

later

All I can say is that it is the only time in history I have ever refused a taxi with two young men! I was slightly tipsy and wobbled home to the Lodge to try to dry out the hippo.

June

This month was a very up and down one for me as I was in the process of changing jobs and as such trying to sort out whether I would be at the fixtures that I had arranged to be at.

I managed a quick trip to The Riverside ground at Chester le Street to catch up with the lovely Jack Russell who gave me news of new commissions.

Always lovely to see him.

Amazing artist and one of the greats cricket wise too.

Then we had the new fangle thing of ‘Day/Night/ cricket. Yorkshire were taking on Surrey and Monday was the first day. I managed to keep awake until close of play, but it was strange to leave cricket and then head off to my room at the Lodge and go straight to bed.!

I was woken by rain, which did not let up at all on the Tuesday and meant that I left to go home just after lunchtime.

Rain was to be the nemesis of many cricket fans.

July

Ah haaaaaaa, July, that time of the year again. The Yorks v Notts T20 match and time for me to meet up with my great friend Fun Sophe.

This year we had set up pre-match cocktails at the Headingley Lodge and a good turnout there was too.

The match was great, well for me anyhow, as Yorkshire won.

I also managed somehow to have a very close encounter with Vinnie the Viking the mascot of my boys!!!

Sophie and I then wandered into Headingley with Jim. Tom and Steve and eventually staggered back to the Lodge much to the amusement of the lovely Helen on reception. I have to say Helen, the corkscrew you managed to find for us went unused.

The following Friday I was off on my travels again as I headed down to Fun Sophes house for the weekend and the Test Match.

Saturday morning,straight into Trent Bridge, first sight of Morne Morkle and first beers of the day before 11.30am, well it was obvious how this was going to go.

We were having a fab old day and with lots of food and drink and great cricket and company what more could you want?

The match ended and Sophie and I headed off to meet my journo mate Will, who had spotted us from the press box (with binoculars). El Tel, Sophies husband did think it was funny that we were arranging to meet a man  ‘In Fox Road, behind the Sky TV vans’!!!!!!!

Catch up natter,two bottles of Cricket Writers Ale and we were on the bus back to Chez Sophe.

Next day I was bidding a near tearful farewell to Sophie,Terry and Jess. Until next year ( if Terry can cope)

August

The beginning of August saw me once again on the road, Friday evening at Chester le Street for T20 which we lost………………..and I am still wondering how we did that!

Then, case in car and off to Scarbados for the Festival.

Hmmm, I was settled in my chair in the North Marine Road ground  by 10.00am and by 11.30am I was thinking that I may have booked one evening too many in the hotel as we slumped to (50-6) Essex were on fire.

Watching Yorkshire being beaten in 2 days is not something that I want to see again. EVER!!!!! ( although it was close to it end of season!)

However Sunday was another  ‘fun packed’ night out with Jim, maybe I would do that again ( well this was the 3rd one this season!). Its not every night that you see Harry Styles letting his hair down and winning on the ‘teddy grabber’, and sharing his spoils.

Please note we do not think that this was the real Harry Styles but after a few pints ( a lot of) he sure did look like him!!!

The following week I was very kindly asked to watch the Yorks v Lancs T20 ‘War of the Roses’ with the Chairman. I had a fabulous evening and got to chat to friends that I hadn't seen in while.

And Yorkshire had a resounding win against the foe. This included the most amazing catch by TLJL, although with his heritage I would say that was only to be expected!

The evening also celebrated 40 years since Geoff Boycotts 100th 100. The chairman presented him with a shirt and Sky 'presented' him with a microphone!

You can guess which one went down best!

August 26th saw me heading off to Headingley again, ( I seriously need to have a pied a terre there), this time to see England take on the West Indies in the 2nd test.
met up with chum Susan and as we had an empty seat near us Christine came over to join us too. Lovely day , and managed to have

a chat with Geoff Cope and a good old 'wash' from Lester the dog

What a day, weather behaved with the exception of a small shower early on, and we were all able to watch a massively improved  WI team with 2 centurions on the day.

Fabulous cricket, could not say anything other.

September

The final month of the cricket season and I was showing no signs of slowing down at all, the 5th saw me off down the A1 again as I headed off to the watch my boys in CC action against Middlesex.

Rain washed out the first day and resulted in me having an excursion to the French restaurant in Headingley to sample their hospitality, and as I had been  sampling hospitality in several places that afternoon , I was back in the hotel and snoring pretty early.

Next day saw Jim and I on the boundary having a natter with Middlesex bowler James Harris. What a lovely man he is and he chatted right through until lunch.

Then I had a visit from TLML and we had a fabulous catchup about the season and all things going on on the home and holiday front.  Lovely to see her. Catch up with you next season Karen.

Rain was the scourge again and Wednesday and Thursday involved lots of coming and going to the pavilion. The match was drawn.

Harry ( ex POM) was chatting to me at the end of the week about how it is not looking good for our boys unless we both manage to pull off some outstanding wins.

And their match against Hants at Uxbridge was off for rain more than it was on, hammering a further nail in the Middx Div 1 coffin.

Essex were romping to the championship winning line and  my boys were trying to keep their chins up ( and the club up too)

And then it was the final home match for my boys and the final  home match for HRR!,  or it should have been, however a quad injury put paid to that!

I caught up with Ray the 'gatekeeper' in his final match for the club. A lovely man and a credit to Yorkshire CCC

Mark had travelled over from Northern Ireland to see the last match of the season and we had a good old gossip.

What can I say, tears were flowing a plenty. I also had  no nails left after the tensest finish ever, I have never waited so long for one run to win a match!

There was a Ryan Sidebottom playing, but he was on the Warwickshire team !!!

What on earth will I do without my yearly posterior photograph. I think that it may be time to get my book finally published!

I've only been saying this for the last 6 seasons

Sadly 'my seat' was not available and will not be until 2019! we had to find a new home for the last match , funny how random people came up to me and said 'they've taken your seat away love, not right!'

Well we managed to stay in the top flight, please do not do that to me again! I have a dodgy ticker you know!

Sadly for Middlesex they did not survive and will be joining Warwickshire in Div 2.

Notts are up so much more time with Sophie and Terry !!

And that’s it for another domestic season, how slowly it arrived and how quickly it passed

Finally, I would like to thank the ladies at the Headingley Lodge, all cricket chums, but especially to  Sophie and Terry who put me up and put up with me, and to Jim, who saw me in some pretty states this season (he probably saw 2 of me!).

And a special word for Mark and Sharon who have been a constant for me over the last few seasons. Lovely, lovely people.

Special thanks though to HRR, Ryan Sidebottom for being my favourite bowler for the last 20 years and for just being brilliant.

 762 FC Wickets is not a bad haul for a career now is it?

Just over 6 months for it to all start again!

It won’t be the same though without my doppleganger!