York Vale Cricket League

MAGIC MILESTONE: The runs keep flowing for Stockton and Hopgrove batsman Tony Kerrison. Picture: Mike Tipping

The 55-year-old willow-wielder goes into the height of summer having just crashed through the barrier of 25,000 runs for the York Vale League club.

And all this from a player who first started out as a bowler with his village club some 40 years ago.

The bad news for rival seamers and spinners is that there's no sign of crack-shot Kerrison's run-harvesting power fading. Kerro, as he is nicknamed by his team-mates, remains the KO of many a bowling attack. As already shown this season he is still in the sort of prime form with the bat to send a shiver through the rest of the Vale opposition.

Modestly the boundary-rippling batsman plays down his achievement. He said: "I never worry about records. It just never occurs to me. And when I was told I had passed 25,000 runs I didn't feel any different. I play for the club, not for myself."

Kerrison, who runs his Glebe Farm on the outskirts of Stockton, revealed how initially his main skill was as a medium-pace bowler, coming in to bat lower down the order for Stockton when he was a teenager.

"I was lucky if I got a bat at all," he recollected. "Then one day I got my chance playing in a friendly as an opener. I've not batted anywhere else since."

Kerrison is without doubt number one at Stockton and Hopgrove and his principal aim is to go for runs, his 25,000 total including 25 centuries and countless 50s.

"I like to attack. My best line of defence is to attack," enthused Kerrison of his single-minded creed, with which many an adversarial bowler has become all too familiar down the years.

Amazingly Kerrison's treasure-trove of runs is even higher. Several years of the club's score-books have gone missing, confirmed Stockton and Hopgrove treasurer and first-team scorer David Frost.

"Some books have gone by the wayside, but they were earlier on in his career when he wasn't batting as much," said Frost.

"And Tony's 25,000 runs do not include friendlies. They have all been scored in competitive games.

"His batting amazes me. He is one of those fellows who just has a marvellous eye.

"In the first game of this season against Drax he'd not had a net or a practice. Yet he just got hold of the bat, went out there and scored 98 not out. He does it season after season."

Openers lay foundation for Park win

by John Parkin Aldby Park and Ovington served up another run feast in the first round of the Horwath Pulleyn Heselton Cup.

Pete Aconley, 20, and Graham Davis, 68, laid the foundations for Aldby Park with an opening partnership of 48. Alan Day, 30, and Howard Robinson, 79, added 125 to set Ovington a formidable target of 257 at over six an over.

At 13-2 the Ovington cause looked lost until in-form Jon Goodway joined Darren Harte and they took the score to 150 before Goodway became one of "Sid" Porteous's three victims after having reached 77 for the second successive week. Harte continued to prop up the innings, striking an accomplished maiden century, but when run out trying to keep the strike, the innings lost its way, enabling the Park to win by eight runs.

Division one leaders Burythorpe, put division two promotion hopefuls Fulfordgate firmly in their place with a convincing win to set up a tie with neighbours Aldby in the next round. Phil Hill, 66, and Mick Cooper, 45, swiftly lifted the Burythorpe score to 194-8, Paul Brown taking 4-45 and Andy Smith 3-39. Hill continued to dominate the game, running through the Gate batting with 8-20.CGU made a great start at home to York who lost their first three wickets for five runs. But then Kieran Barton, along with Alistair Scott, added 124 runs in 80 balls before Barton fell to Willie Robinson for an 87 which lasted 55 balls as York reached 213-8.

The CGU reply went from 9-1 to 70-1 as Brian Garnett, 34, and Peter Sweet, 32, led a recovery. A double bowling change brought Tom Pringle (2-27) and Bob Hobson (5-37) into the attack and four wickets fell for just seven runs. Thereafter the hosts were up against it as the spinners took control with York winning by 63 runs.

Paul "Scooby" Thornton rolled back the years and gave a vintage performance of 116 against Askham Bryan as Royal Mail realised 189-3.

Simon Horner 3-23 and James Legeway 3-14 never allowed Askham Bryan to settle, winning the game by 96 runs. In the next round they visit York in a repeat of last season's Mitchell Sports Cup Final.

A second wicket partnership of 82 between Jason Whitworth, 36, and Mark White, 41, proved to be a match winner for Bishopthorpe who made 148-9 at Stockton Hopgrove. Stockton started well with Steve Fraser, 23, and Tony Kerrison, 16, seeing off the Bishop openers. But a rare Kerrison run out and the introduction of Cunningham (4-38) and Derek Slack (4-31) put the brakes on as they slipped to 110-9.

The Bishops opponents will be Woodhouse Grange who beat fellow second division strugglers Westow by six wickets, Ian Underwood the match winner for the Grange with 4-28 and 35.

Wilberfoss never got to grips with a difficult track against the Burn attack and struggled to 121-8, Neil Smith top scoring with 28 while Dave Bramley was the pick of the attack with 3-22. A Huetson, carrying his bat for 59, kept the Burn innings together which, at 28-4, looked in deep trouble and guided them to a four wicket win.

Cup holders British Sugar crashed out at Drax where batsmen found it difficult to get the ball off the square. Ian Mitcham, 32, Gary Slawye 50 and Scott Sim, 20, were the three Drax batsmen to do so and helped them to 138-9. A rare bowl from Mark Bellerby rewarded him with 3-46. Only Bellerby, 20, made double figures as Sugar crashed to 76 all out. Good returns from Paul Vickers 3-26, and Mick Brook, 4-15.

The biggest shock was division three leaders Burton Salmon going down to division five leaders Stockton Hopgrove by 107 runs in the second round of the Prendergast Cup. Batting first, Nigel Collinson and Barry Sellers, 39, put on 102 for the second wicket for Stockton who reached 206-8. In doing so Collinson carried his bat for a maiden century.

Burton lost an early wicket but a recovery by John Nesbitt, 34, Greg Bernard, 32, and Steven Warner left them well placed at 62-1.

All this changed when Mick Jay came on to bowl and his 5-20 along with Michael Collinson's 3-26 turned the game Stockton's way.

Their opponents in the next round will be Stillingfleet who took advantage of an under strength Clifton Alliance to win by eight wickets. Mike Jackson, 31, and Mike Robinson, 50, putting on 87 for the fourth wicket, enabled Clifton to reach 129-8, Chris Woodfine taking 5-25, and Chris Walker 3-33. An 80 run partnership between Rob Murray, 57, and Archie Brough, 27, saw the 'Fleet home.

Cup holders Copmanthorpe faced an in-form Tadcaster Magnet and were soon in trouble at 16-3 to Matthew Keel 3-25 and Tyrone Neale 2-33. They were bailed out by Neil Purdy, 38, and Rich Hague, 26, to reach a respectable 143-9.

John Hughes, 3-36, and Chris Hall, 2-39, had Tadcaster wobbling at 72-5 but could not contain their club chairman, Peter Dickins. He followed up his 4-23 with an unbeaten 50 to steer the League newcomers to a fine win.

A young Woodhouse Grange side relied heavily on the experience of Alistair Swann, 23, and Fred Mason, 25, to make a significant score against Andy Rowley 4-14 and Mark Allitt 3-17. Hemingbrough had little trouble in passing their score. Philip Priestley, 39 and Bill Bodycome, 34, both not out.

The top three of the Burn order, Richard Walker, 70, Andy Watson 39, and Stuart Rowley, 47, set them up for their 206-7 at Bishopthorpe, Dave Stead returning 4-57 for the Bishops. In contrast, the Bishops' innings never really got underway, with wickets falling in pairs to Ron England and John Wilson and a comfortable win for Burn.

Wistow, having defeated the Wheldrake Second XI in the previous round, found the First XI a different prospect. Ian Jennings 3-21 and M Bell 1-19 had Wheldrake in trouble at 21-3. The middle order of Nigel Exton, 28, Tony Wills, 27 and Andy Fairburn, 23, helped them past the 100 mark. G Hirst with 3-43 induced a mini collapse and their eventual 159 was made possible by the tail of Brendan Walsh, 24, and W Beavers 16.

Wistow lost opener J Middleton for a duck but Jennings, 17, and M Bell, 18, put on 30 for the second wicket. Once parted it became a procession with Exton hitting the stumps four times in his 6-19, Wheldrake winning by 95 runs.

With seven batsmen in double figures, Ben Johnson might have expected a higher score than their 137-5 (Martin Reynolds 30 and Darren Snowden 29) but the North Duffield opening bowlers, Trevor Britain (3-37) and John Patrick (4-12) returned for their second spell at 122-4 and whipped out the remaining batsmen for the addition of 15 runs.

Dave Bielby, 23, Britain, 25, and Patrick 28 had Duffield similarly placed at 123-5 until Reynolds (3-35) and Jamie Agnew (3-38) winkled out the batsmen leaving BJ winners by ten runs.

Tim Stephenson, carrying his bat for 90, and John Hoyden, 26, put 57 on the first wicket for Melbourne at home to Drax. Four wickets fell for an additional nine runs to Rob Wrigglesworth (3-29) but 28 from John Clark took the home side to 192-9.

Drax lost a couple of early wickets and it was Wrigglesworth, 64, and Kevin Wide, 20, who put on 79 for the third wicket to get them back into it. A quick 49 from MacFielden took them to the brink of victory but they were unable to find the six needed to win the game from the last ball.

There was one League game in division two when Royal Mail entertained Wilberfoss. Put into bat, Wilberfoss were 7-2 with Simon Horner dismissing the openers. The middle order of Des Healey, 54, James Crawford, 33, and Tony Cattle, 30, turned things round to enable the 'Foss to reach 146-7 at tea.

Paul Thornton became the first of Des Healey's three LBW victims but a timely knock from Steve Bellerby, 64, put the Mail firmly in the driving seat only for Tony Peters to come on and in ten overs returned 7-38 to leave the Post Men gasping and all out for 114.

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