First success for the 1^st XI boys was that Rastrick’s sat-nav didn’t lead us in to any rivers and we arrived at Driffield on time. New skipper Longhurst called heads - it wasn’t, and United were to be given first use of a green yet firm looking pitch, which looked great considering the weather on the East coast has been just as bad as it has here. In the absence of JT, Nick Armstrong stepped up to open with Matt Milburn, and having come off a pre-season of exactly zero nets proceded to spank the Driffield openers around the park, which included Yorkshire’s Richard Pyrah. Despite a dropped catch at 2^nd slip, there wasn’t any real alarm until Milburn chipped Pyrah to mid-off for a patiently made 12. 40-1 off 10. The captain joined Army at the crease and the pair proceeded to keep up the scoring rate, until the score reached 69 when Nick was trapped LBW, missing a rank long-hop from the left-arm spinner Hardgrave. An impressive 47 off 56 balls with 9 fours from the trainee teacher. In his own words, “I should probably train less often more often”. 69-2 off 18.

The groom (Andy Hirst) joined his best man at the wicket, and thanks to some generous bowling from Driffield were allowed to get into their stride and added 100 for the 3^rd wicket in 20 overs, both hitting sizes off Hardgrave, until Hirsty clipped Tupper straight to square-leg for 26. 169-3 off 38. Tanzeel Ali on debut came in at 5, and was helping Longers towards his century until he was caught behind for 12. The new keeper Jamie Harrison tried to help his captain towards the landmark, alas when on 97 Harrison drove Long straight back at the bowler, who got the slightest of fingerends on the ball and deflected it onto the stumps, leaving Longhurst inches short of his ground. “Gutted” to say the least, but he’d have taken 97 off 102 balls with 13 fours and a six. Unfortunately, from 203-3 with 9 left, United could only muster 27 from those final overs as the impetus had been lost with Longhurst’s dismissal. 15 year old Paul Revill (8 not out on debut) and 16 year old Reece Shutt (8) the biggest contributors at the end. A final score of 230-8 would’ve been taken at the start, but slightly frustrating as a total of 270+ looked possible at one stage.

The captains’ frustration of having been denied his first league century since 2005 was soon forgotten as he ripped the Driffield Aussie’s off stump out of the ground with his 4^th ball as he shouldered arms. 0-1 and the perfect start. With Pyrah looking dangerous at the other end and taking the score onto 33, contributing 32 out of that with 8 boundaries, it was thanks to some great opportunism from Harrison to stump Fraser having left the ball, and not dragging his foot back behind the line. That give Tom “The Metronome” Fletcher his first wicket of the day, and it wasn’t to be his last. Pyrah continued to stroke the balls to all parts and with the Driffield captain Tennant looked to take the game away from United. The big breakthrough came with the score on 76, when Pyrah slapped Fletcher straight to Lee “G.I. Joe” Rastrick who took a fine catch at mid-on, Pyrah making 55. 3 down after 19 overs and game on again. The next 16 overs ebbed and flowed with Fletcher removing Burrel (6) and Norman (5). But with too many ‘four-balls’ being delivered, the rate never climbed above 4 and a half and with Tennant reaching his half-century Driffield were looking favourites, requiring 80 off the last 20 with 5 wickets left.

The turning point was the introduction of off-spinner Nazakat Khan. On debut, the 17 year old bowled with the maturity and ability of someone twice his age to produce figures of 6-1-15-1. Although he only took one wicket, that being a beautiful textbook through-the-gate delivery to complete the victory, his economy rate at that stage of the game put pressure on the batsman and made them take risks against Fletch, which enabled him to dismiss Chapman (12 - a great catch by Hirsty at long-on), Hardgrave (4), and the vital wicket of Tennant for 75. It also ensured some risky running, which enabled Matty Milburn to execute a superb direct hit run-out sending the middle stump cartwheeling back. In the end, a fairly comfortable 40 run victory with 7.5 overs left in the innings, and Fletch ending with the superb figures of 24 overs, 7-83.

A superb start for a much-changed, young and inexperienced 1^st XI, who will look to take this on next weekend against Barnsley and the Yorkshire Academy.