A double dose of delight for Harrogate CC's all-conquering Evening League teams
The conclusion of the 2024 Harrogate & District Evening League season brought with it yet more silverware for Harrogate CC Men’s teams.
Both the club’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams secured league titles to go along with the Addison Cup success that the ‘A’ team achieved earlier in the year.
For the ‘A’ team, this was the fourth successive season that ended with them lifting the Division One trophy, with the championship wrapped up with a week to spare after a thrilling tied game against their nearest challengers, Knaresborough.
A nine-wicket victory in their final outing of the campaign against already-relegated Follifoot then saw them end their campaign unbeaten.
The ‘A’ team comprises a mixture of players predominantly from the club’s 1st and 2nd XIs, including promising youngsters such as Will Harwood, who took 10 wickets during the season and Hector Hamill, who averaged above 30 with the bat.
First team skipper Will Bates was the side’s leading scorer with 300 runs at an average of 50, while Charlie Holtham added a number of useful contributions in the middle order.
Sri Lankan ace Ishan Abeysekara topped the wicket charts, taking 27 at an average of 7.67 and economy rate of 4.4, whilst fellow spinner Tom Taylor claimed a further 10 wickets.
Harrogate ‘B’ also signed off in style, defeating Rainton by 10 wickets and then their nearest rivals Burton Leonard by eight wickets in their final fixture.
These results saw them win the league by a five-point margin, coming out on top of all eight of their Division Five fixtures which survived the weather.
Olly Lamb struck three fifties in as many games, while both Scott Roberts and Ethan Roberts went past the 100-run mark (as well as adding eight wickets) with the bat.
With the ball, Graham Lindsay was his consistent self in taking eight wickets with the new ball, whilst Alec Hatchard also took eight wickets at an average of just 5.88.
While enjoying continued success on the pitch, the club are also proud to play its part in supporting a local cricket league that continues to thrive having been in existence for more than a century.