Harrogate CC's two Evening League teams make positive start to 2024 campaign
Not only have Harrogate CC’s senior men’s sides made promising starts to what has thus far been a rain-affected 2024 season, but their two midweek teams are also going great guns.
The club fields two sides in the Harrogate & District Evening Cricket League – their ‘A’ team a fixture in Division One and their ‘B’ team operating in Division Five, but with their heights set somewhat higher.
Looking to retain the title which they have won four years on the bounce, Harrogate ‘A’ have begun the season in fine form, coming out on top in all four of their completed games to top the table on nine points ahead of Knaresborough on runs/wicket differential.
In doing so they have registered a pair of penultimate-ball victories, chasing down totals at both Follifoot and at home to Whixley, as well as enjoying more comfortable successes against Goldsborough and Knaresborough Forest.
‘Gate 'A’ have also reached the semi-finals of the Addison Cup where they will face Beckwithshaw and attempt to secure a league and cup double which they last achieved back in 2021.
With five Evening League fixtures in the books, Harrogate ‘B’ are sitting pretty in second place having done the business in all three of their games to survive the weather. They currently find themselves just behind leaders Burton Leonard with the two sides still yet to have faced each other.
This season is the fifth that the Evening League ‘B’ team has competed, having been set up to provide further opportunities for the talented junior section to develop and play alongside senior players, as well as offering individuals who are unable to commit to Saturday cricket the chance to keep playing the game.
A three-point gap back to third-placed Rainton sees them well-placed for promotion at the halfway stage having registered wins of seven wickets at home to Boroughbridge & Staveley, five wickets at Hampsthwaite and eight wickets away at Rainton.
Indeed, they only narrowly exited the George Greaves Cup at the hands of Ripley in the second round after shocking higher-division Starbeck when they bagged a nine-wicket triumph in round one.