5200! Scarborough cricket crowd even bigger than first thought
THERE scarcely looked to be a spare seat in the house.
Now it has emerged that the crowd at Scarborough for the One-Day Cup match between Yorkshire and Derbyshire was even bigger than first realised.
An official attendance of 4,503 was announced for Friday’s game at North Marine Road, where Yorkshire won by five wickets to move to the brink of knockout qualification.
But that total did not include corporate and business member tickets, with Scarborough officials estimating the overall figure at around 5,200.
Neil Fletcher, a member of the new board, said: “It was a brilliant attendance, and a brilliant day’s cricket.
“The marquee was full, the pavilion was full, the bars took significant money, and everyone left happy.”
It was a crowd - and an atmosphere - that the Yorkshire players relished.
Sam Whiteman, who top-scored with 94 in Yorkshire’s successful chase of 279, said the support felt more like what you might hear at a football ground.
“When ‘Hilly’ (George Hill) was hitting boundaries at the end, it sort of felt like a goal getting scored in football,” said the Australian left-hander.
“It was amazing support and an awesome crowd, and it was awesome to get the win for them, too.
“I think the crowds that we’ve had supporting us throughout this tournament have been amazing full-stop.
“In Australia, you’re lucky to get a couple of hundred people watching one-day cricket, and I think all our home games, at York and Scarborough, have been an amazing atmosphere and you certainly feel that as a player in the middle.”
The aggregate attendance for Yorkshire’s four home group games in the One-Day Cup is now over 17,000.
There were just under 5,000 at York to watch Yorkshire beat Durham and a certain Ben Stokes, with good crowds reported at grounds across the country, highlighting the appetite for 50-over cricket.