Ben Stokes effect just adds to appetite for 50-over cricket as York gets ready to take centre stage
THERE is a certain irony that crowds are reportedly down by around 20 per cent in The Hundred but would appear to be thriving in the One-Day Cup.
“Given exceptionally strong demand for Friday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup fixture between Yorkshire and Durham at York, only a limited number of tickets remain,” announced the Yorkshire website on Monday.
No doubt the presence of a certain Ben Stokes would have helped generate more interest, the former England Test captain now back with his county side Durham.
But the truth is that more money, more hype, more everything on paper does not always equate to more bums on seats. After all, you can’t polish a you-know-what.
On Tuesday, Yorkshire tweeted an update concerning Friday’s fixture.
“There seems to be some contagious Metro Bank fever in Yorkshire currently as this game is now SOLD OUT,” it read. “Members will still be able to arrive on Friday and have their membership cards scanned. No more tickets will be made available to purchase online, nor will tickets be available on the gate.” In response, someone – possibly speaking for the masses – observed: “Real cricket is still popular.”
A few hours earlier, Durham tweeted that their game against Glamorgan at Gosforth on Wednesday is also sold out, an announcement that elicited similar replies.
The Stokes effect is undoubtedly helpful, but Yorkshire’s own Wednesday engagement, against Worcestershire at York, is also set for a sizeable gate (spectators can still purchase tickets on the day for that one). Nick Kay, the York CC secretary, estimated that the attendance could be in the region of 3,500, with another 1,000 on top for the visit of Durham.
This, indeed, is no isolated trend. On Tuesday of last week, Yorkshire’s opening game in the competition, against Hampshire at Scarborough, drew a crowd of 3,455. That was more than they had at North Marine Road for any of the four days of County Championship cricket against Warwickshire last month, when the figures were 2,532, 2,193, 1,744 and 1,211.
Whatever one’s view on The Hundred (and there are clearly plenty who like it despite the drop off in sales), there is a lot of love for the One-Day Cup too, despite its concurrent scheduling with The Hundred, which deprives it of so many leading players.
Ultimately, people still want to watch something that they perceive to be proper cricket played at lovely grounds such as York’s Clifton Park, where the novel mix of players such as Stokes and those at the start of their careers lends the games a certain fascination.
“There’s clearly an appetite for the 50-over Cup,” said Kay. “There’s loads and loads of outgrounds involved, and people love coming to grounds such as York. Scarborough, too, had a brilliant crowd the week before last. I just think the attraction of outgrounds, the fact that there are some good players playing and a lot of good cricket being played means people want to come along and watch.”
York always put on a terrific show, the ground now a staple on the county circuit. Amid talk of Yorkshire playing some white-ball games in Barnsley from 2028, it remains to be seen how the matches will be allocated. Kay is sanguine. “The hope is that we will, as a minimum, retain our two 50-over games moving forward,” he said.
In the meantime, York has two matches in three days to look forward to now – important ones for a Yorkshire side who hit back from defeat to Hampshire with wins at Glamorgan and Sussex.
Neither of those last two sides, inexperienced as they were, are likely to pull up trees, however. Not so Worcestershire, the defending champions, or Durham, both of whom have started their campaigns with two wins from two.
With leaders Middlesex to follow at Lord’s on Sunday, Yorkshire face three games in five days that will go a long way towards determining whether they reach the knockouts for a second successive year.
That target is a non-negotiable inside the camp, where there is a strong determination to go two steps further than last season when Hampshire beat Yorkshire at the semi-final stage.
The signing of Kuldeep Yadav, the Indian wrist-spinner, is a sure sign that Yorkshire mean business in 50-over cricket, Yadav chipping in with four wickets and some useful runs in his first two outings.
“It will be amazing to see Stokes at York Cricket Club but also Yadav,” added Kay. “If you’d said to me seven, eight years ago, before we’d even hosted a Yorkshire game here, that in 2026 we’d see that and I’d think you were barking mad, but that could be the reality on Friday.”
Meanwhile, York have added two more water points at the ground – taking the total to four – and there will be a second exit out of the car park on to Shipton Road, welcome developments both.