Students ask many questions of Yorkshire before rain intervenes

On that occasion, the students of Oxford achieved an eight-wicket victory at The Parks against a Yorkshire side containing such luminaries as Len Hutton, Norman Yardley and Johnny Wardle.

For long periods of this game, it seemed as though the young men of Leeds Bradford MCCU might follow in the footsteps of their Oxford predecessors and spring a surprise on their county opponents.

Ultimately, however, the match finished drawn, Yorkshire ending on 91-2 after being left to score 266 on the third and final day.

Time was when Yorkshire often came a cropper against student opposition.

Between 1878 and 1950, they lost 20 first-class fixtures to university sides – 17 to Cambridge, three to Oxford.

At a time when there is much debate around whether universities should even hold first-class status, an argument that intensified after Durham MCCU were bowled out by Durham for 18 the other day, one is unlikely to hear too many dissenting voices from Headingley Carnegie.

For after running Surrey close at the Oval earlier this month, when they went down by just two runs, Leeds Bradford once more did themselves proud against a Yorkshire side who, in truth, struggled at times against less vaunted opponents.

The match was set for a cracking finish when the teams convened on a sunny Sunday morning.

Leeds Bradford were 127-6 in their second innings, a lead of 203, and you sensed they could put Yorkshire under significant pressure if they could add in the region of 80-100 further runs.

Unfortunately for the visitors, they got off to the worst possible start when they lost Luis Reece to the fifth delivery of the morning, caught at mid-off off Azeem Rafiq after adding just two to his overnight 58.

In the off-spinner’s next over, Alex MacQueen, hero of the first innings with a stylish 69, was caught at short-leg to leave the students 133-8.

The innings was in danger of subsiding meekly but the last two wickets added 56 to ensure Leeds Bradford at least had a competitive target to defend.

Tom Hardman – 28 overnight – went on to 44 before being adjudged lbw to Steve Patterson, while Matt Higginbottom struck an unbeaten 30 before Ivan Thomas was last out with the total on 189, caught behind off Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

If Leeds Bradford were to have a serious chance of claiming victory, you felt they needed to strike a few early blows in the 45 minutes that remained before lunch.

They made an immediate breakthrough when Joe Root was lbw to Thomas from the second delivery of the innings but they were unable to summon further incursions before the interval.

That is not to say progress for Yorkshire was anything like simple.

Anthony McGrath was almost bowled on eight by a shooter from Hardman, while Joe Sayers edged Reece to the third-man boundary agonisingly wide of third slip’s reach.

After the break, it was a different story.

As the sun beat down and the fielding side faltered, Sayers and McGrath used their experience to douse the fires of student intent.

Sayers, once of Oxford University, occasionally revealed the more expansive side of his game, hooking Higginbottom for a fierce six into the old pavilion, the crack of leather on willow resembling the sound of gunshot fire.

McGrath, all crunchy cover drives and leg-side whips, also played well, but both were made to work for their runs. Easy pickings were few and far between.

On a competitive pitch that offered something for everyone, Leeds Bradford actually bowled in a fashion that would have put several counties to shame.

Thomas and Joe Leach were particularly impressive, the former looking a real prospect as he bowled some splendid material from the Kirkstall Lane end.

Tall, wiry and with a shock of red hair, Thomas ambles almost apologetically to the crease before a fast arm action propels the ball with unexpected venom – usually on to an exacting line and length.

With Leach posing awkward questions from the Rugby Stand end, the pair stemmed the flow of early afternoon runs to the extent that just 13 arrived in an 11-over period just before tea as Yorkshire’s challenge became steadily more testing.

At one stage, Yorkshire went 33 deliveries without scoring, testimony to the accuracy of Thomas and Leach, and the pressure finally told when McGrath was the second man out, lbw to Leach for 43, made from 84 balls.

Seven runs later and the players were forced from the field by a sudden surge of rain, Yorkshire’s total standing at 91-2 in the 32nd over, with Sayers unbeaten on 41 from 95 deliveries with eight boundaries.

Unlike the sunshine, they never returned, preventing the prospect of an exciting denouement.