Yorkshire v Warwickshire - Royal London Cup: White Rose youngsters making the most of their chance with victory in cup

“Forget The Hundred,” it read. “Warwickshire CCC. Follow The Bears.”

Last week, stewards at Edgbaston - one of the eight hosting venues for the 100-ball tournament - removed that banner due to what the club described as the juxtaposition of its “anti-cricket message” and the Warwickshire club badge.

There was no such heavy-handedness at York, where that banner stood proud and unmolested and where one suspected that the vast majority of the 3,000 crowd were in full agreement with its overriding sentiment.

“Forget The Hundred”, indeed, and follow the Royal London Cup, even if it has been reduced to a second XI shindig in everything but name. Much more happiness and beauty will follow, and you will also be spared listening to commentators who seem to be high on speed and low on grey cells, an added bonus.

You will also be able to watch, if not quite the creme de la creme of England’s cricketing talent, then young players hoping to one day be considered in that bracket. Players such as Yorkshire’s George Hill, for example, the 20-year-old who scored 64 as the hosts totalled 320-7 after being sent into bat, and Harry Duke, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper who contributed 42, important interventions on a day when Warwickshire replied with 281, Hill and Ben Coad each taking three wickets as the home team won by 39 runs. This tournament is also providing, by accident rather than design, opportunities for fringe first XI players, those who might be a little older and possess more experience but who might not necessarily be picked if everyone was available.

Players such as Yorkshire’s Jonny Tattersall, for example, who top-scored with 70 here and recently had a loan spell at Gloucestershire, and Matthew Waite, the all-rounder who thrilled the crowd at this picturesque, tree-lined ground with an explosive, unbeaten 42 off 16 balls, including three sixes and three fours in the final over of the innings, bowled by Ethan Brookes.

Gary Ballance, one of the best players left behind by The Hundred, chipped in with 54 as the hosts raised a competitive score on an excellent pitch.

It was one that proved just out of the visitors’ reach, despite 66 from 17-year-old Jacob Bethell and 61 from 21-year-old debutant Dan Mousley, the pair sharing 115 for the sixth wicket.

On a day that was hot when the sun came out, glinting off the white marquee opposite the scoreboard, and tanning those sat in the temporary stand or in deckchairs dotted around the boundary, Yorkshire’s hopes of raising a big score looked optimistic when they lost two wickets in the first four balls.

Will Fraine was caught behind pushing forward and Will Luxton caught at mid-off from a miscued pull, George Garrett, the 21-year-old pace bowler, starting the match with a flourish.

Duke and Ballance added 89 in 18 overs, Duke run out when he pushed the former Yorkshire left-arm spinner Karl Carver to mid-off and was beaten by a direct hit from Ed Pollock.

Ballance was lbw playing back to Mousley, which left Yorkshire 114-4 in the 24th over, but Hill and Tattersall added 100, playing sensibly and with no little style as they made use of the fast outfield and their full range of strokes.

Both scored at around a run-a-ball, Hill pulling and driving powerfully and Tattersall cutting and sweeping with aplomb to put their team in a good position.

Hill eventually fell to the persevering Carver, holing out on the mid-wicket boundary, and Tattersall to the former Yorkshire all-rounder Will Rhodes when skying to short third-man.

Matthew Revis chipped in with a brisk 27 before finding deep mid-wicket, Waite taking the fielders out of the equation altogether during his brilliant late cameo which included a six into the trees beyond mid-wicket and the electronic scoreboard.

Then it was over to Waite the bowler, his medium pace accounting for Rob Yates, who carved to mid-off, and Ed Pollock, who uppercut to third man.

Rhodes and Michael Burgess added 62 before a top piece of work from Luxton, who ran out Rhodes with a direct hit from deep backward-square.

When Hill bowled the advancing Burgess, and Coad had Matthew Lamb taken at deep backward-square, Warwickshire were 134-5 in the 30th and the game looked done.

But Bethell and Mousley rallied Warwickshire before Bethell skied to cover and Mousley to mid-off.