Sheffield Cricket Lovers' Society Year Book 2017

18 Sheffield Cricket Lovers’ Society twitter: @scloverssociety Kevin Howells BBC I appreciate many people reading this will be disappointed that Yorkshire failed to claim their third successive County Championship title. To do so would have been amazing. They fell at the final hurdle in the final match on the final day in the final session of the 2016 season. It was a finale which genuinely was the talk of the sporting world that late September week.  I would hope most supporters of Andrew Gale’s team took some comfort in knowing that they witnessed a thrilling unforgettable conclusion.  It was emotionally charged and demanded attention. Tears were shed, fists were pumped and anger was just about suppressed in Taunton as Somerset once again came second. There was despair in the West Country watching events unfold at Lord’s. The declaration bowling along with a realisation that Middlesex and Yorkshire appeared determined that Somerset were certainly NOT going to be crowned Champions was hard for some in the West to stomach. Sporting memories can be fickle but I can’t honestly remember feeling so tense and uncomfortable watching Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom come back out following a weather break needing that one run on the third afternoon to secure 350 in the first innings to claim that much needed bonus point. It’s always the personal stories for me. It was dramatic entertainment and uncomfortable because the heroic innings from Tim Bresnan was stalled in that first over after the interruption with a maiden and I nervously feared the one remaining wicket would fall next over and Bresnan’s contribution may have felt wasted there and then. It would have been cruel and therefore was breath taking sport. Bresnan’s innings of 142 not out was one of Yorkshire’s greatest.  In turn, another of my favourite no nonsense players, Toby Roland-Jones proved too much for Yorkshire and a club led by the ever grumpy and wonderful Angus Fraser took the title.  There was an outstanding amount of interest shown in the county game. From early in the morning until late at night I was talking to presenters in studios around the country who in turn were telling their audience how much more closely they would follow the season next year knowing what could be at stake now. Of course all too predictable the shine didn’t last long. Whilst attention was focussed firmly at the top, We Declare... ‘A season to live long in the memory but frustration at an unclear behind closed doors approach from the England and Wales Cricket Board.’