vs Stockton & Hopgrove

The only things in life that are certain, are death, taxes and a Bishopthorpe defeat on the first day of the season. The opening fixture of the 2026 season proved to be no exception. With five of the first choice top seven with somewhere else they'd prefer to be, it was always going to be a test, against newly promoted Stockton & Hopgrove who won the toss and chose to bowl first.

The rather makeshift looking Bishopthorpe batting line-up was in trouble as the home side quickly found themselves three wickets down with just five runs on the board. Ben Smith edged to slip after adding 19, before Andy Kenny (31) joined Jamie Blackburn at the crease. The pair added 59 and ensured a slightly more respectable looking scoreline, with Blackburn falling agonisingly short of his half century, caught at mid-on for 48 as he was running out of partners, with no other batsman scoring more than 5 runs.

In recent years to win a game at Ferry Lane, you really need a score of at least getting on towards 200, so the paltry total of 121 was never likely to trouble Stockton and Hopgrove. If you are going to defend a low total, you need to take your chances, but the skipper put down a regulation catch at slip in the very first over, and Wijesinghe made the most of the chance, hitting an otherwise chanceless unbeaten 70 from just 50 balls, ably supported by Cockerill who finished 43no and the visitors wrapped up victory in just 18 overs.

The result was far from ideal, but Ferry Lane looked magnificent in the warm spring sunshine. It's going to be a busy summer with a lot of cricket to be played. The Riversiders get their season underway on Thursday at home to Shepherds, then next weekend there is a double header with the league side away at Sheriff Hutton Bridge on Saturday, followed by a Wilberfoss Cup fixture against Colton Institute on the Sunday,. The following Wednesday the new midweek team start their Foss League campaign underway with a trip to Dunnington.