The playoffs begin on Monday (October 16, 2017) in the YRAA Varsity Boys outdoor cricket championship with two matches at McCowan Reservoir, Markham, Ontario. Middlefield CI (East group winner) plays Bill Hogarth SS (fourth in the West group) and Father McGivney (second in East) meets Woodbridge College (third in West). Next day (Tuesday, October 17) the action switches to Maple Leaf Cricket Club, King City where West group winner Maple High School plays Bill Hogarth SS (fourth in East) and Richmond Hill HS (second in West) plays Bill Crothers SS (third in East).
The winning schools from these four games advance to the semi-finals, scheduled to be played next Thursday (October 19). One semi-final is currently due to be played at McCowan Reservoir and the other at Maple Leaf CC but that could change depending on which teams qualify for these games.
The final is due to be played at McCowan Reservoir on October 24, 2017 with a 1.30 pm start. Next weeks games are slated to start at 2.30pm but the possibility exists that some games may start slightly earlier as the temperature sometimes drops later in the afternoon, although this Thursday (October 12) was a cool, damp day to put it mildly. On Tuesday (October 10) the sun was out and it seemed quite warm, although a problem at track level on the Bloor-Danforth subway line meant I had to give up hope of reaching the day’s East group games at McCowan Reservoir. Knowing that all eight participating schools would be in the playoffs made me opt not to venture to King City on Thursday but I had arrived at the group after the day’s games had completed on October 5th.
I did not recall Bill Hogarth Secondary School participating in a previous YRAA cricket championship, although I have not seen records of all previous championships. It turns out that the school has only just opened in Markham. The school is named after Bill Hogarth, who served as York District School Board’s Director of Education for 16 years after previously serving as a teacher, supervisor and some other roles in education for many years. The number of schools and the number of students in York District doubled during Bill Hoggarth’s tenure as Director of Education.
Group Game Results
East Group
September 26 Middlefield CI 181 beat Bill Hogarth SS 12; Father McGivney 148 beat Bill Crothers SS 72.
October 3: Middlefield CI 120 beat Bill Crothers SS 58; Father McGivney 39 beat Bill Hogarth SS 38.
October 10: Middlefield CI 108 beat Father McGivney 64; Bill Crothers 111 beat Bill Hogarth SS 15.
West Group
September 28 Woodbridge College 80 Huron Heights SS 79; Maple HS 188 Richmond Hill HS 26
October 5 Richmond Hill HS 51 beat Huron Heights SS 50 (all out); Maple HS 53 beat Woodbridge College 52
October 12 Maple HS 40 beat Huron Heights SS 39; Richmond Hill HS 68 beat Woodbridge College 25.
Eddie Norfolk