My trip to Leeds yesterday was not just to sit at Headingley and watch the first day's play of the Championship encounter between God's own county and their north-east rivals Durham.
My journey did have a more pressing purpose in talking to David Hall, the curator of the new Yorkshire Cricket Museum at Headingley, which opened its doors to the public for the first time yesterday - the occasion being the first day of cricket at Yorkshire's home this season.
But it was the cricket, not the museum, that most captured my imagination.
It was a typically chilly April day. The sky was grey and sullen throughout but with the lack of any moisture having fallen from that sky in recent times, the Headingley pitch looked far too white and hard to tempt Durham to bowl first after winning the toss.
And Michael Di Venuto was delighted they did choose to bat as he took advantage of the one four ball that occured in almost every over to stroll his way to a half-century almost without anyone noticing.
Durham were flying along until the unlikeliest of heroes, Richard Pyrah, came on to bowl. The medium-pace allrounder suddenly began to frustrate Di Venuto as he sent down six, rather than five, good balls in each over, thus drying up the runs and creating a bit of pressure.
The breakthrough came about a quarter of an hour before lunch, golden-arm Pyrah trapping Di Venuto lbw for 74. And when Adam Lyth took a good low catch at first slip to dismiss Gordon Muchall in the same over, suddenly it was Yorkshire who would take some momentum into the luncheon interval.
Two quick wickets after the break brought Michael Richardson to the crease, apparently a late replacement for Phil (Colonel) Mustard due to a sore toe, I learnt after the end of the day's play. I had no clue who Richardson was when his name was announced over the PA system, but I assumed he was a youngster who had not played many games. Only when he had reached fifty did I learn through the PA announcer that he was on debut. You could not tell.
His technique looked good and his knock of 67 was better than Di Venuto's because he had less dross to feed from (although Adil Rashid did bowl a couple of short balls and a full-toss that he smashed away with ease).
Richardson looked so relaxed and composed considering he was making his first appearance in Championship cricket and some of his stroke-making was heavenly. One of his 10 fours was a beautiful straight drive off Pyrah that received admiring applause from surely everyone in the ground, and when Ryan Sidebottom came back on from the Rugby Ground end to try to capture his wicket, his first ball went sailing over square-leg for six. Richardson's pull shot was executed with superb timing and flair.
Research when I got home told me he is the son of former South African wicketkeeper-batsman Dave Richards, currently general manager of the ICC. South African blood but (presumably) eligible to play for England. Where have I heard that before? I was hoping he was a north-east born-and-bred lad from Chester-le-Street. Regardless of where he is from, he certainly looks a promising prospect with the bat.
When Richardson was dismissed by Pyrah with the score on 223, the Yorkshire faithful expected the last two wickets to fall pretty swiftly, but Liam Plunkett showed his prowess with the bat too, putting on 94 for the ninth wicket with Callum Thorp to sway the game in Durham's favour once more. Adam Lyth's very obvious disgust at another wayward Moin Ashraf delivery down the leg side that was clipped for four summed up the frustration in the stands in the last half hour.
Durham's innings should be wrapped up swiftly this morning, with their overnight score 326 for 9. It was certainly worth witnessing yesterday's cricket.
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