Around the Leagues: Pre-season news (East Yorkshire)

New Zealander Jacob Cumming, a left-hand opening batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler, returns as the overseas professional at Beverley Town.

During the 2025 season at the Yorkshire Premier League North Premier Division club, Cumming was a huge success, with bat and ball, scoring 855 runs at an average of 37.17 and taking 21 wickets, playing a key role throughout, as Town finished 10th.

Cumming, who has spent our close season back home, playing first-class cricket for Otago Volts, will arrive in time to face Knaresborough at Norwood Park on April 25.

Over the winter, Cumming made an impressive debut in New Zealand’s KFC Super Smash competition, scoring a standout 45 from 33 balls in one of his outings.

Callum Carter is one of several impressive Town signings from domestic club cricket.

The experienced Carter, who shone with the bat as Cleethorpes topped the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League in 2024 and 2025, has relocated to Beverley.

Beverley’s other recruits include Alistair Cooper (Higham), Jo Dale (Acomb), Sam Graham (Sutton-on-Hull), Ben Hatfield (Stamford Bridge) and Jack Steel (Welton).

Signing the highly-regarded Dale is a coup for Beverley, to be skippered for a second consecutive season by Joey Franklin. 

Left-hander Dale, who has to his credit more than 7,000 career runs and over 300 wickets, has played for Town previously – starring in an unforgettable 2021 campaign as Beverley secured a league and cup double.

Like Dale, top-order batsman Hatfield returns to Beverley, where over six seasons he piled up almost 3,000 runs, including four centuries and 17 fifties.

Graham, a right-arm seamer, strengthens Beverley’s bowling attack significantly, and is capable of scoring, down the order, quick, valuable runs.

Steel, whom Beverley have been tracking for some time, is regarded as a potentially destructive batter.

For Welton, in 2025, Steel contributed 833 runs, including two centuries and five half-centuries, at an eye-catching average of 75.73.

Over the winter, Steel was Down Under, opening the batting for the Melbourne-based Beaconsfield club.

Asked about the season’s targets, captain Franklin told Town’s socials: “The main objective is to establish ourselves as a sustainable Yorkshire League club.

“We know how tough the league is. Points and wins are hard to come by. If the lads perform the way they did in the first half of last season, we should have no issues competing.”

Beverley have unveiled one more interesting close-season recruit: Tristinn Gay, who will not be eligible for the First XI this year.

Gay, a talented middle-order batsman, has relocated, with his partner, from Cape Town, South Africa.

Generous sponsorship has enabled Beverley to buy new front pitch covers, which will enable their groundstaff to produce the best wickets possible.

Driffield Town, Beverley’s Premier Division rivals, count three former Middleton & North Dalton players amongst their close-season signings.

Jack Riby, Colin Suggitt and Ricky Woodmansey make the switch to King’s Mill Road.

The experienced Woodmansey’s 2025 campaign saw him amass 1,296 league runs, at an average of 92.77, with a top score of 201 not out.

Earlier in his career, Woodmansey played for Driffield, including the First XI, and also North Dalton and Yapham.

Last season, Riby took 78 wickets across all forms of cricket, with best figures of 8-26. His top effort with the bat was 81 not out.

All-rounder Russ Robinson, another player with lots of experience, joins Driffield, from Bridlington, after a 2025 season that produced best figures of 8-13 and a leading innings of 109 not out.

Off the field, Driffield have readied and refurbished for the coming season their new sports bar and function and snooker rooms.

Top-flight newcomers Stamford Bridge, last season’s Premier Division Two champions, have yet to unveil their 2026 overseas professional, but are busy on the home front.

Sessay pair Cris Gwilliam Lopez and Ollie Wilson head to Low Catton Road, together with opening bowler and middle-order batsman Freddie Collins (Castleford), middle-order batsman Joe Hewitt (Barton Town) and wicketkeeper/top-order batsman Alex Liley (Sheriff Hutton Bridge).

Lopez, who has represented Spain, will lead the Battleaxes’ spin attack and, a clean striker of the ball, is expected to be a key figure in the batting’s middle order.

Captain Chris Wood told Stamford Bridge’s socials: “Cris is exactly the kind of player we want here – driven, talented and with the right mentality to keep pushing himself and improving every year. He’s going to be a top player in the Premier Division.”

The industrious Wilson, regarded as another fantastic young talent, will bat in the top order and provide another spin option through the middle overs.

Of Liley, Wood said: “Not only does he strengthen our top order, coming off a huge season with over 700 runs, he adds real quality behind the stumps.”

“His leadership and experience will be a big help to me out in the middle, and he’ll be a massive addition, on and off the field.”

Hull Zingari, another Premier Division club, have a new overseas professional in Akshay Chandran, a high-quality all-rounder from India.

Back home, Chandran opens the batting for Kerala, and in first-class cricket can point to four centuries and 70 wickets.

Zingari have further bolstered their ranks by landing Jeffrey Lowe from Cottingham-based Old Hymerians.  In the debit column, Zingari lost their captain, seam bowling all-rounder Nathan Johnson, to divisional rivals York.

The popular Johnson, who spent about a decade with Zingari, after starting out at the defunct Fenners club and spending a single season with Bridlington, departs with the warmest best wishes of team-mates.

Casey Rudd’s Bridlington have had a busy winter of recruitment. 

The Premier Division Two club have signed Jamie Artley (Scarborough), Tim Atkin (Brandesburton), Josh Dawson (Malton & Old Malton), Harvey Dixon (Bardsey) and Mikey Nicholson (Driffield Town). Nicholson will be having a second spell with Brid.

Artley, also previously with Sewerby, is a promising bowler.

Before playing for Bardsey, Dixon, a batsman, was on the books of Driffield Town and Middleton & North Dalton.

All-rounder Dawson, once with Filey and Hornsea, returns to the club where he began as a junior.

Atkin is a wicketkeeper capable of scoring runs, evidenced by the century he struck for Brandesburton, against Scarborough, on the opening day of the 2025 campaign.

South Holderness, of Championship East, welcome all-rounder Shaun Tate, from Middleton & North Dalton.

The Hedon club believe long-time transfer target Tate’s invaluable experience will strengthen the batting middle order and add a dimension to the bowling attack. 

Hornsea, another Championship East club, have snapped up Bridlington duo Steve Janney and Adam Newington.

All-rounder Syam Samudrala has swapped the Leigh-on-Sea-based Eastwood club, of the Mid Essex League, for Ryan Peck’s Sutton-on-Hull, Hornsea’s divisional rivals.

The winter captures of Division One Holderness’s Kirk Ella include two players from Old Hymerians: Ben Tatham and Matt Wilson.

Cottingham, Kirk Ella’s divisional rivals, have brought in Daniel Green (Kirk Ella), Harry Newlove (Middleton & North Dalton) and, from the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior League’s Horsforth Hall Park club, Tom White.

North Ferriby, also of Division One Holderness, have added to their squad Michael Priestley, previously with Drax.

Owing to a player shortage, Skirlaugh have withdrawn from Division Three Holderness.

North Cave Coal Exporters, of Championship Central, have refurbished their North Cave Sports & Social Club HQ bar during the winter. It looks fabulous!