At the Crease: Latest club cricket news from around Yorkshire

Michael Ball confirms for Harmonies & Hampers

When it was first announced (and perhaps even now), there was some disbelief that Michael Ball was doing a gig at Almondbury Wesleyan Cricket Club in Huddersfield.

The performance on Sunday 16 June has been confirmed by the singer himself on Twitter/X and it’s expected to be a bumper event.

The report on BBC News added: “However, people had been asked to avoid sitting on the wicket to protect the pitch for a junior game two days later.”

Photo credit: John Clifton/SWpix.com

Yorkshire Cricket Women and Girls’ Cricket Conference

The Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) has hosted its first Women and Girls’ Cricket Conference, dedicated to celebrating the women and girls’ game across the county.

More than 300 people were invited by the YCB, along with key partners across the women’s game, including the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Metro Bank and Her Game Too, for a morning of presentations and networking, on Sunday, 19 May 2024.

Speakers included former England captain and Yorkshire cricketer Jane Powell, President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC).

Volunteers and coaches, who have supported the record number of women and girls playing cricket across the county, were also thanked on the day with an invite to the conference and complimentary tickets to watch England Women take on Pakistan Women in the IWT20.

Photo credit: Ray Spencer

New Farnley close gap on Woodlands

Spare a thought for Bradford & Bingley’s Louren Steenkamp who hit his second hundred in successive weeks – but ended up on the losing side.

Steenkamp’s blistering 100 off 67 balls was the basis for the home side’s 244 all out at Wagon Lane. Ryan McKendry’s 5-25 was ably supported by Osman Arshad (4-46).

In reply, Cam Fletcher’s unbeaten 115 helped to secure the three-wicket win that takes New Farnley just two points behind leaders Woodlands.

The defending champions of the Bradford Premier League won a tight game at Methley by 16 runs.

Woodlands’ 161-9 off 50 overs saw Kieran Collins top-score with 39 as Finlay Rooke (3-20) and Taylor Cornall (3-49) kept things tight. Jarod Warner then hit 50 in Methley’s total of 145, with 5-42 from Kez Ahmed.

After four rounds, the top half of the table looks like this: Woodlands (76), New Farnley (74), Jer Lane (67), Townville (62), Pudsey St Lawrence (50).

Steeton edge Collingham & Linton in Waddilove Cup

The Aire-Wharfe League’s showpiece Waddilove Cup pitched defending champions Steeton against 2023 League champions Collingham & Linton.

The visitors won the toss and elected to field at Steeton’s Summerhill Lane HQ. A knock of 54 from overseas signing Tremaine Dowrich was the top score as Steeton mustered 192 all out.

Toby Jacklin’s 5-17 was the standout performance with the ball. Jacklin then struck 60, along with Tom Franklin’s 58, to keep things very close. It ended all square on 192-7 off 45 overs … and time for a Super Over.

Collingham lost two wickets in three balls (which concluded the Super Over, according to League rules) and then Steeton scored the four required to head into round 2.

Carver stars for Hepworth & Idle

In the Craven League, Hepworth & Idle 3rd XI travelled to Long Lee’s Golden View ground for this Division 4 encounter.

The visitors opted to field first and opening bowler Alyssa Carver finished with 5-9 with Long Lee 2nd XI dismissed for 114 in 34.1 overs. A knock of 49 not out from Gary Wilkinson saw Hepworth & Idle to a comfortable eight-wicket win.

Qasim Tarin finished with 2-14, having nipped out both opening batters. As for Carver, she also plays for Crossflatts Women in the West Yorkshire Women & Girls League and is part of the Yorkshire Girls’ pathway.

North Leeds Women 1st XI open up early lead

The West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League has only had two rounds but the frontrunners are North Leeds (40) from North Halifax (27).

It comes after a 61-run win over Pudsey St Lawrence earlier in May, followed by a maximum-points victory over Menston who conceded.

North Halifax secured a 47-run over Cricademia Academy in Division 1 at Queensbury Cricket Club to move to second place.

Batting first, the home side scored 201-2 with captain and opener Kirstin Smith smashing 122 off 89 balls. Lydie Wykes-Templeman top-scored in reply with 45 at the top of the order but the visitors were bowled out for 154.

North Halifax used seven bowlers with 2-39 from Imogen Murphy and Alice Hesmondhalgh’s 2-22.

Snowden’s 185 best in Yorkshire

Settle 2nd XI’s Division 2 draw with Penrith included a scintillating knock from James Snowden. The Settle opener hit the highest score in Yorkshire in the past week with 185 from 138 balls.

Settle’s 313-3 off 45 overs was a tall order and the visitors were well short in their 111-9 – but clung on for a draw (which curiously seemed to give them zero points on Play-Cricket).

Stentiford’s triple wicket maiden for Glaisdale

Peter Stentiford had a day to remember for Glaisdale with a triple wicket maiden over first up en route to 7-46 in the Scarborough Beckett Cricket League.

It proved to be his team’s highlight in a 95-run loss to Pickering in this Division 3 fixture. Pickering scored 228 all out, with 54 from Brian Leckenby and 61 in the middle order for George Hodgson.

Glaisdale could only manage 133 all out with William Burtt (63) managing nearly half his team’s runs.