I’ve been thinking about small cricket grounds in Yorkshire of late. Back in June, the plan had been to go and watch Mirfield Parish Cavaliers in the ECB Premiership of the Huddersfield Premier Cricket League. Their opponents were league leaders Hoylandswaine and both clubs play on postage stamps although Swaine’s HQ is a windswept home […]
Outdoor cricket nets & Match Pitch at Eggborough
This is the story of a one-team cricket club in Yorkshire and a ground relocation that sets them up for years to come. For this content collaboration with total-play, I went along to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to see their two-lane outdoor cricket nets and non-turf pitch. Years ago, I’d watched an evening league […]
Yorkshire’s clubs face national quarter-finals showdown
Cricket clubs from Yorkshire are gearing up for mouthwatering quarter-finals in national competitions over the next few weeks. New Farnley beat holders Ormskirk by 79 runs to claim a quarter-final spot in the Rothesay National Club Championship. On Sunday 12 July, their imposing total of 313-5 off 40 overs was underpinned by Ryan McKendry’s 77 […]
West Yorkshire women’s softball: Pink balls, power and pooches
The West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League Softball Finals Day promised fast-paced fixtures for ten clubs across three pitches – spoiler alert – it did not disappoint. Pink balls were launched up, up and away on a breezy Sunday at Bradford & Bingley’s Wagon Lane ground. Non-stop, blink-and-you-miss-it action, an inflatable pub, cute dogs, […]
Horsforth Hall Park: Kites and Collingham Cup win
Horsforth Hall Park Cricket Club has been on the radar for years – and last Sunday’s Waddilove Cup quarter-final against Collingham & Linton is when planets aligned perfectly. The prospect of cup cricket in the park – with a bonus of free parking on Fink Hill as it turned out – gave a spring in […]
Chance to Shine Skills Festival at Darfield Cricket Club
A Chance to Shine Skills Festival recently brought together four local schools for an afternoon of cricket activities at Darfield Cricket Club. More than 90 children from Upperwood Academy, Outwood Primary Academy, Springvale Primary School and All Saints Academy enjoyed batting, bowling and fielding drills while Little Urn, the Yorkshire Tea van, served brews. In […]
Recycled plastic benches: Life’s a picnic at Darton
This is a feature about recycled plastic benches, volunteer time and a community supporting a cricket club. In this content collaboration with British Recycled Plastic, we’ll explore why Darton Cricket Club replaced their wooden seating, the thinking behind choosing recycled plastic and how they approached funding their benches. My interview is with Darton’s Chair, Joe […]
Grassroots cricket is hot – but is it bothered?
The latest UK heatwave is a not-so-subtle reminder that extreme temperatures are here to stay. They are not a freak outlier nor anything we should be surprised about – and yet, I tend to react with incredulity every time the mercury dips above 30°C. At least it’s been cooler in Yorkshire than the South coast […]
Eggborough Power Station CC: The Eagles have landed
Going to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to check out their new ground offered a glimpse into the future and a reminder of the past. In 2017, I watched Eggborough’s evening league game against Carlton Towers when they had the power station’s cooling towers as the backdrop. Since then, the power station has been demolished […]
Bradford Park Avenue Ladies edge past Crossflatts at Windhill
Spoilt for choice on a Sunday that promised not to be chilly or wet for a change, I headed for women’s Premier League cricket in Shipley. Deposited on Platform 1 of the rail station, the lights opposite McDonalds were out so traffic had backed up into other postcodes. An electronic sign advertised ‘Clean Air Day’ […]