Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s vaunted pace bowling reserves have been so plagued by injuries this season, they must being doing stone-paper-scissors for stints on the physio table. Matthew Fisher, Tim Bresnan, Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks and David Willey have all had weeks out of action and it’s a testament to the strength of the county […]
Are cricket bat prices justified or spiralling out of control?
What would you prepared to pay for a cricket bat? The answer to that is as broad as the edges of bats that now dominate the market. Your ability as a cricketer, economic circumstances, your sense of value and whether you are a grain-obsessed badger or don’t much care what lightsaber you wield at a […]
Saeed Bin Nasir: Scorching runs on the coast at Marske
In the quiet coastal village of Marske-by-the-Sea, there is a batting storm every bit as powerful as when the North Sea winds gather their puff. Saeed Bin Nasir won’t be a name too familiar to many in Yorkshire league cricket but the prolific Pakistani cricketer, with 10,000 first-class runs to his name, is racking up […]
What was it like writing a cricket book?
So, I’ve joined the ranks of published cricket authors now that All Wickets Great and Small – an exploration by foot, bus and rail last summer of Yorkshire club cricket – is out in all good book shops. The book launch at Waterstones Leeds last Friday saw friends, family, cricket fans and those who know […]
Pudsey sunshine and sixes for Bradford Cricket League derby
Getting off at New Pudsey railway station for the Bank Holiday derby between Congs and St Lawrence was to realise you should never go anywhere in Yorkshire without a coat. The clouds were meant to burn off later but for now, a flotilla of sooty ships forged a ghostly path across the skies and a […]
Meet Patto: Not boring, just brilliant
It’s the Thursday afternoon before the visit of Lancashire to Headingley as the return to Roses rivalry in the County Championship looms large. Yorkshire County Cricket Club seam bowler Steve Patterson is on the phone discussing his form with bat and ball during the first tranche of the four-day action that has seen Yorkshire blow […]
All Wickets Great and Small is Here!
**UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2017** I’m delighted my cricket book, All Wickets Great and Small, has been so generously reviewed and supported. Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy and all those who took the time to get in touch to offer their feedback, favourite chapter or cricket ground. If you’ve yet to snap up […]
A flooding comeback and a dog called George in Bingley
Last Saturday was a rarity, waking up without any place I had to be. Due to a cricket injury after bellyflopping for a catch like a domino being unceremoniously toppled, a full day was there for the taking. Inevitably, it involved cricket and after a visit to Bradford & Bingley to watch their game against […]
Bradford Cricket League: Bradford & Bingley vs Cleckheaton
The cricket ground at Wagon Lane, home to Bradford & Bingley, hasn’t half seen some extreme weather in the past six months, particularly with the extreme damage caused by the winter floods. But after a pleasant walk along the Leeds Liverpool Canal, it looked glorious on this sizzling May afternoon where the Bradford & Bingley […]
National Village Cup: Streethouse vs Houghton Main
The 2016 Davidstow National Village Cup began on Sunday 1 May and as an assignment for The Cricketer Magazine (check out their June issue), I went along to an opening round fixture from Group 5 covering West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire & Humberside. It was Ben Brocklehurst, Managing Director of the Cricketer, who established a national […]