I love grounds like Pannal; secluded from the main road, transporting you away from everyday life, almost suspending normality. There are still the distant sounds of cars travelling on the main road that runs between Harrogate and Leeds, and the occasional blast of the train’s horn to signal its final approach to Pannal Station – […]
AirTag or tails? Menston defeat Harrogate in Archer Cup
Another one of those days where I arrive way too early for a game, which isn’t a problem if I haven’t been to the ground before, or certainly haven’t been there in many years. However, this was Harrogate Cricket Club and a ground that I know intimately. Parking up on the grass bank that overlooks […]
Theakston Nidderdale Division Five: Spennithorne & Harmby win at Ripon
“We’ve got a copy of John’s book behind the bar…” I think I heard that three times on Saturday. “We got our own mention!” It appears that Ripon Cricket Club are very proud to feature in John Fuller’s Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales. (Editor’s Note: I didn’t ask him to write this!) As winners […]
Play paws-ed at Killinghall as Whixley win CB Atkinson Semi-Final
Wednesday night saw me drive the short distance to Killinghall for the Harrogate & District Amateur Evening Cricket League’s semi-final of the CB Atkinson Trophy between Killinghall and Whixley. After the end of the recent Old Testament floods, it seems like Noah can park his boat for the time being, as good weather has returned […]
Birtwhistle Cup: Rain-soaked thriller at Beckwithshaw
When Prometheus decided to use lamb’s wool to give us mere mortals a sign that Zeus was sending rain our way [and in doing so, invented clouds], I’m not sure he was trying to depress cricket players and fans alike. However, as Wednesday turned into Thursday and Prometheus threw quite a lot of wool up […]
Rain or Shine: Pudsey St. Lawrence Women and St. Chad’s double header
I’d put a call out on social media a couple of weeks ago to find out what women’s games were on that week, as the weather had been poor and quite a few weekend fixtures were in real doubt. About a week later, Paul Priestley popped a reply up about a double fixture between Pudsey […]
Flying bats and the going away ball at Hampsthwaite
Saturday arrived and I had planned the relative short trip to Hampsthwaite Cricket Club, situated in a small village a stone’s throw from Killinghall, with both villages on the north side of Harrogate. The blue sky was showing in patches, threatening nice weather, but it was also a bit on the colder side for June […]
Evening League: Harrogate defeat Whixley at St. George’s Road
Wednesday night means Harrogate & District Amateur Evening Cricket League action. Working on a client photo and video project during the day, I had left it much too late to travel anywhere with any element of choice, so I scrolled through the Play-Cricket app to find the nearest game. Some 30 seconds of scrolling and […]
The Hundred: Wrenthorpe unbeaten at Yapham
Over the past decade, my coverage of grassroots women’s cricket has been, let’s be totally honest, poor. I have got to games, but infrequently and usually put to one side because of commercial pressures to cover county or international men’s and women’s cricket instead. This season, I have resolved to clear each Sunday, and if […]
Nidderdale Cricket League: Ripley edge hosts Sharow
The search for Saturday’s venue started earlier in the week than has been the norm throughout the start of 2024, as the weather has been remarkably well behaved. The ongoing A59 road closures meant that cricket clubs heading over towards Skipton and beyond will be considered later on in the summer when they become more […]