Looking around the fixture list for Sunday’s venue, there were a number of potential destinations for me to travel to…with the Hambleton Women’s Outdoor Soft Ball League (West) game between Ouseburn and Ripon being the first choice. However, as I prepared to set off, I was disappointed to find that their game had been conceded […]
Theakston Nidderdale League: Starbeck dazzle at Spofforth
‘Spofforth is the centre of the universe’ – a schoolfriend once said in all seriousness to answer a question posed by the young unsuspecting geography teacher during a lesson one Thursday afternoon at Harrogate Grammar School. Now, being totally honest, he probably knew that wasn’t the case, but watching the reactions of the only adult […]
Women’s softball: Richmondshire win at Knaresborough Forest
Sunday arrived and I was certainly worried about the weather. The forecast over the weekend was very unsettled, with threats of drizzle and longer showers, potentially disrupting games scheduled on both days. I’d looked at the fixture lists for the next few weeks on Monday, pencilling in various destinations, trying to ensure that I continued […]
Licking cows, special teas and new nets as Pickering visit Pannal
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 […]