Beckwithshaw start YPLN adventure with Colton victory

So, here we are at the beginning of another summer of cricket. Over the winter months, there have been indoor leagues and then as spring arrived, nets and friendlies.

I’ve visited a few clubs, attended a few of those winter tournaments, but now it is time to dust off the silly hat and head out in earnest to cover as many games, teams, and grounds as humanly possible in the coming six months.

Shifting from winter sports to, what can be, a more sedate set of summer games is always a process of trying to remember ‘how-to’.

The muscle memory required to photograph different sports is unique and the style of coverage individual to each. It will take a few games for me to find my mojo…if indeed I have ever had any!

‘What!’ I hear you say…’He’s back at Beckwithshaw again!’

But I’ll make no apologies for this particular visit to one of the clubs nearest to where I live. This was a big game for The Stags, as they had made the decision at the end of last summer to move from the Aire-Wharfe League’s Premier Division to the YPLN’s Championship West.

With the promise of new grounds to visit, teams to play and challenges ahead during the summer of 2026, from conversations had, I know the club are excited about looking forward to what will be.

As the Stag Den is only a hop, skip, and a fairly sizeable jump from my home, and the weather was absolutely perfect for cricket…I decided to pop the camera into my backpack and cycle the couple of miles to the ground.

Luckily, there aren’t too many hills for this old and decrepit person to pedal up!

Sunshine, new league and an early statement

Under clear skies, unbroken sunshine, and a gentle April breeze, The Stag Den looked every inch ready for its new chapter in the Yorkshire Premier League North, Championship West.

The outfield was reasonably quick, the pitch flat and the sense of occasion unmistakable. This was not just the start of a season, but the beginning of a new chapter for the team from just outside Harrogate.

The question, quietly lingering in the background, was a simple one: How would they cope?

By mid-afternoon, the answer had begun to take shape.

Chaotic start – then control

The visitors on the opening day were Colton Institute, and they ensured there would be no gentle easing into the new league.

The opening over disappeared for 27 runs – an extraordinary burst that briefly turned the afternoon into something resembling a net session gone wrong. It was an early and emphatic reminder that this level would punish any loose play.

A wicket in the aftermath of that over proved significant, not just for the scoreboard, but in changing the complexion of the game. Beckwithshaw regrouped, settled and the spinners began to find their mark.

The field tightened, the bowling imposed itself, and the visitors’ momentum was quickly, and methodically, stifled.

By the tenth over, the chaotic start had disappeared. What followed was something more ordered and far more revealing.

Spin takes hold and the game turns

The decisive shift came not with a single moment but with sustained pressure.

Spin was introduced, and with it came control. The scoring slowed, the number of shots played dropped, and Colton’s freedom of play gave way to a little uncertainty. Beckwithshaw’s appeals grew louder, singles harder to come by, and the field tightened with a real intent.

From 73 for five to 89 for nine, the innings began to unravel under sustained pressure. Beckwithshaw’s bowlers consistently asked questions of the batsmen and Colton, increasingly, ran out of answers. 

The collapse, when it came, felt less like a collapse and more like an inevitability. Wickets fell in clusters, risks were taken, and by the time the ninth wicket went down, the innings had lost shape.

With just about enough time to take the mid-innings drinks, Colton found themselves all out a few overs later for just 104. A total that, given the start, was some way short of a defendable score. 

Oliver Hebblethwaite (5-31) and Ben Holderness (3-13) had been the pick of the bowlers for the home team. Rhys Olbison (28) had briefly threatened to help the visitors to a good total, before being caught leg before by Oliver.

Calm chase, briefly tested

The reply began with real purpose.

There was no rush, no bravado, just a steady accumulation of runs. Ben Holderness set the tone early, finding the boundary with confidence, while Pete Hotchkiss anchored the innings with patience and control. The target was modest and Beckwithshaw treated it as such.

At 44 without loss, the game looked settled, but as ever, this glorious game of cricket had one more question to ask.

Again, it was the introduction of spin that slowed progress and shifted the rhythm. Wickets followed, momentum stalled briefly, and suddenly the scoreboard read 66 for 3. Both openers gone, and a chase that had seemed so straightforward moments earlier, now required careful management.

It was, briefly, a contest again.

Composure carries the day

What followed was perhaps the most telling passage of the afternoon.

There was no panic. No collapse to mirror the first innings. Instead, Beckwithshaw rebuilt quietly, efficiently, and then, when the moment allowed, accelerated.

A boundary here, a single there, and the pressure lifted as Miles Buller and Olly Hotchkiss found their rhythm. The fielders were repositioned to try and impose themselves, and the bowlers probed for another breakthrough, but the target edged closer with a feeling of increasing inevitability.

The final runs came with a flick of the wrist, with the ball heading to the boundary, and Beckwithshaw had won the game by seven wickets, reaching 108 for three in just over 25 overs.

A win that was both measured and controlled.

Ben Holderness, Peter Hotchkiss, Miles Buller, and Olly Hotchkiss put the runs on the board for the home team, with Colton’s skipper Thomas Glover being the pick of the bowlers, getting two of the three wickets and sending some testing deliveries down the 22.

Thoughts under the weeping willow

This was, in many ways, an ideal introduction to a new league. A bright start in every sense.

There were early nerves, a moment of pressure, and a test of the team’s composure, but also clear evidence of quality, adaptability, and control. Beckwithshaw were forced to respond to an early shock as a large number of runs were scored quickly, and in doing so, showed they are well equipped for the change of leagues.

Stronger challenges may come. Conditions will obviously vary. The margins between winning and losing will become smaller. But on this evidence, Beckwithshaw look far from out of place.

Tested early, composed thereafter, and ultimately in control; Beckwithshaw’s new chapter begins with a performance that suggests they may settle quicker than most.

My performance with the camera? Probably not anywhere as good as the home team…but then again, I’ve got six months to try and capture a few decent shots, and hopefully along the way, tell a few good stories.

What to read more?

Here are all of Mark’s articles and photos on Cricket Yorkshire.

To see more of his photography, you can visit caughtlight.com or he’s @caughtlight on Twitter/X.
There’s also the Caught Light Photography Facebook page.

Mark’s excellent blog called Leica Moments includes observations and imagery from days out at grounds around Yorkshire.

Here on Cricket Yorkshire, check out our latest opinion articles from club cricket. Our cricket grounds section features travelogues, as well as other related adventures.

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