All change at Bingley Congs: Juniors growth and ground upgrades

It’s Friday night at Bingley Congs Cricket Club. Having walked across the park and clambered over a wobbly gate inelegantly, the view is of junior cricket in all directions.

On the second pitch, a game is underway as the young bowler gets some advice from one of the Congs coaches who is umpiring. At the top end of the field, groups of All Stars, identifiable in their matching baby blue t-shirts, are enjoying fielding challenges.

Once upon a time, Congs had no juniors and they now have 48 All Stars registered for this season’s eight-week programme, along with U11s with training tonight and an U13 match against Upper Wharfedale beginning at 6.30pm.

Girls cricket is another focus with Roses Cricket starting soon to provide a bridge between All Stars and junior league teams. At Congs, they have a Beckfoot Girls team in the U12 Girls Softball Championship of the Upper Airedale Junior Cricket League.

🚀 Fielding drills

Loads of parents, families and young cricketers sit in clusters with impromptu games all over the place. On the main pitch, Upper Wharfedale are warming up. It’s good to see that fielding drills in junior cricket haven’t revolutionised too much since I was plunged into the game as a nervous fill-in.

Back then, as with tonight, fielding seemed to consist of a ring of players with someone in the middle with a bat, firing the ball into the air where it was smartly taken to loud cheers or shelled.

🍕 Pizza al fresco

Upper Wharfedale must have practiced for about half an hour while I caught up with various Congs folk I know. The waft of freshly cooked pizza being sold was tempting but Mrs Cricket Yorkshire had promised a late supper when I tore myself away from the cricket.

Good to see Dan who had volunteered to score. Well known to Congs and Thackley, we spoke about his involvement in a friendly side that play midweek. Must investigate and get along to a few. Friendlies can be more secretive than Royal visits.

Inside, the iced cupcakes baked by Erin are being organised onto cake stands. They look straight out of a magazine photo shoot. I am just pondering the etiquette for a full-on facedive when they are whisked away.

🍻 For those who like a tipple, I learnt that the Bingley Congs Beer & Wine Festival – Sixes & Stout – is making its debut on 1-2 August this year. Clubs of all shapes and sizes do so well with their creativity and organisation to keep things fresh. Over the years of running this website, beer and music festivals have been some of the most popular and lucrative.

Meanwhile, to look around the place at Congs, as I sometimes still do with a mild sense of wonder, is to remind yourself what it used to be like.

🐍 No more outdoor loos and chin music

When I was turned up to join years back, the only toilets were outdoors in a small white brick structure (calling it a building is stretching it). You ran the gauntlet of whatever insects and other locals had taken up residence in the tall grass. I’m told the artwork in the ladies still had a charm though.

The nets were at the river end and with a worn carpet on top of a concrete base, it recreated the fire and brimstone of the 1970s West Indies quicks who terrorised international teams. The ball frequently went whistling past your nose, through holes in the back net and required prolonged delays while hunting in the long grass.

Everywhere you look, Congs have upgraded through a combination of investment, hard work and many volunteer hours.

There are new outdoor nets that get plenty of use by juniors and seniors alike. A place to practice for home and away teams on matchday, outdoor training and for coaching.

The clubhouse has been extended and now has a bar and social areas inside and out to keep members, supporters and those who’ve stumbled across Beckfoot Lane well looked after.

They did much of the clubhouse extension construction themselves, keeping the costs down thanks to expertise from members, a huge shift over months and loans to the club from Congs stalwarts. Sponsors, members donations and grant bids all hugely contributed too.

At the river end, there is now sliding netting to prevent some of the cricket balls from disappearing. It didn’t stop several Bolton Villas 1924 batters recently who pumped deliveries over the trees and into another postcode!

Commercially, there are lots of advertising boards around the ground and Martinez Wines are the main sponsor with Hugel Kitchens, Radfield Home Care and Iggy’s Fund as shirt sponsors.

I imagine Iggy would be chuffed to bits to see the number of kids playing on the outfield with many youngsters wearing the Congs shirts with his bandaged graphic on the front.

From the clubhouse, to cast your eye right to the field is to notice new willow trees planted over winter with a long-term view of some cricket bats down the line and investment back into the club.

Thought has also gone into drainage with tunnels dug and allied with a dry Spring, the undulating top bank is dry for the first time I can recall.

The move to the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League has definitely been for the better. Raising the club’s gaze, driving standards and also ambitions on a number of fronts. Though this is an evolution that has happened over years and will continue.

As I walked back across the park that evening, I wondered what shape Bingley Congs Cricket Club will be in come 2035? It’ll be fun finding out.

✍️ Leave a comment below!

Ever visited Bingley Congs? Got a story about the developments and upgrades at your own club? Leave a comment, I read them all (and almost always publish them). 🤣

Want to read more on Cricket Yorkshire?

Check out our Club Cricket Headlines or explore the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League articles.