Bill Marshall interviews Woodlands’ opening bat Sam Frankland about the volume of cricket that success brings and how the season is going. Remember the days when overs cricket had just replaced timed cricket? Or when a top edge into the face meant a visit to the local A&E rather than a replacement helmet? Or when […]
Bill Marshall
Clifton Alliance vs Pudsey St Lawrence: Saliva on the ball and five penalty runs
Uumpires Carl Williams and Michael Steele conferred on the square during Pudsey St Lawrence’s innings against Clifton Alliance in their first-round ECB National Club Championship clash. Were they checking the number of overs each bowler had delivered? Had somebody said something out of turn? Were they just passing the time of day? Then Williams turned […]
Aire-Wharfe abstentions in spotlight as Pool Cricket Club protest
When is a majority not a majority? That was the question that exercised minds after the Aire-Wharfe League’s special general meeting last Wednesday at Otley RUFC. Pool, unhappy at their second team being relegated when they finished ninth in a 12-team division, forced the meeting at the second attempt by garnering the support of the […]
Weetwood to Arthington: Tribute to Tony Hutton
Bill Marshall gives his tribute to Tony Hutton who was well-known and liked in Yorkshire cricketing circles. Tony wrote for Cricket Yorkshire and it was always a pleasure to discuss the grassroots game with him. *** Some would think that “cricket nut” is a derogatory term. Others may treat it as a badge of honour. […]
How on earth do leagues find more umpires for next season?
NEWSPAPERS, who tend to have skeleton staffs these days due to drastically reduced income from just about all of their traditional financial streams (about the only growth area these days is from the internet), have taken to re-printing pages from days gone by. Some would say that was a benefit to older readers, despite the […]
Woodlands’ Tom Clee talks teeing off and titles
Bill Marshall talks to Tom Clee, of Woodlands Cricket Club in the Bradford Premier League, about switching clubs, the Woodlands way and how his game has progressed this season. Tom Clee is used to making big decisions. For example, when the Woodlands all-rounder was an under-12 he chose to move from Northowram Fields (literally over […]
Like father, like son: When cricket runs in the family
Bill Marshall talks to Gary, Charlie and Adam Wainwright about their experiences playing opposing sides in the Gordon Rigg Bradford Premier League. Local league cricket is dotted with instances of fathers opening the batting with their sons (for example I have done it with my son Daniel for Bingley Congs’ second team). However, try this […]
Craven Cricket League: Time to shake things up?
Bill Marshall talks to Craven League secretary, Peter Foster, about the challenge of losing clubs and the committee’s plans to give the league a new lease of life. Just how does a grassroots cricket league stop the haemorrhaging of clubs from within their membership? Of course, some leagues react too late to the bleeding, while […]
Bradford Cricket League: Floodlit charity match at Wagon Lane
Bradford Cricket League cricketers, past and present, came together at Wagon Lane to support Dementia UK. A floodlit charity cricket match at Bradford & Bingley Cricket Club has been hailed as a success, and certainly won’t be forgotten in a hurry by the club’s scorer Judith Wragg. She was stung on the neck by a […]
Jer Lane cap incredible season with four trophies
Bill Marshall talks to man-of-the-match, Cosmond Walters, about Jer Lane Cricket Club’s trophy extravagazna in the Bradford Premier League. Champagne was dripping from Cosmond Walters’ goatee beard and, understandably, he was still on a high. He had just scored 101 to win the man-of-the-match trophy in the Jack Hampshire Cup final, edging out Jer Lane […]