The Cricket Yorkshire Podcast is back this season with a blend of interviews, club visits and views on the recreational game. Available on Spotify, Apple, Podbean and other platforms, it’s a chance to have a listen on the way to work, at home or maybe at the cricket. A few episodes to pick from… Village […]
Abeysekara dazzles Stamford Bridge as Harrogate win
Not so much a battle but a skirmish. I can hear the collective groan, “Not Harrogate again! You only visited there last week!”. I know…I know. Apologies, but hear me out. I headed to St. George’s Road last week when the weather was poor, knowing I had two potential games to cover, in two different […]
National Village Cup: Yorkshire teams are all out (just)
Frickley Colliery’s home defeat to Woodhouses by one run officially ended Yorkshire’s participation in the National Village Cup for another year. At the Miners Welfare ground, Woodhouses of the Greater Manchester Cricket League came out on top with a nervy finale. Winning the toss and batting first, the visitors scored 211-7 off 40 overs, thanks […]
Chappell Cup: Starfish among the shadows as Ilkley make semi-finals
Unfortunately, on Sunday, I wasn’t able to schedule in a women’s game due to having to head towards Burley in Wharfedale to pick my daughter up from a weekend’s Guide camp. To be honest, I had pretty much resigned myself to not being able to get to any sort of game as the location and […]
Last-ball drama amid fields of corn at scenic Wetwang
I’ve certainly struck gold with my T20 cricket spectating this season. Augmenting a list of exciting finishes, a second midweek excursion, in 24 hours, to the scenic Wolds, this time to Wetwang Cricket Club, was rewarded with a last-ball finish. Some controversy. With the scores tied, and the bat crowded, Burton Agnes, Wetwang’s Bridlington & […]
State of Play: Yorkshire Premier League North
Welcome to this snapshot of the title challengers and relegation worriers as the season reaches the last third in the Hunters Yorkshire Premier League North. Enjoy a few observations, league table, stats and averages from lead performers with ball and bat. The plan is to shine a light on each of the four Premier Leagues […]
No small beer: Lights, CAMRA, action at Barkisland
I don’t drink beer so an email dropping in about award-winning real ales initially didn’t set the pulse racing. Sorry, Dave at Barkisland Cricket Club, you’d have reeled me in with a press release about Irn-Bru. And yet… I got to thinking about how cricket clubs become a point of difference, particularly in the many […]
Wolds, wickets and wonder at Thixendale
Lurking on my ‘groundhopping’ bucket list for years, a visit to the sublime, sleepy setting of Thixendale Cricket Club lived up to – nay, exceeded – expectations. Put simply, it was a slice of sporting serendipity: when each piece of the jigsaw slotted neatly into place. The weather, in what is proving to be a […]
Club Cricket Book: Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales
Come on a journey around Yorkshire’s club cricket grounds with my latest book, Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales. Available on Kindle and in paperback via Amazon, these are the dramas, landscapes and matches from the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with my travels around the region to clubs, grounds and games of all standards. ✍️ […]
Anthony Burton (total-play Ltd) on non-turf cricket nets
A decade ago, I first met Anthony Burton of Total Play Ltd at a winter event where a few companies were attending Sutton-in-Craven Cricket Club to chat with clubs in the area. For years since, he has been heavily involved when it comes to supporting clubs realise their dream of new or upgraded non-turf cricket […]