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 […]
Club cricket
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 […]
Bilton pay King’s ransom in Roundhay Park
Having not been for years, the prospect of a return to Roundhay Park was an appealing one. The rough plan was to take in some of North Leeds’ Aire-Wharfe League Division One game with Bilton and perhaps a dip over to watch Leeds Gladiators of the Dales Council League at the Roundhay Oval. The first […]
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 […]
Ryedale Beckett League: Thornton Dale defeat Ampleforth
If you don’t like the weather in Britain, wait an hour. There’s a lot of truth in the saying, usually trotted out by knowing locals to overseas holidaymakers. I was reminded of it recently when, a mere 45 minutes before the scheduled start of a Thursday evening fixture at Thornton Dale Cricket Club, whipped up […]
Pontefract & District League: Down to the wire at Feverley Hills
Two days before my trip to Thornton Dale, I had been in the markedly different surroundings of Featherstone, a former pit village synonymous with – and renowned for – rugby league. They used to say, if you were after a decent scrum-half, all you had to do was whistle down the shaft of one of […]
Home from home with Romany Cricket Club
Peter Hockin from Romany Cricket Club shares stories and the popularity of friendlies in Yorkshire. **** The Romany was formed in 1902 and have been playing friendly matches ever since except for the war years. We used to play most Saturdays and Sundays but more and more of the opposition joined leagues which meant that […]
Rachael Mackenzie: Inspiring women and girls in cricket and life
Rachael Mackenzie has an extraordinary story to tell. A thai boxing class at university ultimately led to incredible success in a rise to the top of the women’s world rankings in two weight categories. A switch to boxing was no less impressive as she became England boxing champion and is now a keynote speaker on […]
Quaid e Azam Sunday Cricket League T20 Finals
The final day of June became a bonus dose of T20 cricket from Roberts Park in Saltaire, after a planned event at the Bradford Literature Festival was cancelled. It was an overcast day that threatened rain but thankfully, none materialised which meant an uninterrupted programme for the Quaid e Azam Sunday Cricket League’s T20 Finals […]
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 – […]