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 […]
Club cricket
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 – […]
Mick Savage Trophy action from Penistone Cricket Club
Penistone Cricket Club’s Queen Street ground could look very different when the 2025 Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League season gets underway. The club, whose First XI play – and are going great guns – in Division Two, the league’s fourth tier, hope next spring to unveil a state-of-the-art pavilion. According to Penistone Cricket & Sports […]
Lightcliffe Cricket Club: A new home for a new era
Lightcliffe Cricket Club has changed quite a bit since I last came to this scenic Calderdale village. They’ve driven a digger through the red and white wooden pavilion and flattened it for a start. In its place is a handsome, modern pavilion that is the equal of anything I’ve seen in Yorkshire. But we’ll come […]
Huddersfield Cricket League: Sixes among the alpacas at Denby
It is going to be impossible to write about a visit to Denby Cricket Club, one of many smashing grounds in the Huddersfield League, without mentioning Chris Holliday. So, I’ll do it straightaway (right off the bat, as it were). In 2020, which will go down in cricket history as ‘The COVID Season’, Holliday, then […]
AirTag or tails? Menston defeat Harrogate in Archer Cup
Another one of those days where I arrive way too early for a game, which isn’t a problem if I haven’t been to the ground before, or certainly haven’t been there in many years. However, this was Harrogate Cricket Club and a ground that I know intimately. Parking up on the grass bank that overlooks […]
Theakston Nidderdale Division Five: Spennithorne & Harmby win at Ripon
“We’ve got a copy of John’s book behind the bar…” I think I heard that three times on Saturday. “We got our own mention!” It appears that Ripon Cricket Club are very proud to feature in John Fuller’s Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales. (Editor’s Note: I didn’t ask him to write this!) As winners […]