The news that the Match Play Committee of the NYSD had decided to postpone the first weekend’s fixtures (20 & 21 April 2024) had a strange finality – and symmetry – to it. Last year, the same league was fastest out of the blocks in reaching a decision early that others would follow in dribs […]
Club cricket
Grass half full: Keith Boyce on cricket pitches at New Rover
Keith Boyce, Head Groundsman at New Rover Cricket Club since 1999, knows a thing or two about cricket pitches. The former groundsman at Yorkshire County Cricket Club for 30 years (below right) is talking about plotting safe passage across a boggy outfield to get the heavy equipment on: “It’s very restricted getting machinery out to […]
Up and running: Mount Cricket Club Women celebrate their first year
Mount Cricket Club are a great example of a women’s team that has hit the ground running since it launched a year ago. I caught up with Head Coach & Development Officer Sanna Ahmed to find out how this fledgling side are getting on. She tells me that the idea came after a conversation with […]
Coming home: Village cricket returns to North Cave
“Village cricket is dying” is a common soundbite but there are reasons for cheer, if you seek them out. North Cave is a village in East Yorkshire, separated from the River Humber as it makes its way inland by the M62. Cricket returns to the village in 2024 as it welcomes the newly formed North […]
What if…Club cricket competitions we’d like to see happen
I spotted on LinkedIn that Hornchurch had won the European Cricket League to be crowned Champions of Europe. It got me thinking about other club cricket competitions that could happen with a bit of blue sky thinking. So, here are a few ideas… chip in with your own by leaving a comment at the end […]
Insurance: Play it safe with your cricket club
With over 700 cricket clubs on their books, Howden is well placed to offer insurance advice to those in recreational cricket. The ECB’s approved broker offers a personalised service, carefully assessing each club’s circumstances. In this article, there’s advice on getting insurance for the first time, renewing and what to look out for to ensure […]
Early birds: Pre-season friendlies and when leagues begin
I get a bit twitchy at this time of year. Conflicted even. On the one hand, it’s definitely a time to celebrate more light and longer days with Spring here and the prospect of club cricket around the corner. Yet, there’s no disguising the fact that perhaps now I don’t play anymore, enthusiasm for watching […]
Serious Cricket Teamwear
In this content collaboration with Serious Cricket, we’ll look at the challenges and opportunities with cricket teamwear.A quick Google reveals lots of cricket teamwear suppliers for clubs. On the surface, that’s good news. Except choice can be baffling and takes up a mountain of time. Ultimately, your club committee will make its decision based on […]
Club cricket groundskeepers face race against time to be ready
In something of a repeat of last year, the wet weather has played havoc with pitch makers who face the usual race to be ready for April fixtures. In 2023, my article on Yorkshire’s leagues postponing fixtures caught the attention, on account of the fact that we’d had record-breaking rain and many clubs had been […]
The road to Lord’s: Yorkshire’s clubs prep for National Village Cup
The Voneus Village Cup is back for 2024 with 39 Yorkshire village teams ready for a crack at a fairytale Lord’s final. There are a few hurdles in between though. The preliminary and first-round matches are in April, with more than 350 clubs from England, Scotland and Wales involved in this year’s competition. Yorkshire’s cricket […]