The trip to Pateley Bridge takes you into the heart of Nidderdale, the roads threading between rolling hills before the steep drop from Coldstone Cuts towards the cricket ground that is hidden away in what is the showground. I arrived just before one o’clock in beautiful sunshine, with barely a cloud overhead. and the smallest […]
Cricket Grounds
Kirkby century gets South Kilvington past Sessay Raskelf
Another Saturday dawned and I had my sights set on a ground I have never been to. I had covered the club on their travels, as they visited clubs in and around Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. South Kilvington is one of the very few clubs in the Theakston Nidderdale League that I haven’t visited over […]
Playing at altitude: Yorkshire’s highest cricket grounds
The idea for this highest cricket grounds in Yorkshire feature came after I did one on the smallest grounds that got quite a bit of attention and discussion. Before researching to come up with a shortlist, I set some criteria to judge by. You’d think that was simple enough but there are a surprising number […]
Tiny but mighty: Yorkshire’s smallest cricket grounds
I’ve been thinking about small cricket grounds in Yorkshire of late. Back in June, the plan had been to go and watch Mirfield Parish Cavaliers in the ECB Premiership of the Huddersfield Premier Cricket League. Their opponents were league leaders Hoylandswaine and both clubs play on postage stamps although Swaine’s HQ is a windswept home […]
Outdoor cricket nets & Match Pitch at Eggborough
This is the story of a one-team cricket club in Yorkshire and a ground relocation that sets them up for years to come. For this content collaboration with total-play, I went along to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to see their two-lane outdoor cricket nets and non-turf pitch. Years ago, I’d watched an evening league […]
Masham’s title stumble at scenic North Stainley
Driving through the gates of North Stainley Cricket Club on Saturday brought a real smile to my face. I can remember the first time I visited the club [many moons ago] and I loved the feel to the place. Set in the heart of a picture-postcard North Yorkshire village, the club simply oozes charm. I’ll […]
Horsforth Hall Park: Kites and Collingham Cup win
Horsforth Hall Park Cricket Club has been on the radar for years – and last Sunday’s Waddilove Cup quarter-final against Collingham & Linton is when planets aligned perfectly. The prospect of cup cricket in the park – with a bonus of free parking on Fink Hill as it turned out – gave a spring in […]
Arthington stage scintillating run chase to down Darley
I’ve got a list of grounds that I’ve been to over the last 15 years, a series of Excel worksheets that show clubs that I’ve visited, teams that I’ve covered, and where I have been rather diligent in my recordkeeping…dates. As part of my planning for the second half of the 2026 summer season, I […]
Recycled plastic benches: Life’s a picnic at Darton
This is a feature about recycled plastic benches, volunteer time and a community supporting a cricket club. In this content collaboration with British Recycled Plastic, we’ll explore why Darton Cricket Club replaced their wooden seating, the thinking behind choosing recycled plastic and how they approached funding their benches. My interview is with Darton’s Chair, Joe […]
Eggborough Power Station CC: The Eagles have landed
Going to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to check out their new ground offered a glimpse into the future and a reminder of the past. In 2017, I watched Eggborough’s evening league game against Carlton Towers when they had the power station’s cooling towers as the backdrop. Since then, the power station has been demolished […]