Sat on a sofa in Huddersfield’s Cafe Society a few streets from St. George’s Square, the prospect of watching the earliest league cricket in Yorkshire, if not the country, was the reason I was grinning like a buffoon. The theme to the Austin Powers film bounced off the walls (‘Soul Bossa Nova’ by Quincy Jones […]
#Cricket Grounds
Climate Cover helps Get The Game On
As the frost crackles the leaves and we all cross our fingers against winter floods, spare a thought for the groundsmen around the country safeguarding sporting facilities from the elements. Based in Northampton, the company total-play has been working with those professional and amateur groundsmen, designing and installing top-quality sports surfaces, including cricket covers, since […]
Sicklinghall: What do you do when your cricket club is burnt to the ground?
Sicklinghall Cricket Club is reeling with shock after a fire, believed to have started before midnight last Saturday, has completely destroyed all of their buildings. Absolutely nothing is left. The clubhouse, scorebox and equipment shed along with memorabilia and machinery are all gone with North Yorkshire Police and Fire Services unable to prevent the blaze claiming everything. This proud club has […]
Sheffield’s cricket grounds come up trumps
Our Saturday of exploring cricket in Sheffield actually began outside the city with a dip into Sheffield & Phoenix United Cricket Club in Brinsworth, south of Rotherham. It was a local derby at Bawtry Road where Sheffield Collegiate’s first eleven were the visitors and as we climbed out of the car, the LBW shout against […]
Yorkshire & Derbyshire Cricket League: Parkhead vs Sheffield Collegiate
When we pulled into the car park at the back of the Toby Carvery on Sheffield’s Ecclesall Road South, it was with something of a heavy heart as it looked like there was movement with Parkhead Cricket Club’s ground covers going on. The reality of Saturday’s weather had been nothing like the morning forecast – […]
Wickets and IPL stardust at Hull Cricket Club
Finding Hull Cricket Club’s ground on Chanterlands Avenue North proved our first test for this Saturday morning. Brian, who some of you will know if you’ve read All Wickets Great and Small, is nothing if not old school. So no maps, not paper nor one filled with computer pixels, just Brian’s usually Encyclopaedic memory of […]
All Wickets Great and Small is Here!
**UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2017** I’m delighted my cricket book, All Wickets Great and Small, has been so generously reviewed and supported. Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy and all those who took the time to get in touch to offer their feedback, favourite chapter or cricket ground. If you’ve yet to snap up […]
Yorkshire league cricket: thirteen cricket grounds in a day
A few weekends back, Brian from the Cricket Heritage blog, offered his set of wheels and a pottering journey around Yorkshire league cricket grounds North of Leeds. The opportunity to ditch the camera in favour of just a smartphone (photos below) and the bus and rail timetables is a real blessing. Not to mention the […]
Welcome to Glasshouses: village cricket at its best
Today’s adventure to the village of Glasshouses is a shunt north along the A59, dipping in and out of Nidderdale communities on the number 24 bus heading for Pateley Bridge. It’s pleasantly warm; sunshine peeks from behind candyfloss clouds to light up the Yorkshire countryside and the bus driver looks satisfyingly immaculate, sporting a red […]
The search for that all-conquering overseas cricketer
View image | gettyimages.com Picture the scene – it’s 1992 and Yorkshire County Cricket Club have finally decided to abandon their rule which allowed them to only select players born in Yorkshire. They were in the market for – whisper it quietly – an overseas player. “By ‘eck…’ow does thee go abart findin’ one o’t […]