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 […]
Huddersfield Cricket League
At the Crease: Latest club cricket news from around Yorkshire
Michael Ball confirms for Harmonies & Hampers When it was first announced (and perhaps even now), there was some disbelief that Michael Ball was doing a gig at Almondbury Wesleyan Cricket Club in Huddersfield. The performance on Sunday 16 June has been confirmed by the singer himself on Twitter/X and it’s expected to be a […]
New beginnings: Merger sees Warley & Elland CC at Hullen Edge
A merger that sees the formation of Warley & Elland Cricket Club has kept cricket alive at a historic ground in West Yorkshire. Warley CC, of the ENCO Halifax Cricket League, have joined forces with Elland Cricket Club; the latter resigned from the Huddersfield Cricket League towards the end of last season. The new club […]
Around Yorkshire’s Leagues: 2023 Season Halfway Review
Heading into the second half of 2023, the standings in Yorkshire’s recreational cricket leagues are starting to indicate who the season’s winners and losers might be. Let’s start at the top of the pyramid, with the four ECB Premier League, Premier Divisions. In the Bradford Premier Cricket League, Woodlands appear on course to secure a […]
Sykes Cup: Birkby Rose Hill vs Mirfield Parish Cavaliers
Watching a cup tie between buoyant teams with 2022 championship trophies on their CVs seemed like an excellent way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. An opportunity to reacquaint myself with the Huddersfield Cricket League was a bonus. So, off I went to north Huddersfield and Birkby Rose Hill Cricket Club, whose First XI were […]
Huddersfield Cricket League: Umpires Warning
Deteriorating player behaviour towards umpires this season has prompted Huddersfield Cricket League (HCL) chairman Trevor Atkinson to issue a stern warning to club captains. The warning is in the unusual form of an open letter, the contents of which are likely to raise eyebrows across recreational cricket, in Yorkshire and beyond. Trevor’s statement follows a […]
Heavy Woollen Cup: History, heritage and plenty at stake
It’s particularly in an Ashes year when the Heavy Woollen Cup comes into sharper focus. The England-Australia rivalry is as old as it gets – and yet, this club cricket trophy in Yorkshire first took place less than a year later in 1883. Once limited to 32 clubs who were based within a strict distance […]
How on earth do leagues find more umpires for next season?
NEWSPAPERS, who tend to have skeleton staffs these days due to drastically reduced income from just about all of their traditional financial streams (about the only growth area these days is from the internet), have taken to re-printing pages from days gone by. Some would say that was a benefit to older readers, despite the […]
Should First XIs be allowed to play Second XIs in club cricket?
Bill Marshall explores the conundrum of first XIs and second XIs Watching Hoylandswaine’s second team win the Solly Sports Crowther Cup in rapid time on Sunday at Sandal, defeating Farsley seconds by seven wickets, reminded me of a long-forgotten conversation I had with Matthew Anderson. He was then captain of East Bierley’s second team, and […]
Half Way in 2022: Yorkshire League Cricket RoundUp
Heading into the second half of 2022, the standings in Yorkshire’s club cricket leagues are starting to indicate who the season’s winners and losers might be. Let’s start at the top of the pyramid, with the four ECB Premier League, Premier Divisions. In the Bradford Premier League, New Farnley, Priestley Cup winners last year and […]