Table Cricket is an adapted form of the game for children with disabilities, played in schools across the UK on a table tennis table. It’s been on my radar for a while to learn more about this inclusive game of strategy – and where better than the 2023 Yorkshire Champions: Beckfoot School in Bingley? So, […]
Interviews
Deepa Chukkapalli: From Lancashire to Spain (via Bradford)
Deepa Chukkapalli, a 13-year-old cricketer who plays for Bradford Park Avenue Ladies, has been selected for the Spanish National Women’s cricket squad. Spanish Ladies head to Brescia in May to face Italy in a T10 series and Chukkapalli, picked by Spain for the first time, is expected to make her debut, according to Cricket España. […]
The power of Super 1s disability cricket with Shakil Manir
Shakil Manir smiles back at me over Zoom, while snow carpets the garden and we discuss disability cricket. As the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s Disability Development Manager, Shakil has his finger on the pulse when it comes to current programmes and what’s coming up in 2024. Disability cricket in Yorkshire includes table cricket as well as […]
Sarah Pollard: Inspiring current and future cricket scorers
Chatting to Sarah Pollard on a Zoom call, the story of Yorkshire’s County Scoring Officer is one of a love of maths but also sharing knowledge with others. In both her day job as a secondary school maths teacher and outside of that as a Level 3 cricket scorer (that’s Advanced to you and I), […]
Meet Frecheville’s Game Changer: Harriet Barber
Harriet Barber, winner of this year’s Yorkshire Cricket Board Game Changer Award, is a prime example of the expansion of a volunteer’s role. She’s been at Frecheville Community Cricket Club for nearly eight years now; beginning as a player with the U15s. With her move to the Sheffield suburbs, Harriet has juggled playing with scoring […]
Clare Sanderson: Alwoodley-Leos Ladies, Cricket Without Boundaries
Clare Sanderson shares her path in cricket from launching Alwoodley-Leos Ladies to coaching girls’ teams and development work overseas with Cricket Without Boundaries. #hergametoo and #wegotgame are both hashtags relating to women in sport. Here’s a little something about what they mean for me – and my journey from cricket superfan to coach (and player). […]
Soyeb Kayat: How cricket is inspiring Kirklees communities
The start of my interview with the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s Soyeb Kayat (below) begins with a question – just not by me. “So…is this going to be like This is Your Life then?” I guess that makes me Michael Aspel if you’re of a certain vintage to recall the TV series from 1955-2003. Do you […]
Kiran Bali: Breaking barriers and encouraging change
It becomes apparent minutes into our conversation that Kiran Bali’s professional and personal journey has been about breaking barriers but also advocating change. The magistrate and community volunteer, who won an MBE in 2008 for her community work in West Yorkshire, has taken those beliefs and brought them into grassroots cricket in Huddersfield. Kiran’s connection […]
Joanne Wootton: The All Stars Effect at Worsbrough Bridge
With clubs in the midst of their All Stars and Dynamos programmes, it felt like a good time to share this interview with Joanne Wootton of Worsbrough Bridge Cricket Club. She’s at the heart of one of the most successful programmes in the area, with lots of girls joining and playing for the club. Dean […]
Taj Butt & Great Horton Church: Inspiring junior cricketers
This is the story of Great Horton Church; a thriving, inner-city cricket club in Bradford whose community outreach stretches far beyond the game. I’m anticipating traffic congestion to get to Allerton Road in BD8 for the usual 6.15pm start. As it turns out, the drive over the top, past Bradford Royal Infirmary Hospital, a trip […]