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), […]
Interviews
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 […]
Alex Brown: Cricket coaching and starting a company in your teens
I caught up with a Level 2 cricket coach, Alex Brown, who combines playing for Wrenthorpe in the Bradford Premier League with improving young cricketers. Here’s our Q&A… Hey Alex, what’s your cricket background? I’ve played cricket since I was around five years old so over 13 years (I’m 19 in June 2023). This interest […]
Melanie Mahmood: Umpiring and participation in South Yorkshire
Mel Mahmood is a cricket umpire and Participation Manager for the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League. Here she shares her journey in cricket, the women’s and girls’ game in South Yorkshire as well as a formal link-up with the Premier League. *** I was 45 years old when I first picked up a cricket bat. […]
Paul Cummins: Taking the helm at the Yorkshire Cricket Board
Paul Cummins, the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s Director of Recreational Cricket, is talking to me from Headingley about what lies ahead. Three months into the job, the honeymoon period (if there is one in that role) has seen him zip around the region, meeting some of the staff and no doubt getting a feel for the […]