A season or two ago, whilst exchanging emails with a very helpful Pontefract & District League secretary, I asked if he could recommend any particularly attractive and/or interesting cricket grounds in his competition. Hundhill Hall Cricket Club’s ground, off Sandygate Lane, in the farming village of East Hardwick, three miles south of central Pontefract, made […]
Miles Per Gallon
Ryedale Beckett League: Lost balls and stained whites at Harome
In common with every other cricket enthusiast, I found April a frustrating month, as rain, rain then a bit more rain dashed my spectating plans. So, the early May arrival of long overdue sunshine and warmth saw me scrambling to find a midweek fixture belatedly to get my 2024 season up and running. Keen as […]
Baptism of fire for Shiregreen on return to top flight
Hard up against the southwest corner of Shiregreen Cricket Club’s compact ground are unmissable signs, mounted high on a wall, advertising an adjacent fireworks shop. Unfortunately, at least for Shiregreen, the only sparklers on display, when I made my first visit to the 2024 Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League top-flight newcomers, were the players of […]
Cricket in October: Remembering Arthington Festival at East Keswick
Editor’s Note: I was looking forward to heading to the Arthington Cricket Festival in 2023, having not been for a few years. Pre-Covid, it was once a ritual of mine as the Festival extends until October. Hard to find cricket outdoors many places at that time of year… Unfortunately, it’s been curtailed as the waterlogged […]
NYSD Hundred: Fireworks and spin wins it for Normanby Hall
Dodging this summer’s disappointing, triple-pronged cloud, wind and rain assault, I’ve been squeezing in cricket fixes wherever and whenever I can. Often, it has been a case of finding a game – any day of the week – with sun forecast. Recently, time and again, that has meant heading north from our York HQ. Starting […]
Sea air and sixes as Driffield Town clinch T20 Blast Crown
Cricket has many unsung heroes, without whom games couldn’t happen. Groundstaff – pitch makers, they like to be called now – are right up there. I made a long overdue first visit to Scarborough Cricket Club’s North Marine Road, to watch the Yorkshire Premier Cricket League North’s T20 Finals Day. The previous two days were […]
Saltburn ride the wave at the top of the NYSD Premier Division
Maybe – just maybe – the players, officials and supporters of Saltburn Cricket Club are beginning to wonder if an eighth North Yorkshire & South Durham Premier Cricket League championship triumph is coming their way. Two home wins, at the expense of Great Ayton then Stockton, across the June 10-11 weekend, saw unbeaten Saltburn establish […]
NYSD Kerridge Cup: Saltburn triumph at Fountains Garth
In my world, Bank Holidays are synonymous with sporting derby matches. Surely, it’s what the damn things were invented for! From a decent selection of fixtures (and after a careful assessment of the weather forecast for each quarter of the Broad Acres), I opted for a first visit to Fountains Garth, where Guisborough Cricket Club […]
Foss Evening Cricket League action at Dunnington
In the ‘groundhopping’ game, there’s always one that gets away. Somehow, despite living in York for longer than I’ve lived anywhere else (which, having terribly itchy feet, isn’t saying a great deal), I managed to miss visiting Dunnington Cricket Club when they were playing ECB Premier Division cricket. At the end of the 2021 season, […]
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 […]