I had two potential destinations to choose from on Saturday, one being an Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League game, and the other in the Theakston Nidderdale League. As I passed Blubberhouses’ ground on the A59, heading up to the recently re-opened Kex Gill pass, the discussion between Connor [my son] and myself was still […]
Nidderdale Cricket League
Nidderdale League: Rainton dodge showers to top the table at Harrogate
I’m not obsessed by the weather, but by the very nature of my job, I have to keep an eye on the forecast to ensure that I have the correct coats, boots and hats to hand…as well as ensuring I pick up the correct camera equipment and rain covers. These past two years have seemingly […]
Theakston Nidderdale League: Starbeck dazzle at Spofforth
‘Spofforth is the centre of the universe’ – a schoolfriend once said in all seriousness to answer a question posed by the young unsuspecting geography teacher during a lesson one Thursday afternoon at Harrogate Grammar School. Now, being totally honest, he probably knew that wasn’t the case, but watching the reactions of the only adult […]
Theakston Nidderdale Division Five: Spennithorne & Harmby win at Ripon
“We’ve got a copy of John’s book behind the bar…” I think I heard that three times on Saturday. “We got our own mention!” It appears that Ripon Cricket Club are very proud to feature in John Fuller’s Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales. (Editor’s Note: I didn’t ask him to write this!) As winners […]
Flying bats and the going away ball at Hampsthwaite
Saturday arrived and I had planned the relative short trip to Hampsthwaite Cricket Club, situated in a small village a stone’s throw from Killinghall, with both villages on the north side of Harrogate. The blue sky was showing in patches, threatening nice weather, but it was also a bit on the colder side for June […]
Nidderdale Cricket League: Ripley edge hosts Sharow
The search for Saturday’s venue started earlier in the week than has been the norm throughout the start of 2024, as the weather has been remarkably well behaved. The ongoing A59 road closures meant that cricket clubs heading over towards Skipton and beyond will be considered later on in the summer when they become more […]
Nidderdale Cricket League: Sixes into the hedgerows at Whixley
Saturday arrived and I had decided to make the relatively short trip to Whixley, a small village halfway between York and Harrogate, just off the A59. Whixley has a great pub, The Anchor, and if you happen to be passing at any point, I can wholeheartedly recommend the carvery they put on, excellent food at […]
Never change, Crakehall
In a roundabout way, I can thank Bradford’s inner-city development for discovering the delights of Crakehall Cricket Club. An expectation of traffic congestion meant that Woodlands of the Bradford Premier League would have to wait. Instead, something very different indeed. A 100-mile round trip to Crakehall, a village in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, off […]
In search of cricket: Third time lucky at Glasshouses
It’s a strange state of affairs when you’re in the cricket season and it’s devilishly difficult to find any cricket. Having pored over weather apps, listened to forecasts and looked at who was playing where, the prospect of week two of league cricket looked a little brighter. After 20 April fixtures had been postponed by […]
Starbeck Cricket Club: Only just getting started
A new cricket club forming in Yorkshire is unusual, if not completely unheard of. There are already some 800 or so across the region – so why go to the effort of setting up your own? Starbeck Cricket Club, who finished their first season in Division Eight of the Nidderdale Cricket League as champions, have […]