The latest UK heatwave is a not-so-subtle reminder that extreme temperatures are here to stay. They are not a freak outlier nor anything we should be surprised about – and yet, I tend to react with incredulity every time the mercury dips above 30°C. At least it’s been cooler in Yorkshire than the South coast […]
Opinion
Sizzling summer solstice as Yapham host Beverley Town
The Longest Day. Sounds like a good title for a movie…oh wait, it was! A glance at the fixtures list over breakfast suggested a busy Sunday across Yorkshire. A second glance, after a succession of cancellations filtered through social media and club channels, painted a different picture. Two of the games I had planned as […]
Eggborough Power Station CC: The Eagles have landed
Going to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to check out their new ground offered a glimpse into the future and a reminder of the past. In 2017, I watched Eggborough’s evening league game against Carlton Towers when they had the power station’s cooling towers as the backdrop. Since then, the power station has been demolished […]
Killinghall take the points at windy Goldsborough
It was Bed Race day in Knaresborough, an annual event that sees up to 90 ‘beds’ being pushed nearly two and a half miles around a course that starts by the river. The route travels up around the steep roads by the castle and beds then descend through the town centre, back to the start…by […]
Bradford Park Avenue Ladies edge past Crossflatts at Windhill
Spoilt for choice on a Sunday that promised not to be chilly or wet for a change, I headed for women’s Premier League cricket in Shipley. Deposited on Platform 1 of the rail station, the lights opposite McDonalds were out so traffic had backed up into other postcodes. An electronic sign advertised ‘Clean Air Day’ […]
The game that wasn’t supposed to happen at Ripley
There’s something uplifting about a cricketer’s refusal to admit defeat to the weather. All the forecasts leading into Saturday’s Theakston Nidderdale League Division Six fixture between Ripley and the higher-placed Thornton Le Moor promised rain, rain, and basically more rain. The sort of forecast that encourages sensible people to stay at home, or since it […]
Bilton defeat Pool to lead Aire-Wharfe Premier Division
There are few feelings quite as reassuring as arriving at a cricket ground convinced you know exactly what you are going to do. There are fewer quite as humbling as discovering, within about thirty seconds, that you don’t. Armed with my trusty camera, monopod, seat, and a level of confidence that only comes from checking […]
ItsOKToTalkT20: Women & girls’ fixture at Whiston Parish Church
At Whiston Parish Church Cricket Club on Friday 5 June, the first-ever #ItsOKToTalkT20 women and girls’ fixture brings together talented players and an important message about mental health. Adrianna Darlow will lead the Blue Team against the Purple Team in a match with representation from a host of South Yorkshire clubs. I caught up with […]
Women’s Championship North: Wykeham shade it at Ouseburn
Over the years, I’ve been to Ouseburn many times to cover the men’s team playing in the league or one of the cups. It’s a lovely, compact ground on the edge of Great Ouseburn with plenty of that ‘away from the hustle and bustle of modern life’ vibe. A calmness – if you like. A […]
Premier League captaincy: New Farnley’s Aidan Langley
New Farnley 1st XI captain Aidan Langley is discussing a rare defeat in the Bradford Premier League. It was an early blip; a full stop after 12 months of flowing prose. Having taken over across formats this season from Alex Lilley, after a phenomenal 2025 where they lost just once in all competitions, it’s been […]