Opinion

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its updated Inspiring Generations strategy for the next four years. By 2028, the governing body wants to “become the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales, while at the same time growing and uniting the game and leading it through global transformation”. While the launch […]

What are going to be the trends in grassroots cricket in 2025? Well, this is when I peer into the future and make some educated / outlandish predictions. [Delete as applicable 😁] Girls’ cricket at clubs In my analysis of the ECB’s new 2025-2028 strategy, what stood out in the drive to have 6,000 girls’ […]

The White Rose Forum is proof that amid the breakneck speed of technology and snowballing innovation online, a chance for a natter about cricket without emojis or character limits has its unquestionable place. (This article has been updated but was originally published in 2020) A Yorkshire cricket forum can be a thriving community, a hotbed […]

If there’s one thing that club cricket excels at, it’s rules, regulations and calculations, occasionally to its detriment. This is about light, leaf blowers and common sense. Seeing the light It’s not just the recreational game that can sometimes stray into a soap opera. Anyone who watched the third Test match at The Oval where […]

If you’ve been affected by any of the topics in this article, you can get support from the organisations listed here. It’s been a deeply troubling few weeks across the country with the UK riots pulling back the curtain on ugly societal divisions. That was followed by the news that ex-England and Surrey batter Graham […]

Hamzah Hussain blinks at me studiously from behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses before beginning to share how the game of cricket inspired him. It is an interview I’ve been excited about for ages. Hamzah is the architect (literally as it turns out) behind Cricket Arena, a community interest company that organises cricket tournaments in […]

Chris Stride, who plays for Sheffield University Staff CC and the Forty Club (YNE), examines the enduring appeal of cricket friendlies and their many benefits, including for league clubs. “Friendlies? That’s not proper cricket!” “I only play league games” “Friendly cricket? What’s that? Cricket is war!” These are just a few of the comments I’ve […]

Uumpires Carl Williams and Michael Steele conferred on the square during Pudsey St Lawrence’s innings against Clifton Alliance in their first-round ECB National Club Championship clash. Were they checking the number of overs each bowler had delivered? Had somebody said something out of turn? Were they just passing the time of day? Then Williams turned […]

Bill Marshall gives his tribute to Tony Hutton who was well-known and liked in Yorkshire cricketing circles. Tony wrote for Cricket Yorkshire and it was always a pleasure to discuss the grassroots game with him. *** Some would think that “cricket nut” is a derogatory term. Others may treat it as a badge of honour. […]