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 […]
Opinion
Kindness, outrage and talking to each other in cricket
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: The architect behind Cricket Arena
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 […]
Cullingworth: Meet the club offering completely free cricket for 2024
Cricket clubs do all sorts of ingenious things to attract new members and keep the ones they have. Cullingworth have done something pretty radical: Free cricket. No membership fees. No match fees. Plus, you get a playing and training kit. Oh, and free home cricket teas too! It’s an extraordinary thing to do and I […]
Friendlies: The glue that binds the grassroots game together?
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 […]
Clifton Alliance vs Pudsey St Lawrence: Saliva on the ball and five penalty runs
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 […]
Weetwood to Arthington: Tribute to Tony Hutton
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. […]
Under-nine cricket: What’s it like to coach at a club?
Like many clubs, at Bingley Congs CC, there’s been an absence to our junior section over the last few years. Without the most important part of a cricket club, in the long run, a club can simply dwindle away. Thankfully, with the rise of All Stars over the last few years, Friday night sees plenty […]
How is racism showing up in grassroots cricket?
Over months, I’ve talked to cricket club officials, players and coaches about racism, many of whom wanted to contribute anonymously, but they all agreed on one thing. There was racism in Yorkshire cricket long before Azeem Rafiq and it’s not going away. What Azeem and his family have suffered is unimaginable and unforgivable. Yet, somehow, […]
Yorkshire Disability Cricket teams enjoy county league return
After a season without league fixtures, Yorkshire Terriers and Yorkshire Tykes are back playing in the National Disabled Cricket League. The ECB National Disabled Cricket League covers the D40 Hardball competition (where Yorkshire Tykes play) and the Super9’s Softball competition (where Yorkshire Terriers play). Cricketers with either a physical disability, learning disability or hearing impairment […]