Roses Cricket, Powered by Dynamos, is the new all-girls Under 11 cricket programme, supported by the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB), that has launched across Yorkshire. Dynamos is the ECB’s national programme for 8 to 11 year-olds who are taking their early steps in cricket and Roses Cricket fits into this vision with its emphasis on […]
Yorkshire Cricket Board
Schools cricket: Award-winning Owen on inspiring kids
Named Schools Coach of the Year at the 2024 Chance to Shine Awards, Owen Batchelor has an intriguing background you likely won’t know. We catch up on Zoom; a rare moment of quiet for a teacher who has taken his love of cricket and channelled it into inspiring kids across Scarborough & Ryedale. Owen is […]
A new era for the Huddersfield Premier Cricket League
West Yorkshire cricket now has a second Premier League after it was confirmed the Huddersfield Cricket League has gained ECB accredited status for the 2025 season. They will be known as the Walker Timber Huddersfield Premier Cricket League. ECB Premier Leagues are the top tier of club cricket in England and Wales and in Yorkshire, […]
2025 at grassroots: From girls’ cricket to grounds
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’ […]
Yorkshire Women & Girls League: Hundred Finals (Take One)
Waving a sleepy goodbye to my wife and cat (the latter acknowledged my departure with a yawn before a customary three-hour kip), it was down the hill to the morning train; Headingley-bound for club cricket. The Sunday forecast was fine and then unsettled and then grim, depending on the weather app and time of day […]
Bradford Park Avenue hosts Chance to Shine Street Yorkshire Finals
An invite to watch the Chance to Shine Street Finals for Yorkshire at Bradford Park Avenue proved to be an extraordinary day. Chance to Shine’s Street programme gives young people (between the ages of eight and 24) the opportunity to enjoy free tapeball cricket sessions in their local communities. Here in Yorkshire, there are 11 […]
Cricket Yorkshire: Guest on The East Yorkers Podcast
The East Yorkers Podcast is a must-listen; a collaborative effort between the Yorkshire Cricket Board, Jam Radio and Table 14 Productions. The cricket podcast hones in on recreational cricket in East Yorkshire and Selby although there are lots of common themes covered that apply to grassroots clubs and teams anywhere. Having featured the likes of […]
How girls in Sheffield found cricket with Chance to Shine Street
Chance to Shine Street is a fast-paced form of cricket that is being used all over the country to support those from some of the most diverse backgrounds and disadvantaged areas. Six a side. Just twenty balls per innings. Played with a tapeball (a tennis ball encased in electrical tape to make it fly off […]
National programmes: Yorkshire’s efforts to grow the game in schools
Gareth Davis, Head of Region for South Yorkshire at the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) talked me through some of the development work being done in schools. The ECB’s national programmes of All Stars and Dynamos; those eight weeks of cricket sessions at clubs for young children, have been the remarkable catalyst for a new generation […]
Looking ahead to 2024: A Year of equity and environment
I thought I’d talk you through some trends that are likely to unfold in grassroots cricket over 2024. A bit of crystal ball gazing combined with analysis of news from the ECB and my own observations. It is very in-depth so I’ve got these headings, if you want to jump to the relevant section. 🏏 […]