YORKSHIRE CCC

Foreward to Scarborough with Sir Michael Parkinson

February 11, 2019 by John Fuller

I am delighted to share the news that Sir Michael Parkinson has written the foreword to my new book on the Scarborough Cricket Festival, that’s out in May.

It’s a privilege to have a broadcaster, journalist and author of Michael’s standing associated with my second cricket book and particularly apt, given there was the Michael Parkinson World XI in the Scarborough Cricket Festival between 1988 and 1990.

Desmond Haynes, Imran Khan and Dennis Lillee were just three of the stars in the side that walked out at North Marine Road in 1988. Were any of you there as Yorkshire won by 7 runs, courtesy of a hundred from David Byas?

The book celebrates the incredible atmosphere at Scarborough with a host of interviews of ex-players, coaches, club officials and fans within its pages. From Darren Lehmann to Geoffrey Boycott and Jim Love to Jacques Rudolph, there are fantastic stories from over the years.

Jason Gillespie talks about what Scarborough Cricket Club means to him, John Helm re-lives the Festival on Yorkshire TV and the Yorkshire CCC Chief Executive Mark Arthur discusses the future.

Like cricket at Scarborough? You won’t want to miss this…

HOW TO PRE-ORDER

You can pre-order a signed, limited-edition hardback, priced £17.99 including postage, and as part of that offer, you’ll have the name of your choice printed in the list of subscribers at the back of the book.

11 must-see Yorkshire cricket matches in 2019

December 30, 2018 by John Fuller

Think of this as your Cricket Yorkshire diary for the year ahead with a smattering of recommendations across Yorkshire cricket.

From World Cups to little-known Dales encounters, sit back and enjoy this preview.

batsman in black tracksuit and hat hits out in the Yorkshire Dales cricket match

6 January – Cricket in the Yorkshire Dales

Meet at the Buck Inn, Malham at 12 noon for what is usually the earliest outdoor fixture anywhere in Yorkshire. Malham vs Appletreewick is the annual cricket match between Yorkshire villages where they take it in turn to host their opponents, whatever the weather.

You can have a read of January cricket in the Yorkshire Dales for my 2018 report but there was a roaring fire, muddy pitch and much fishing the ball out of the river fully clothed.

31 March – 2 April – Yorkshire at Weetwood

This three-day encounter with Leeds Bradford MCCU is the start of Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s 2019 fixture list that runs to at least 36 matches. Weetwood at the end of March is usually akin to the North Pole with a brutal wind so pack a thermal layer and a flask to dip your toes in.

A Spring chill notwithstanding, the return of first-class cricket is always welcomed and we’ll see how many make the journey up the road to the University of Leeds ground, instead of Headingley.

I look forward to seeing how the students match up against the professionals both as a keen supporter of the MCCU scheme and shirt sponsor of Leeds-Bradford MCCU.

A quirky stat for you. The Royal London One-Day Cup begins at Emerald Headingley on Wednesday 17 April but Yorkshire do not play their first County Championship match at home until Monday 27 May against Hampshire.

That’s cruel, progress or a bit of both depending on whether you are gagging for four-day cricket to return or if its appearance in the warmer months instead is appreciated.

April 20 – Wakefield Thornes face Sheffield Collegiate

ECB Yorkshire League South begins with a huge match-up between reigning Champions Wakefield Thornes (at home) and perennial challengers Sheffield Collegiate.

It should be a cracker on Easter Saturday and an early indication of the strength of both sets of squads. Wakefield Thornes are the team to beat as they concluded 2018 by winning the league for the third consecutive season and going on to defeat Great Ayton by 7 wickets at Headingley to be crowned Yorkshire’s Champion club.

April 27 – Pudsey St Lawrence start their title defence

Premier League cricket is back with a bang in West Yorkshire as the Bradford Premier League champions Pudsey St Lawrence aim to start 2019 with a home win against Methley; the latter are now captained by Yorkshire County Cricket Club bowler Jared Warner, signed from Wakefield Thornes.

If those partial to league cricket are wondering why the North Yorkshire South Durham League and ECB Yorkshire League North aren’t featured in this article, fixtures weren’t available at the time of writing but I will be covering both on Cricket Yorkshire for sure.

jonny bairstow bats for england in their one day side — Photo: John Heald – https://www.johnhealdphotography.co.uk

19 May – England’s one-day side face Pakistan

The fifth Royal London One Day International at Headingley is about a month away from the ICC World Cup so intrigue will be through the roof. England are expected to go far or win the tournament so a confident showing against Pakistan is crucial.

jack leaning of york cricket club leaves a ball outside off stump — Photo: Shaun Conway – https://www.shaunconway.co.uk

17-20 June – First-class history at Clifton Park

Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s match against Warwickshire in the County Championship at York Cricket Club is another shot in the arm for those who savour outgrounds. Here’s another nudge for my interviews with Jim Love and Nick Kay as York look to impress and become a regular county fixture.

joe root at headingley — Photo: John Heald – https://www.johnhealdphotography.co.uk

21 June – World Cup fever at Headingley

England take on Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup at Headingley on Friday 21 June. It is a massive occasion for the county. There are three other matches being staged in Yorkshire with Pakistan against Afghanistan (Saturday 29 June), Afghanistan then taking on the West Indies (Thursday 4 July) and last but not least, Sri Lanka versus India (Saturday 6 July).

13-16 July – Return of the Headband Warrior

Seeing Jack Brooks steaming in, probably with a maroon headband this time, to bowl at Yorkshire’s batsmen will be odd. The fans’ favourite has switched Headingley for Taunton and this County Championship game against Somerset precedes a diet of T20 Blast action.

Photo: John Heald – https://www.johnhealdphotography.co.uk

18-21 August – Nottinghamshire at Scarborough

I will be there to soak up all of the magic of Scarbados. It’s the visit of Nottinghamshire this year for the Festival and by then, anyone with a pulse will be familiar with and hopefully clutching a copy of my Scarborough Cricket Festival book.

Authorship aside, it is a firm favourite in the calendar for a reason and I look forward to catching up with friends and meeting some Cricket Yorkshire readers at North Marine Road for the first time.

22-26 August – Ashes cricket returns to Headingley

England face Australia at Emerald Headingley from Thursday 22nd August (Bank Holiday weekend) and it will be an incredible five days. This is box office; one of the highest profile games in cricket and the world’s attention will be trained on Yorkshire during the Third Specsavers Ashes Test Match.

23 August – Diamonds on the Yorkshire Coast

The women’s Kia Super League might be on borrowed time but it is a month-long festival of limited-overs cricket throughout August. In a sign of Headingley’s workload, this Roses match has been moved to Scarborough for 2019 with Lancashire Thunder in town and Yorkshire Diamonds aiming to improve on previous Super League adventures.

So…there you have it…a few matches to get you in the mood for 2019. As ever, I’ll be covering all forms of Yorkshire cricket here on Cricket Yorkshire with new articles and interviews every week of the year.

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Latest: My new Scarborough Cricket Festival book

December 9, 2018 by John Fuller

I’m delighted that my Scarborough Cricket Festival book is now available to pre-order via Great Northern Books.

It will be out in May 2019 but we’ve now opened up the opportunity to buy a limited-edition, hardback copy, if you’d like to treat yourself or gift a book.

Pre-order now, and as well as a signed copy, your chosen name will be included in the back of the printed book.

The Scarborough Cricket Festival has made for a compelling subject. We are firmly in an age where T20 dominates the cricket agenda and yet there is an enormously popular cricket tradition that endures on the Yorkshire coast dating back to 1876.

I spent the best part of a week in the town around the 2018 Scarborough Cricket Festival talking to fans, players and those who have been coming to Scarborough to watch county cricket for decades.

What’s included?

It is written in the style of my first book, All Wickets Great and Small, with travel writing at its core so expect as much about the quality of the fish and chips and the conversations I have as the action over the three and a bit days.

I want you to feel the sand between your toes and be transported back to the wooden benches of the Popular Bank and the roar that ignites to spur Yorkshire on.

While not a history book, it has lots of stories of historical matches included. It would be hard not to look back at some of the famous matches, players and performances that form much of the magic at North Marine Road.

Apart from my observations during the Scarborough Cricket Festival itself, I’ve interviewed many to tease out the stories, including…

Geoffrey Boycott re-lives his final Yorkshire match at Scarborough, Darren Lehmann is full of tales about his exploits on and off the field and Jason Gillespie speaks of what Scarborough Cricket Festival means to him.

From B&Bs to chippies who rely on the cricket to the perspective of Jim, Chief Executive of Scarborough Borough Council and the business of doing business; from the tales that flow from ardent Yorkshire fans to the personal accounts of life in the press box with Chris Waters and David Hopps, this is a must-read… but then I would say that!

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

To pre-order a hardback copy of my Scarborough Cricket Festival book, visit the Great Northern Books page. You’ll be one of a select few to have your name in the book itself and will be sent a signed copy on its publication.

If you want to gift it to someone else, the publisher will send out a pdf certificate to print and give as a present.

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER LIST

If you want to hear about what it’s been like to research and write this book, be the first to see the new cover reveal, see exclusive photography and stories before anyone else – sign up!

**This is separate to Cricket Yorkshire’s regular list. It is only relating to the Scarborough Cricket festival book – but I have lots of content and it will be plenty of fun!

LIMITED EDITION HARDBACK

– Bookplate signed by the author

– The name of your choice printed in the list of supporters at the back of the book. (Don’t forget to include the name in the ‘dedications’ note box at checkout)

– Advance orders will receive a confirmation certificate – ideal for gifting

Publication May 2019

FREE UK DELIVERY

£17.99 including UK delivery.