T20: Sixes at altitude as Cumberworth United progress

On the hottest day of the year – albeit a temperature almost certain to be bettered several times in the coming weeks – I was desperate for a breeze.

Heading for height seemed a sensible option for Thursday evening cricket, so I went to Cumberworth United’s Cumberworth Lane ground, which stands at 719 feet.

There was, indeed, a breeze at that altitude. But not much of one!

Cumberworth hosted Championship (i.e. second tier) rivals Birkby Rose Hill in round two of the Huddersfield Premier League’s T20 Shield knockout competition.

I do like the ECB Premier League-rated, for 2025, Huddersfield Premier League. The quality of its cricket is matched by the scenic, quirky nature of its grounds.

Cumberworth United’s ground is a little cracker. It is on the western extremity of Lower Cumberworth, a steady climb out of Denby Dale. Keep rising along Cumberworth Lane, and you get to Upper Cumberworth, the larger and higher of the two Cumberworths.

Formed in 1890, United (I’d be interested to know how that suffix came about) joined the Huddersfield League in 2012. Previously, they had been members of the defunct Huddersfield Central League.

Unusually, the best view of the United ground is from narrow Cumberworth Lane itself. The other side of a gritstone wall, and a row of backless benches, the small pitch drops steeply to the square, after which the turf levels out. 

On the opposite side of the upper Dearne Valley, beyond the barns of the appropriately named Top of the Hill Farm, looms Kirklees’s most arresting landmark: the 1,047ft concrete tower of Emley Moor transmitting station.

I wonder how many of the Huddersfield Premier League’s 40 or so member clubs do not have a view of the Emley Moor mast, which despite being finished as long ago as 1971 still manages to look futuristic. It cannot be many!

The pitch’s slope is so pronounced, a sight screen is not needed at the Cumberworth Lane end. Instead, the business side of the gritstone wall is painted white.

United’s stone pavilion is on the west side. Of traditional design, with the dressing rooms flanking a bar, and a veranda out front, it is a comparatively recent addition. A plaque reveals the pavilion was built in 1995 by Ken Littlewood.

Picnic tables either side of the clubhouse proved popular with spectators, many of whom slaked ‘Flaming June’ thirsts from glassware beaded with condensation.

A second plaque celebrates the Cumberworth Steppes, an earthwork sculpted by public realm artist Abigail Downer. The steppes, created from recycled railway tunnel spoil, is a feature of the 73-mile Kirklees Way long-distance footpath.

The drystone wall bends around the Cumberworth Lane ground’s east side, beyond which are Lower Cumberworth’s gritstone cottages and distant, wooded hills.

A copse, in the northeast corner, partially masks Top of the Hill Farm, whose sheep field abuts the cricket’s ground’s north end. A fence stile facilitates ball retrieval.

Limited parking is available behind and above the clubhouse. Latecomers can either park in the village then walk or risk losing their wing mirrors on Cumberworth Lane.

The Cumberworth United-Birkby Rose Hill clash looked like being one of the more closely contested of the evening’s eight pink-ball-and-pyjama T20 Shield ties.

Having secured promotion, apparently even to their own surprise, from the Conference division, in 2024, United are eighth in the Championship. Their record of three wins from eight league games is marginally better than bottom-placed Rose Hill’s two from eight.

In round one of the T20 Shield, Cumberworth had won by 126 runs at Upperthong while, seven days later, Rose Hill hammered, by 10 wickets, hosts Cartworth Moor.

The visitors, who brought with them a noisy band of supporters, won the toss and elected to bat. “It’s the thing to do,” observed one of the umpires.

On an evening hallmarked by bat domination, Rose Hill suffered an early setback when Kamran Muhammad was bowled, for one, by Josh Ibbotson (1-46 from four).

This brought Ali Shan to the crease. Rose Hill’s captain and wicketkeeper, a pocket rocket, went on to smash 90 not out off 57 balls. His innings featured eight sixes and five fours. Shan and Musa Ahmed (22 off 37, three fours) put on 83 for the second wicket.

During the penultimate over, in consecutive balls, Shan blasted a six, a six, a four and a six. The first two sixes had the adjacent farm’s sheep scurrying for cover. 

Rose Hill’s 145-3 from their 20 overs did not look a particularly daunting total. When Cumberworth replied, the visitors sabotaged their chances by dropping three possible catches and producing several tragi-comic moments of slipshod ground fielding.

Young pacer Syed Hafeez Shah (0-41 from four) witnessed two fumbles off his bowling, the first in the opening over. I’m thinking the lowering sun was in the fielder’s eyes.

Hit or miss

At the second drop, in the seventh, at 53-0, Shah kicked the grass in frustration. “It’s hit or miss,” he shrugged, reflecting on the many agonies and few ecstasies of T20 bowling.

In the manner of a trader determined to flog every last item he has carted to market, Cumberworth set out their stall from the off. 

Wicketkeeper Finley Senior (57 off 37, 10 fours) and captain Jordan Greaves (28 off 28, three fours) put on 78 for the first wicket.

When a miscuing Greaves was dismissed, caught by Tahir Iqbal off Ahmed (1-27 from four), South African Corne Nel, a batting all-rounder back at Cumberworth United for a second season, kept the momentum going with a brisk 31 off 21 (five fours).

Before joining Cumberworth, overseas Nel, from Free State, had spells with Caldy (2022) and Rainford (2023), each of the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition.

Nathan Moorhouse (20 not out off 14, two sixes), in at four, then finished the job, steering the hosts to 146-3 from 16.5 overs. Comfortable.

The T20 Shield’s quarter-finals are scheduled for Thursday, July 3 (6.30). Cumberworth United’s reward for beating Birkby Rose Hill is another home tie, against Championship rivals Broad Oak.

Holmfirth, second in the Conference division and the sole survivor from the third tier, will host Mirfield Parish Cavaliers. Linthwaite go to 2024 T20 Shield winners Armitage Bridge while Meltham entertain Slaithwaite.

Enjoyed the read?

You can check out other club visits by Andrew in his column, Miles Per Gallon.

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