Eggborough Power Station CC: The Eagles have landed

Going to Eggborough Power Station Cricket Club to check out their new ground offered a glimpse into the future and a reminder of the past.

In 2017, I watched Eggborough’s evening league game against Carlton Towers when they had the power station’s cooling towers as the backdrop.

Since then, the power station has been demolished and the cricket club found themselves at nearby Hirst Courtney’s facility for four seasons, after the hosts’ team folded.

Now the St Francis Group, who acquired the Eggborough Power Station site in 2019, has built a new cricket ground on Hazel Old Lane and Eggborough’s 1st XI are still pinching themselves after just a few home games into their Division 2 season in the Pontefract & District Cricket League.

As you can see from the map, the landscape is scarred from the demolition; the lunar pockmarks a contrast to fresher excavation on which a modern, well-equipped cricket ground has sprouted.

The new ground is the dark green circle off Hazel Old Lane.

To get there, the drive through central Bradford and along two motorways went pretty well and we were soon parked up. The clubhouse is bigger than I was expecting and reminded me a little of the Graham Solley Pavilion at Sheffield Hallam University Sportspark.

Maybe it’s the angular roof.

Without any other shade to speak of, I was grateful for its protection and unsurprisingly, spectators and players largely stayed out of the sun for as long as possible.

Compared to temperatures coming this week, it was pretty mild but photographing the first innings, I would still feel as if my internal organs were cooking.

Future barbecuing aside, I had a tour with an instant wow factor. Eggborough’s new giant TV screen displayed a photo of my younger self with a welcome as a special guest!

It was a nice touch and along with cricket teas specially provided despite players bringing their own, imbued a kindness shown all day. More importantly, the game was promoting the Alzheimer’s Society, match sponsorship by the Gale family in memory of Leo.

Scott, the first-team captain, showed me the way such a new facility has touches of memorabilia to connect with their history dated back to 1966. He has kept old Eggborough Cricket Club shirts now framed in the connecting space leading to the changing rooms.

The club emblem is a golden eagle – or rather than eagle in gold – and I liked the way that is carried through with a framed plaque installed on the back wall of the kitchen-bar.

Something that definitely caught my eye was the sense of unity and cohesion with branding. The blue and banana yellow livery cropped up across the building in signage and, along with the logo, looked very professional.

For those who like their ornithology, there were no fluttering eagles that I could identify but later on, a bird of prey did hover way, way above the square. A buzzard or goshawk?

So, to the match itself with Eggborough at home to Calder Grove 2nd XI; the visitors rooted to the foot of the table with a solitary win.

Calder Grove won the toss and chose to field; a curious decision in that it was hot enough to fry a steak simply by laying out a fillet on the blue roll-on cricket covers, (provided, ahem, by our website partner, ACS Cricket Equipment).

In fact, part of my reasoning for coming along was also down to a separate future article on the two-lane outdoor nets and artificial match pitch, installed by total-play Ltd. Both are brand-new and will be an asset for years to come.

Scott told me that the new nets were likely a contributing factor in attracting more players, allied with improved turnout for midweek training. It will generate income too as enquiries are already coming in from teams keen to practice there.

I digress… in the middle, Callum Tyson (50 off 55 balls, above) batted assuredly to build a platform for Eggborough and Cameron Cooper, at three, struck 44.

The umpire for the day, Fazal, impressed me as his arm was in a sling but it never occurred to miss the match.

He even had a tablet that hung from a cord round his neck, to score one-handed for personal record-keeping I guess.

Umpire Zaman did feel obliged to give two sets of five penalty runs for running on the pitch which caused bemusement and a bit of confusion later.

I know rules are rules but you would have failed to rough that surface up with a pneumatic drill. Says a member of the bowlers’ union. Nonetheless, absolute fair play for umpiring both ends with one arm out of use.

One cheeky observation overheard: ‘At least he can’t signal a wide’ (there were 12 in the match, as it turned out!)

Speaking of pitch battles, it didn’t look as if it misbehaved much beyond the occasional lower or higher bounce that you always see in club cricket. Those out in the middle may see it differently of course.

From 156-4, the home side stumbled as Calder Grove’s bowlers Daniel Brown (4-43) & Will Horsfield (3-53) burst through the middle and lower order. Opening bowler James Clough (1-29) stuck to the task for admirable economy on a hot afternoon.

Callum Maxwell (22 off 19) got Eggborough to 207 all out; the innings closing with two balls left.

It represented the highest score of Eggborough’s season. The chase would require Calder Grove to improve on their best so far of 187 against Allerton Bywater back in May.

Mrs Cricket Yorkshire and I sat inside to munch on our tea (a generous cheese, pickle and salad roll being a tasty highlight – can’t beat a classic).

Two girls swung on a chair nearby, glanced up at the screen then at me before exclaiming: “THAT’S YOU!!”

We didn’t stay until the conclusion of Eggborough’s 58-run win but the writing was on the wall as Calder Grove had slumped to 100-5.

Egg-cellent win

After we waved farewell and got back on the M62 towards Leeds, Andrew Carter’s wicket (58) extinguished any thoughts of a run chase.

Liam Gale (3-38), Kris Cooper (4-36) and Callum Maxwell (3-29) shared the wickets to drive a 16pt victory with Eggborough (107) in fourth behind Bentley Colliery (119), Ryhill & Havercroft (123) and Notton who are leading on 144pts in Division 2.

Eggborough will want to round off their time in the league positively before heading for the Yorkshire Premier League North in 2027.

Summing up

It is rare to see a brand-new cricket ground in Yorkshire and rarer still that one exists for a club with only one team.

The club are getting to grips with everything but they now have a lease, more security and a brighter future since tenancy at Hirst Courtney.

All the responsibility now rests on the club but, as it was put to me, at least that’s in their control. I suspect that Eggborough won’t mind rolling up their sleeves and getting it done.

There is no shortage of ambition (growing membership, juniors and getting the ground used more) but that will take time. A perpetual need for grounds, especially spacious ones means revenue from hiring it out is an advantage.

Pre-game quick thinking was required when the giant yellow pitch roller (the kind to compact roads) had conked out on Saturday morning. Cue frantic calls before J. Whittles Electrical and Mechanical turned up to replace the battery and get it started.

I’d imagine sorting reliable phone and broadband signal is on their radar and plans to extend the parking (plenty of roadside berths too though) would mean this is perfect for a cup final venue in time.

As ever though, it’s the people, not the infrastructure, that make a cricket club. That hasn’t really changed. There’s still a noticeable friendliness at Eggborough that will stand them in good stead for future adventures.

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