I went looking for cricket and made new friends instead

My final game of the outdoor club cricket season in Yorkshire snuck up, as they always do.

The 15th season of running this website felt as if it deserved a flourish. There was a double-header at Headingley across Saturday & Sunday – but I sought something more local and more nourishing.

Thanks to a post on Facebook, I came to catch wind of the final Saturday matches in the Bradford Mutual Sunday School Cricket League. It is a league that celebrated its 130th anniversary this past year.

When it gets this late into September, warm afternoons such as these are positively luxurious. The walk from Cricket Yorkshire HQ to the game at Hirst Wood is much-loved by dog-walkers and the occasional mountain biker.

The horse chestnut trees had already dropped many of their spiky green parcels, carpeting the long stretch of hedgerows with an abundance of shiny, brown jewels underfoot.

As we reached the bridge over the River Aire, the shouts from the football match at Salts, where I used to play in the Dales Council Cricket League, reached our ears.

There is plenty to appreciate about this scenic spot on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Hirst Wood has a lot going on. A row of cottages on Hirst Mill Crescent includes Ollie’s Honey who keeps his own bees.

Hirst Wood Nature Reserve is just across from the cricket field that is right next to the Higher Ground cafe on the site of Hughes Family Bakery.

Saltaire is a short walk along the canal or weaving through the pebbled backstreets of the UNESCO-protected village.

Unusually, the cafe was quiet. It is one of our favourites (we’re allowed more than one) by virtue of an unobstructed view of cricket, allied with excellent soups, friendly service and an assortment of fluffy dogs.

I won’t lie. I was feeling a little morose. A few plans to travel to cricket further afield had gone awry so there was an unsettled energy that came with accepting club cricket would be done and dusted very soon.

Beyond the boundary flags, hosts Yorkshire Friends were batting against Girlington – a relegation scrap where both were already consigned to Group B for 2027.

Post-lunch, I led the way over to where Yorkshire Friends were batting to have a chat. It could have gone one of two ways. No-one talked to us and we moved on or a conversation sparked to life.

Those we met can’t have known how much I needed this last touchpoint of a sizzling summer.

The common language of cricket meant my wife and I were both included by those players who sat near the shipping container by the rail tracks.

Dr Rizwan Hameed, chairman of the league and captain of Yorkshire Friends, filled us in on a possible franchise competition where businesses would back teams in 2027. Meanwhile, the cricket erupted in a flurry of sixes.

This Bradford council pitch had life in it.

However, hand-eye coordination and poetic timing from Muddasar Raja saw huge maximums. He sent one soaring over the cafe and another struck a tree that shook and deposited autumnal leaves in reply.

Raja’s knock of 71 not out from 52 balls saw Yorkshire Friends reach 228 off their 40 overs. Wickets were shared between Girlington’s six bowlers. It was lively, packed with jokes and a real celebration.

By the break, we had already been treated to cups of chai and sponge cakes as chairs were sought for us. It looked like we’d stay a while after all. 

Each six yielded a dance and a flamboyant signal from the umpire ‘Iby’ who was terrific company when the players paused between innings.

Several times, we were offered food that the home team provides for both sets of cricketers and umpires each week. It might be a biryani or, this time burgers made at home.

This kind of hospitality happened organically and without any expectation of something in return. There was time for a group photo and I was asked to join them; again a nice touch.

We lingered long enough to see Yorkshire Friends start well with the ball. Skipper Hameed had the ball on a string, darting and probing with his spin, as Girlington took time to settle.

By the time we were away through Hirst Wood, the home side had edged toward their eventual victory by 23 runs. Atsham Nasir’s 3-27 combined impressive economy with top-order dismissals.

A match that ultimately meant little in terms of points and league places had been everything. 

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