Latest player moves in Yorkshire’s Premier Leagues

January can mean only one thing. Snow? Indoor cricket nets?

Well, both actually but I was thinking of winter recruitment to strengthen squads for 2025.

Since my last feature picking out eight player moves for 2025, there’s been more deals done.

If opportunity presents itself, I will dabble with the moves from other Yorkshire leagues but for now, I’ve picked out a few player transfers that caught my eye in the Premier Leagues.

✍️ TRANSFERS

Usman Arshad (New Farnley to Jer Lane)

Jer Lane have had a raft of player announcements with Yasar Ali now confirmed as captain for 2025, while much is expected of left-arm spinner Amir Muhammad too.

The signing of all-rounder Arshad looks like a key push to lift squad strength with bat and ball as Jer Lane aim to sustain the Bradford Premier League challenge they mustered in 2024.

Other arrivals at Bradford Park Avenue are Farakh Hussain (Yeadon), Umar Zahoor & Saad Khan (Bowling Old Lane), Sabir Mahmoud (Pudsey Congs), Faisal Mahmood (Yeadon) and Aman Ali (Undercliffe).

Zeeshan Qasim (Undercliffe to Keighley)

As headline transfers go, this is right up there. Qasim won the Bradford Premier League bowling award for the Premier Division in 2024 at Undercliffe with 59 wickets (average of 16).

His move to Keighley Cricket Club in Division Two is a major coup as Keighley look to win promotion this coming season.

Meanwhile, Middle-order batter Matthew Hastings makes the move from Burley-in-Wharfedale of the Aire-Wharfe League, having scored 2,000+ runs over four seasons.

Other signings heading to Lawkholme Lane include wicketkeeper-batter Sam Massheder (Yeadon) and spinner-batter Gareth Lee from Spen Victoria.

Cooper Harrison-Tubb (Undercliffe)

Undercliffe Cricket Club has signed Cooper Harrison-Tubb as their overseas player for 2025.

The 18-year-old top-order batter plays 1st grade premier cricket for North Shore Cricket Club. Cooper is part of Auckland Pathway having represented them at U19s.

Bradford Premier League clubs have had notable success with overseas signings from New Zealand in recent years with Brad Schmulian from Woodlands and Cam Fletcher at New Farnley.

Abdul Faseeh (Sheffield Collegiate)

Abdul Faseeh has re-signed with Sheffield Collegiate of the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League for 2025.

The 21 year-old from Rawalpindi played for Pakistan A back in November and returns to Yorkshire where he has scored 1,260 runs at an average of 45.

Abhay Negi (New Farnley)

Bradford Premier League champions New Farnley look to have snapped up Abhay Negi as their overseas player.

The Indian bowling all-rounder has 83 first-class wickets at an average of 25 for Uttarakhand and has been playing in Elite Group B of the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy.

(This transfer is to be confirmed by the Bradford Premier League but was listed on the website of the ECB-registered Agent WSX.)

Negi, who played for Paignton in the Devon Cricket League last season, follows the batting firepower of Cam Fletcher whose stay at New Farnley was interrupted when signed by Derbyshire in 2024.

It follows other squad upgrades including former Bradford & Bingley captain Ed Brown and Ajmal Shahzad who is Assistant Coach (Bowling Lead) at Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Shahzad will support with coaching at New Farnley, along with Andrew Lawson of Leeds Bradford UCCE, and will play when commitments allow.

Daniel Moorhouse (Moorlands to Armitage Bridge)

Moorhouse is a smart signing for Armitage Bridge from the Huddersfield Cricket League Premiership champions of last season.

His 63 wickets at an average of 16 placed Moorhouse in the top ten of the league and Armitage Bridge will be counting on more of the same as they seek to return to the top tier.

It’s a return home for Moorhouse who played for Armitage Bridge as a junior and for the first XI until 2019.

Samit Patel (Cutthorpe to Hoylandswaine)

Hoylandswaine have been busy since September with eight confirmed transfers so far. The headline is all-rounder Samit Patel who is still contracted at Derbyshire County Cricket Club until the end of the 2025 season.

How often Patel turns out for Swaine, a little like New Farnley’s Shahzad, remains to be seen but he has won just about everything possible in county cricket and will doubtless like the small boundaries when batting but less so with the ball in hand.

Hoylandswaine’s squad refresh (they finished third in the Huddersfield Cricket League’s Premiership last term) sees wicketkeeper-batter Simon Ward transfer from Wath of the YCSPL while Faheem Basharat joins from Longton (North Staffs & South Cheshire League) where he bagged 42 wickets.

Their overseas player will be gun batter Harpreet Singh who has 5,000+ runs across five seasons in the UK. Nadim Hussain & Raheem Shahban (Rastrick), Luke Bridges (Barkisland) & Suleman Khan (Spring View of the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition) also head to Haigh Lane.

Joe Baker (Appleby Frodingham to Cleethorpes)

Defending Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League champions Cleethorpes have made a statement in their signing of opening bowler Joe Baker.

Baker returns to Chichester Road after four seasons at Frod where he took 108 wickets at an average of 13. It strengthens the Champions’ bowling still further as they seek to back-to-back titles.

Photo: Ray Spencer

Cosmond Walters (Jer Lane to Slaithwaite)

I’m always curious how cricketers fare switching Premier Leagues and Cosmond Walters looks an excellent signing by Slaithwaite.

The allrounder moves from Bradford Park Avenue where he scored 2,823 runs for Jer Lane of the Bradford Premier League with muscular batting and canny spin.

Adam Copley (Barnsley Woolley Miners to Tickhill)

Seamer Adam Copley had his most successful season with 56 wickets at Shaw Lane in 2024 but heads to Tickhill as one of a flurry of signings.

Tickhill finished third in the YCSPL behind Wakefield Thornes and Cleethorpes but have moved to strengthen their squad with Copley, as well as allrounder Bilal Anjum, ex-Barnsley captain Liam Johnson and opening bowler Vinnie Ogden after his brief spell at York Cricket Club.

Mosun Hussain (Jer Lane to Woodlands)

Jer Lane’s opening batter Mosun Hussain heads to Woodlands as the deposed Bradford Premier League champions freshen their squad for 2025.

Hussain blazed 978 runs across formats for the Bradford Park Avenue-based side last season to finish as the club’s top run scorer.

Hussain will be joined at Albert Terrace by Ossett’s allrounder Henry Pearson (41 wkts and 618 runs in 2024). I understand Woodlands are expected to make further signings, with a notable addition from the Huddersfield Premier League.


✍️ COMING SOON

We’ll have more transfer news as deals get done and the season creeps nearer. Thanks to those sharing their inside knowledge privately with Cricket Yorkshire. I find out a great deal but only publish what’s confirmed.

There will be news from other clubs/leagues in the coming months – as transfers activity steps up.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to this feature from the Premier Leagues either by emailing updated lists or simply by keeping things current on their site.

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🚨 The usual caveats and disclaimers apply with all transfers (particularly overseas players given any injuries, international selections or visa complications), i.e.) things may change before the season starts – but this was correct as of January 22nd 2025.