National Village Cup: Woodhouse Grange, Patrington & Ackworth still in

The largest knockout cricket competition in the UK has reached the National Rounds. The Voneus Village Cup, organised by The Cricketer, has witnessed 35 villages lift the trophy since 1972 – will a Yorkshire side do it in 2023?

There’s still some way to go. The NVC final is played each September at Lord’s and Yorkshire’s villages have a proud record of making it to the latter stages or winning. By my reckoning, they’ve won it 12 times so about a third of all NVC winners are from Yorkshire.

We’ve had the 2023 regional rounds and regional final so now it’s time for villages to pack up their kit bags, put their bat in the car and hit the road to clubs and leagues (sometimes) far away.

This Sunday 18 June, Woodhouse Grange travel to the other side of Hull to Patrington for Round 5. It pits two Yorkshire groups against each other, presumably to cut down on the road miles. They’ll know each other quite well, as they have already played this season in the league.

Meanwhile, Ackworth host Stayley in West Yorkshire. (Stayley are members of the Greater Manchester Cricket Club).

Woodhouse Grange are going for their fifth title which already sees them as the most successful village cricket side ever.

Having won in 1995, 2007, 2014 and 2015 and been finalists in 1999, 2008 and 2012, the men of Derwent have a pedigree that’s hard to ignore.

Besides, their North Yorkshire (North) Group was arguably the toughest in the country just to get out of.

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Their opening game was against the 2018 winners Folkton & Flixton, the last Yorkshire village to be victorious at Lord’s. An early test that was safely navigated – Woodhouse Grange (160-4) winning by six wickets.

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Two walkovers followed before a thumping 144 run-victory over Rockliffe Park of the NYSD as a serious statement of intent.

I caught up with Steve Burdett, Woodhouse Grange’s second-team captain and someone who has played in all seven appearances in a final at Lord’s.

They are back in the Village Cup for the first time since 2015 and keen to make the most of it: “Woodhouse Grange has a long-standing history with the National Village Cup, to again be entered into the competition has created a real buzz within the club.”

For Steve, there’s the carrot of one last hurrah. It can probably feel a bit surreal as a captain of a cricket club at Lord’s; one for the scrapbook. 

“My fondest memory would be winning the competition as captain, addressing an audience on the steps of Lord’s and leading a team through the Long Room is something I will always cherish – but to see the club defend a national competition in 2015 was also very special.”

This year, it’s all change with Woodhouse Grange fielding a second eleven as their firsts aren’t eligible because they play in the ECB Yorkshire Premier League North.

Have a read below for results and the latest fixtures…

Group 3 – North Yorkshire (North) RESULTS

Preliminary round – April 9

• Hensall beat Heslerton by walkover

Round One – April 23

• Woodhouse Grange 160-4 beat Folkton & Flixton 157 by 6 wickets
• Hensall beat Silton by walkover
• Moorsholm lost to Great Habton
• Thornton Watlass beat Sheriff Hutton Bridge by walkover

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• Cayton lost to Thornton le Moor by walkover
• Ebberston 289-2 beat Forge Valley 128-6 by 161 runs
• Sutton-on-Hull beat Blubberhouses by walkover
• South Holderness lost to Rockliffe Park by walkover

Round Two – May 7

• Woodhouse Grange beat Hensall by walkover
• Great Habton lost to Thornton Watlass by walkover
• Thornton le Moor 185 beat Ebberston 159 by 26 runs
• Sutton-on-Hull 128 lost to Rockliffe Park 179-8 by 51 runs

Round Three – May 21

• Woodhouse Grange beat Thornton Watlass by walkover
• Thornton le Moor 87 lost to Rockliffe Park 91-1 by 9 wickets

Regional final – June 4

• Woodhouse Grange 298-3 beat Rockliffe Park 154 by 144 runs

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Group 4 – North Yorkshire (South)
(No Round 1).

Patrington are Woodhouse Grange’s opponents on Father’s Day and play in the same league and division (Yorkshire Premier League North, Championship East).

They’ve had two walkovers in the National Village Cup so far before comfortably defeating Carlton Towers by six wickets.

The McKinleys (Ashley & Connor) are two to watch out for with the bat, having both hit fifties against Woodhouse Grange in the league back in April.

Round Two – May 7

• Staxton lost to Alne by walkover
• Killinghall 136 lost to Carlton Towers 262-7 by 126 runs
• Harome beat Addingham by walkover
• East Ardsley lost to Patrington by walkover

Round Three – May 21

• Alne 191-4 lost to Carlton Towers 192-2 by 8 wickets
• Harome lost to Patrington by walkover

Regional final – June 4

• Carlton Towers 183-8 lost to Patrington 185-4 by 6 wickets

Group 5 – West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire & Humberside

Does this group cover the largest area in the country? There’s a trivia question for you. Probably – except Scotland obviously. Well, Ackworth are once again on a roll after being the last Yorkshire village left standing in the 2022 competition.

They’ve beat Outcasts, Slaithwaite and Broughton before a six-wicket defeat of Kippax Welfare in the Regional Final.

Group 5 had Houghton Main who won it in 2006 and were 2019 finalists.

Over 350 teams began the 52nd edition of the Village Cup with the preliminary round having taken place on 9 April 2023.

Round One – April 23

• Houghton Main won Thornton by committee
• Bye v Frickley Colliery
• Kippax Welfare v Bye
• Streethouse beat Rodley by walkover

• Slaithwaite beat Drighlington by walkover
• Ackworth beat Outcasts by 10 wickets
• Broughton 210-9 beat Middleton & North Dalton 133 by 77 runs
• Oulton 155-7 lost to Great Preston 156-7 by 3 wickets

Round Two – May 7

• Houghton Main 113 beat Frickley Colliery 108 by 5 runs
• Kippax Welfare 218 beat Streethouse 159-9 by 59 runs
• Slaithwaite lost to Ackworth by committee
• Broughton 109-8 beat Great Preston 92 by 17 runs

Round Three – May 21

• Houghton Main 145 lost to Kippax Welfare 184 by 39 runs
• Ackworth 140-4 beat Broughton 136 by 6 wickets

Regional final – June 4

• Kippax Welfare 179 lost to Ackworth 180-4 by 6 wickets

Fixtures

• Round 5 –  June 18
• Round 6 – July 2
• Quarter-finals –  July 16
• Semi-finals –  July 30
• Final – September 3

Winners of the National Village Cup

(*Yorkshire winners denoted with asterisk)

1972 Troon
1973 Troon
1974 Bomarsund
1975 Gowerton
1976 Troon
1977 Cookley
1978 Linton Park
1979 East Bierley*
1980 Marchwiel
1981 St Fagan’s
1982 St Fagan’s
1983 Quarndon
1984 Marchwiel
1985 Freuchie
1986 Forge Valley*
1987 Longparish
1988 Goatacre
1989 Toft
1990 Goatacre
1991 St Fagan’s
1992 Hursley Park
1993 Kington
1994 Elvaston
1995 Woodhouse Grange*
1996 Caldy
1997 Caldy
1998 Methley*
1999 Linton Park
2000 Elvaston
2001 Ynystawe
2002 Shipton-under-Wychwood
2003 Shipton-under-Wychwood
2004 Sully Centurions
2005 Sheriff Hutton Bridge*
2006 Houghton Main*
2007 Woodhouse Grange*
2008 Valley End
2009 Glynde
2010 Sessay*
2011 Woodhouses
2012 Reed
2013 Cleator
2014 Woodhouse Grange*
2015 Woodhouse Grange*
2016 Sessay*
2017 Reed
2018 Folkton & Flixton*
2019 Reed
2020 Colwall
2021 Calmore Sports
2022 Dumbleton

(With thanks to the ACS – Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians)

Good luck to all of Yorkshire’s teams… for reports, scorecards and stats from the competition, visit: https://www.nationalvillagecup.com.