National Village Cup 2026: Sessay back and Yorkshire debuts

The road to Lord’s sees the return of Sessay, victors of the National Village Cup in 2010 & 2016. Can the North Yorkshire club put a run together?

Their first eleven are eligible now they are in Premier Division 2 of the YPLN. Sessay last entered the Village Cup in 2022 when they lost out to Rockliffe Park, of the NYSD.

In case you’re wondering, the photo below is Simon Mason hitting a hundred at Lord’s for Sessay to win in 2016. Photo by Mark – caughtlight.com

Drax & Ben Johnson, of the YPLN’s Championship Central & Division 4 Ebor respectively, are new entrants for this year. Ben Johnson, named after the former York printworks, are based out of the village of Escrick, also home to Yorkshire Gentlemen. Barwick-in-Elmet are in the hat for the draw as the Division 1 Ebor team joins the party.

Progress is via three groups for Yorkshire teams: North Yorkshire (North), North Yorkshire (South) and West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire & Humberside – before regional and national rounds.

While the fixtures are to follow, we do know that the Preliminary Round is on Sunday 12 April making it the earliest competitive fixture for some. Round 6 (5 July), Quarter-Finals (19 July) and Semi-Finals (2 August) will be on the horizon.

Another club making its debut is Thorpe Audlin, who begin their league season on 18 April at home to Ferrybridge Power Station in Division 1 of the Pontefract Cricket League. Further South, the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League‘s Oughtibridge War Memorial make a return to the Village Cup after they last played in 2014 (18-run defeat to Outlane).

Any village cricket teams with a population of fewer than 15,000 can take part and clubs competing in the top division of ECB Premier Leagues are allowed to enter 2nd XIs. If their squads can stay fit and competing league and cups aren’t onerous, Yorkshire villages will be thinking: You just never know…

Thornton (above, batting), of the Halifax Cricket League, got to the quarter-finals in 2025, while previous group winners from Yorkshire have changed annually. Last season, it was South Milford, Carlton Towers and Thornton and in 2024, Addingham, Folkton & Flixton and Frickley Colliery.

What starts as tradition, early-season practice or a bit of a punt channels the mind as the rounds go by. At some point, clubs have to make difficult decisions and leagues will need to be supportive, while also backing their own competitions that have sponsors and expectations.

The Village Cup final is inked in for Sunday 6 September 2026 at Lord’s with hundreds of teams across England, Scotland and Wales dreaming of hoisting the trophy that has been contested since 1972.