National Village Cup 2026: Clubs discover opposition

The Cawston Press Village Cup draw has been made and 48 Yorkshire clubs now know their opponent for the Round 1 matches on Sunday 26 April.

There are sub-plots galore. 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?

England white-ball captain Harry Brook’s club, Burley-in-Wharfedale, is one of 26 first-timers in this year’s competition. He isn’t eligible to play but may well cheer from the sidelines.

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.

🚨 This article has been updated on Monday 2 March 2026 after the Cawston Press Village Cup draw was made.

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.

The Aire-Wharfe League’s Burley-in-Wharfedale are in for the first time too – they begin with a tough test away at last year’s quarter-finalists Thornton of the Halifax League.

📅 Yorkshire’s regional groups have changed for 2026.

There are 48 clubs across three groups of 16: Yorkshire (North), Yorkshire (East) and Yorkshire (West). This streamlined structure means there is no preliminary round for our part of the country anymore.

While geography purists might shudder at Oughtibridge War Memorial (north of Sheffield) being in Yorkshire (West), all Yorkshire clubs will begin at the same time on Sunday 26 April in Round 1.

The Village Cup organisers aimed to reduce travel times where possible in earlier rounds and even up the groups.

Later rounds: 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 at home to Ferrybridge Power Station in Division 1 of the Pontefract Cricket League. As mentioned earlier, 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).

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Beckwithshaw (about to debut in the YPLN after many years in the Aire-Wharfe) and Welton (East Riding) are two more clubs beginning their adventures in the Village Cup.

Meanwhile, two cricket clubs on the edge of Scarborough are back in the competition: Wykeham, as well as Scalby, will juggle Championship East commitments in the YPLN with Sunday Village Cup matches.

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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 403 teams across England, Scotland and Wales dreaming of hoisting the trophy that has been contested since 1972.

🏆 Village Cup 2026 – Round 1 Draw for Yorkshire clubs

Yorkshire (North)

Ebberston v Rockliffe Park

Moorsholm v Folkton & Flixton

Silton v Staithes

Harome v Thornton Watlass

Wykeham v West Tanfield

Sessay v Scalby

Forge Valley v Seamer & Irton

Thornton Le Moor v East Harlsey

Yorkshire (East)

Dunnington v Sheriff Hutton Bridge

Hensall v Woodhouse Grange

Sutton-on-Hull v Ben Johnson

Drax v Welton

Middleton & North Dalton v Carlton Towers

South Milford v Patrington

Alkborough v Brandesburton

South Holderness v Outcasts

Yorkshire (West)

Great Preston v Streethouse

Frickley Colliery v Slaithwaite

Killinghall v Goldsborough

Addingham v Thorpe Audlin

Houghton Main v Kippax

East Ardsley v Barwick in Elmet

Thornton v Burley-in-Wharfedale

Oughtibridge War Memorial v Beckwithshaw

🏆 Want to read more Village Cup features?

Hensall Village Cup tie – Andrew Gallon

Patrington: Record-breaking run in the Village Cup

The village cricketer who’s just hit a hundred at Lord’s