New Farnley set up Hoylandswaine Heavy Woollen Semi

The Heavy Woollen Cup quarter-final between Castleford and New Farnley offered knockout cricket in a prestigious tournament between two ECB Premier League champions.

I’ll bundle up the travel prelude by saying the Knottingley service from platform 13b at Leeds station might wheeze and rattle but is stoutly reliable.

The walk to Savile Park could be measured in the time it took to half-eat a terrible gluten-free sandwich (accidental purchase) but the prospect of cricket always dissolves any grumps.

Like many, Castleford Cricket Club’s giant oval’s outfield was parched and had become a dusty, compacted brick. The old running track painted a broad, starched circle around the edge of the cricket.

Groundsman Martin Gibson was rolling the pitch – a greener square – as the bowlers marked out run-ups with a measuring tape. A lively wind created a bit of havoc as the sightscreens threatened to take off. Nothing a few barrels of beer couldn’t solve as a counter-weight.

Some of the pre-match discussion over at the New Farnley camp was around the Leeds-Bradford UCCE programme closing at the end of July (both men’s and women’s).

A decision that I find baffling given its success at nurturing talented students who have gone on to represent counties. Not all players go through a county pathway for a myriad of reasons.

Leeds-Bradford UCCE and out

It boils down to the brass tacks of strategic direction and cost. There has been a managed decline in terms of funding and first-class status withdrawn over time. I mention it as New Farnley has a strong connection (through Leeds-Bradford UCCE Head Coach Andrew Lawson and past alumni Steve Bullen, Alex Lilley and Ryan McKendry).

A scorecard plucked at random from 2016 featured Martin Andersson, Billy Root and Jordan Thompson – three county cricketers who used the then-MCCU scheme as a path into the game.

To get back to the Heavy Woollen Cup… a bit of form context for you all – New Farnley had beaten Pudsey Congs the day before by seven wickets in the Bradford Premier League. In contrast, Castleford had lost by three wickets to York.

Both sides were missing first-team regulars with David Wainwright captaining Cheshire down at Wimborne against Dorset and Alex Lilley not in the gold and green XI for New Farnley.

The weather report? Indecisive. Grizzling clouds gave way to deceptive heat, softened by those gusts. As I sat out on a bench and proceeded to foolishly get sunstroke, Castleford began to tear up the script.

Joshua Wood (3-37) and Owen Smith (2-29) were a handful but it was a double-blow from Cas skipper Ed Morrison (4-24) that set the cat amongst the pigeons.

On a surface set up for Castleford’s spin threat, New Farnley slumped to 63-6, as the hosts bowled intelligently and got into a canny position.

Late-order rally

I’d been looking forward to the spin and guile of Cas overseas signing Hayden Walsh Jr. It was curious to see him start off with an over of seam – though the move almost yielded a wicket after a half-tracker was shelled.

New Farnley were rescued by Gurman Randhawa’s 50 as the tail eked out invaluable runs. Castleford gradually lost the initiative. For the purist, this was sensible, percentage cricket as Gabe Field (23 off 42 balls) contributed to a vital partnership.

I interviewed Gurman afterwards; someone who always offers a thoughtful perspective in the years we’ve had chats for this website. I was curious about the mindset and approach when going in at 63-6, apparently the decision was to not retreat into a shell:

“I had Fletcher-Coutts with me at the start of my innings and he’s always looking to score. I think that’s the important thing on those type of pitches. With their spin attack, there might be one with your name on.”

He added: “With the ground being so big, it was: Run hard, put their fielders under pressure, try to nick twos and threes then hopefully we can bat a bit of time and build partnerships.”

In the end, a total of 185 off 47.4 overs felt as if it might be enough on this massive surface, taking into account New Farnley’s bowling attack and Castleford’s misfiring batting in recent weeks.

The reply saw Castleford dismissed for 81 to lose by 104 runs. Wickets were shared round but Taylor Robinson (4-12) continued an impressive debut season for New Farnley.

Randhawa was full of praise for Robinson: “He’s very relaxed and nothing really phases him. For a young lad, he’s got a good temperament and always willing to learn.”

Gurman Randhawa (3-30) completed an assured display with both bat and ball to help his side set up a home semi-final against Hoylandswaine on 9 August. York will welcome Woodlands in the other tie.

Randhawa is looking forward to locking horns with former club Swaine again after a close home victory in the ECB National competition against them earlier:

“If you can’t get up for games like that, you’re in the wrong sport! I’d like to think we’ve got a really good winning culture at the club. We’ll find players who’ll do things in important moments.”

While Castleford’s first team must make up 20pts behind leaders Clifton Alliance in the Yorkshire Premier League North top-flight (still time), other sides in Yorkshire have fixture congestion front of mind.

Fixture Jenga

York (second in the YPLN) are still in the Heavy Woollen Cup alongside the push for league honours and final of the K3 Dental Cup (against Cawthorne) at Wakefield Thornes.

Woodlands juggle the Bradford Premier League, Heavy Woollen Cup and ECB National Club Championship (against New Farnley). Hoylandswaine of the Huddersfield Premier League have league and Heavy Woollen Cup on their radar.

There’s the semi-finals of the White Rose Trophy / Yorkshire Leagues Knockout Cup from 2025 to somehow fit in (the dates for these are whispered urban myth at present) so don’t be surprised if there’s a bowl-out in a car park one Tuesday evening to fit everything in.