Pateley Bridge dig in but Whixley defeat the Badgers

The trip to Pateley Bridge takes you into the heart of Nidderdale, the roads threading between rolling hills before the steep drop from Coldstone Cuts towards the cricket ground that is hidden away in what is the showground.

I arrived just before one o’clock in beautiful sunshine, with barely a cloud overhead. and the smallest hint of a change in the weather.

A ground worth the journey

Pateley Bridge is a small, intimate ground…and an extremely photogenic one.

The hills provide a spectacular backdrop, while a charming and unusual wooden front to the pavilion with a stone veranda occupies one corner.

A small electronic scoreboard in the opposite corner faces back towards it.

The playing area is roughly circular, but the pitch has been positioned towards the showground side…with one boundary visibly longer than the other, suggesting that any batter prepared to target the shorter side might prosper.

From above, the ground and its surrounding hillscape looked every inch a contender for a place among Yorkshire’s finest club-cricket settings.

Two sides, very different seasons

The match itself brought together two sides whose positions in the Theakston Nidderdale League Division Two told contrasting stories. All 12 teams had played 15 games at the start of the day.

Whixley began the day seventh with 194 points and a net run rate of +0.23, their record reading seven wins, seven defeats and one abandonment.

Their 61 batting bonus points and 55 for bowling suggested a Whixley side whose greater strength lay slightly with the bat.

Pateley Bridge – known as ‘The Badgers’ were 12th and bottom with 82 points, one win and 13 defeats from their completed fixtures, plus one cancellation.

Their net run rate of -2.88 underlined a difficult campaign. They had collected 25 batting bonus points and 42 for bowling, alongside three penalty points.

With neither club likely to move significantly on the day, this was less about reshaping the table than finding some late-season joy.

Pateley Bridge grind it out

Pateley Bridge won the toss and chose to bat. Their top order looking to build a good platform by being difficult to get out and score runs on a regular basis, and for long periods that was exactly what it offered.

This was never going to be explosive cricket…with only around 20 runs scored in the first ten overs before the scoring briefly accelerated, taking the hosts to 74 for two after 19.

The innings never quite escaped its defensive set up. Opener Benjy Howard occupied the crease for a valuable contribution of 39 before he was bowled by George Barton, while Paul Howard in the middle of the batting line-up added a valuable 26 before being caught and bowled by George as well.

The batsmen were trying to be positive, but there were a few moments when indecision invited trouble, defensive pushes climbing the bat and threatening close-in catches.

Patient start becomes 136 All Out

Whixley’s bowling was on-point… the final wickets disappeared quickly and Pateley Bridge were dismissed for 136, just shy of the full 45 overs.

It was a total that offered the home team’s bowlers something to defend, but on a ground with one invitingly short side… always felt a little on the light side.

Webster turns the chase into a rout

Whixley’s reply removed any lingering uncertainty almost immediately. Where Pateley Bridge had needed ten overs to make about 20, the visitors raced to 47 from four.

Their openers, Captain George Barton and James Webster, played with freedom, found the boundary regularly and used the ground’s layout intelligently.

James in particular was enjoying his stint at the crease, hitting an unbeaten 89 that included nine fours and seven sixes…an innings that gave the pursuit a winning momentum.

By the end of the 11th over, Whixley had reached 126, just 11 short of victory.

The winning runs arrived in the 12th, the penultimate ball hit for six and the final six clattering onto the roof of the building next to the ground as the visitors passed the target set…reaching 140 for 2 to complete an emphatic win.

Tough afternoon for the hosts but a beautiful one

For Pateley Bridge, the afternoon reflected much of their season: determination, some encouraging individual performances and a bowling attack that is capable of inflicting pain on the opposition (I hasten to add…not literally!).

Whixley, meanwhile, produced the sort of decisive batting display their league figures had suggested.

The contest finished far earlier than scheduled, but the setting ensured the visit remained memorable: a warm day, a glorious ground and another reminder that club cricket in Nidderdale can offer a view worth the journey even when the result itself isn’t what the home team had hoped for.

Yes, I am going to utter those words: This is a ground to put on your list to visit. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed!

Editor’s Note: Pateley Bridge Cricket Club is hosting a Cricket Celebration Day on Sunday 23 August from 10.30am. The cricket matches and fundraiser includes a raffle and prizes such as two nights in an Airbnb and a signed Yorkshire CCC shirt.

Six-a-side teams, bar, BBQ and ice cream stand in a picturesque setting sounds like a perfect day out to me.

More from Cricket Yorkshire

Here on Cricket Yorkshire, check out our latest opinion articles from club cricket. Our cricket grounds section features travelogues, as well as other related adventures.

Cricket Yorkshire’s women and girls cricket hub has interviews, news and match coverage.

While cricket clubs seeking trusted cricket suppliers can see everything from teamwear to insurance and outdoor nets in our Suppliers Guide.

There’s also our Partner Content with interviews, products and services reviewed, as well as discounts and competitions across the year.

***

Here are all of Mark’s articles and photos on Cricket Yorkshire.

To see more of his photography, you can visit caughtlight.com or he’s @caughtlight on Twitter/X. There’s also the Caught Light Photography Facebook page.

Mark’s excellent blog called Leica Moments includes observations and imagery from days out at grounds around Yorkshire.