Sessay & Raskelf join forces in groundshare partnership

Sessay Cricket Club and Raskelf Cricket Club have announced a partnership that will see a sharing of player talent and grounds.

There will be no change to Sessay in the YPLN – with the club sharing a new signing in Jacob Wintle, an Australian-born pace bowler who took 35 wickets for Boyne Hill in the Thames Valley Cricket League last season.

However, Sessay and Raskelf will have two combined teams in the Nidderdale League in Division 3 and 6 respectively.

Raskelf’s ground will host all of the Nidderdale Cricket League fixtures while Sessay also referenced how it will be the new home for the Emeralds training and junior fixtures too.

Chairman of Sessay CC Stephen Langstaff commented:

“We would like to thank Raskelf for all their support with this venture and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.“

Richard Brown, Chairman of Raskelf CC, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Sessay to secure the future of cricket at Raskelf and welcome the opportunities for growth, development and diversity that this partnership presents”.

It’s a move that seemingly suits both parties very well in terms of cross-collaboration, not least geographically being a mere six miles or so apart via the A19.

At a time when women and girls’ cricket teams are growing, the partnership neatly solves a problem of capacity that Sessay were faced with – and presumably other clubs will have front-of-mind too.

The collaboration between two local cricket clubs in North Yorkshire is also bearing fruit in other ways too with two Sessay cricketers, Cam and Louis, receiving grounds maintenance training at Raskelf.

For Raskelf, it shores up their one-team club in terms of a player availability and ensures more visitors to the village with plenty of cricket lined up at the ground for 2025.

My only thought had been how Raskelf’s sense of identity is retained but there’s no talk of merger; this is a collaboration where Division Three of the Theakston Nidderdale League has a Sessay team and Raskelf are in Division Six.

At a time when some clubs are struggling for players, grounds or both, it’s good to see enterprise alive and well in North Yorkshire village cricket.