Untangling the spaghetti: Mapping out cricket fixtures

Tom Jenkins shares the incredible annual feat of how cricket fixtures at grassroots need to knit together, creating 2,000+ over his winter.

Where do I start trying to describe the winter of 2024-25 that I’ve had. As I write this I’m sunbathing in Gran Canaria. 

I’m a glutton for punishment when it comes to fixtures. 

Mission: HCL fixtures done before Christmas

From the moment the Halifax Cricket League (HCL) came to a conclusion in the middle of September, I immediately started fixture planning for the 2025 season. My target was to have the fixtures done and dusted before the league’s AGM (mid-November).

The main reason for me expediting the completion of the 2025 fixtures, was due to Mrs Jenkins not seeing me on evenings for months the previous season; something had to change. 

I’m proud to say I hit my target and the 2025 HCL fixtures were all written up and ready for release before the AGM.

It was decided that due to some uncertainty on a couple of clubs we would hold the release until February, but from my point of view all 1st, 2nd & Sunday XI fixtures were completed before I’d even thought about Christmas. 

Junior cricket is booming in Halifax

This gave me so much more time to effectively prepare for the nightmare of Halifax Junior Cricket League fixtures (we’ll get on to the exponential growth of women & girls’ cricket in West Yorkshire later). 

The Halifax Junior Cricket League has increased its team participants year on year for at least a decade now. As an executive we must be doing something right. 

The health of the junior league in Halifax is so pleasing and for the second year running, we have exceeded 100 teams.

To be exact, 115 individual teams across the ages from 9s to 18s will take to the field in under a month. 

As a league exec, we cannot be criticised for giving ourselves a small pat on the back; however, huge amounts of credit must go to coaches, parents & guardians and most importantly the hundreds of children turning up week-to-week playing the game we all love so much.

In this technological age we find ourselves in where young people turn to digital hobbies, it’s amazing how engaged the kids seem when it comes to cricket. Long may it continue. 

The women & girls’ juggernaut rolls on

This brings me nicely on to my third and final set of fixtures I finished before my holiday: West Yorkshire Women & Girls’ cricket. 

Being involved in this league from its inception is something I’m extremely proud of. It’s an exceptional community, where support at all levels is witnessed on a daily basis. The encouragement seen across all four regions of West Yorkshire is amazing to see. 

Softball cricket in the women’s league is massive: We have 92 teams spread across Bradford, Calderdale, Huddersfield & Leeds.

Thankfully, we allow a degree of flexibility regarding when a team’s home games are played. This normally means wherever there is a gap in a weekly schedule the women’s teams get allocated to that day. 

Trying to plan around Senior and Junior fixtures is a logistical nightmare; at one point I had 20 tabs open on my laptop all showing club Play-Cricket websites! 

Then you have the none-cricket activities that impact fixtures for some clubs. Bank Holiday carnivals, Rob Burrow marathons or other popular events. Add to the guesswork of trying not to give teams a home game on a day when their mens’ team might have a Round 2 or last 16 home cup games. As I say, logistical nightmares. 

At the Women & Girls’ AGM in early March, I tentatively told the room I’d have all their softball league fixtures done before I flew out on holiday with the missus (she was actually at the AGM and the eye roll she gave me was a look of ‘It better be Tom, as you ain’t bringing your laptop!’)

When I do the maths, my winter has been one where I have single-handedly created over 2,000 fixtures across West Yorkshire. 

I’m either a glutton for punishment or just someone who loves what they do and will always help out in any way shape or form I can. 

As a captain for Stainland 2nd XI, I can’t wait for the season to start so I can have a break from a screen and get on the field to try and win us promotion.

📆 Thanks to Tom for sharing his perspective of a fixtures maestro; it’s one of those unseen volunteer jobs where thousands of fixtures across leagues are magically arranged each year and someone has figured it all out.