North Halifax clinch Prem 2 title in last-ball thriller

Four teams, three matches and a cup ultimately decided by just one run on the last ball.

The West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League’s Premier 2 Finals Day from Low Moor Holy Trinity delivered plenty of drama. As Mark Doherty reports, it was the kind of showpiece that makes cricket the game we all love.

A ground made for a finals day

I arrived early, with the sun still low in the sky and a rooster in the field next to the ground providing a wakeup call for anyone within earshot.

At just after 8am, the ground was already busy with activity, the grounds people were out preparing the wicket, the veranda was being set up with chairs, and the smell of bacon butties wafted across the grass.

Along with the rooster, I could hear a flock of chickens chittering away to each other, seemingly excited for the day of cricket ahead.

A donkey complained at being roused out of his bed, the horses wandered towards the open field to start munching on some grass, and a goat stood proudly atop the shed next to the ground, quietly watching all that was going on.

Quite the scene.

Low Moor Holy Trinity Cricket Club looked wonderful in that early morning illumination, the back-lit grass a vibrant darker shade of green, and the white pavilion shining in the golden light.

With few clouds in the sky, the weather forecast had been kind; no rain to fall and temperatures in a more comfortable range, rather than blistering heat. The stage was set and all we needed were the players.

Semi-final 1: Skipton pushed all the way

At 9:30am, the first semi-final got underway…with Menston battling Skipton for the first spot in the final.

Menston won the toss and decided to put their opponents into bat. Skipton settled really well and started to build an innings, playing some great shots all around the ground to bolster their total.

Millie Thompson-Barker and Lily Bell scored 32 and 31 respectively to retire not out, guiding Skipton to 112-7 in their 20 overs.

Menston’s reply was calm and measured; with the Leeds team just about matching their opponents’ run rate throughout their innings. Julia Manton’s brisk 30 (retired not out) in the middle order kept the momentum up.

One notable moment was a Skipton delivery that took a wicket. The ball hit the middle stump, sending it flying backwards. Once retrieved, it had to be replaced; broken by the force of the delivery!

As the penultimate over approached,  they needed 12. A superb 19th over saw Skipton take a wicket and restrict Menston to just two runs, setting up a tight final six deliveries.

First ball of that final over saw two runs added to the total…then two wickets fell and the game suddenly swung in Skipton’s favour.

Two dot balls and a seventh wicket on the final delivery… and Skipton had won the game by just seven runs and booked their place in the final.

Megan Batty (21 not out) took Menston close, aided the captain Kelly Jenkins (17). Skipton’s bowlers kept their composure with Millie Thompson-Barker (3-14) and Lily Bell (1-19) blending economy and wickets.

But, Clara Woolfall deserves a mention for her bowling at the death (1-12) but also a crucial run-out.

Semi-final 2: North Halifax apply the squeeze

The second semi-final had a different feel to it. North Halifax won the toss and decided to head into bat first. Against St. Chad’s Broomfield, they steadily took control through some big hitting. 

Captain Tilly Cotton, Olivia Cotton and Maddie Jenkins (below) all hit 30 runs and retired not out, while Lily Newman struck 26. Those batting fireworks helped North Halifax to 148-2 in their 20 overs. A big score!

St. Chad’s captain, Kelly Grobler, responded and stroked the ball around the ground, nonchalantly dismissing the ball to the boundary as she tried to keep the run rate up.

Risks had to be taken, and that led to her being run out as a superb pick up and throw left her stranded.

Contributions from Michelle MacVay (14) and Izzie Pridmore (22) saw St. Chad’s continue to score, but ultimately, North Halifax’s bowling and fielding were too good, as the run rate climbed.

In the end, North Halifax won the game comfortably by 57 runs to book their place in the final against Skipton.

The pick of the bowlers (statistically) was Maya Patel (1-6) but clinical spells that proved hard to get away meant this was a collective effort.

Although Menston and St. Chad’s had bowed out of the competition, they had contributed to what had already been a wonderful celebration of women’s cup cricket.

A final worthy of the day

There was a brief interlude for players and spectators to enjoy the warm summer afternoon, catch a breath, and partake of a few drinks and the wonderful pie and peas on offer.

I can confirm that the pie and peas certainly hit the spot…very welcome at that point! Then, it was then down to business – who would be lifting the cup?

North Halifax won the toss and opted to bat first. The game, almost immediately, had a different feel to either of the two previous games. It didn’t take long for the first wicket to fall, with Kirstin Smith bowled by Millie Thompson-Barker for two having faced only three deliveries.

The shock of losing a huge early wicket spurred Tilly Cotton and Lily Newman on…and they both retired not out, with Tilly reaching 33 and Lily 30.

Skipton were having success with the ball, chipping away with a wicket here and there, but more importantly, their superb fielding on the boundary restricted the runs.

At the innings close, North Halifax walked back to the pavilion having reached 114-5; an intriguing total that was both defendable and also vulnerable. It set up the reply perfectly.

Millie Thompson-Barker (2-14) & Lily Bell (1-21) had again been a potent opening bowling attack for Skipton.

Skipton (above) came out firing on all fronts, their run rate nearly matching North Halifax in the opening overs, then exceeding it in the middle part of the innings.

Millie Thompson-Barker (30 retired not out) launched the reply, meanwhile Lily Bell hit a quick 12 from nine deliveries before being stumped by Mily Newman, off Maddie Jenkins’ spin.

Olive Ratcliffe struck 20 from just 15 deliveries before being run out – one of three in the innings – as she pushed for more quick runs.

With five overs remaining, Skipton appeared to be in the driving seat. Clara Woolfall (21) was scoring a run a ball, forcing North Halifax’s fielders to retreat to the boundaries when she was on strike.

A tense 17th over saw Lauren Facey hit a boundary and run a few singles…Skipton added ten runs to sit just nine runs behind their opponents.

Three overs to go.

Cotton double

Next, a Cotton combination. A superb over from Tilly Cotton restricted Skipton to just two runs.

Olivia Cotton followed that up in the 19th by only giving away three runs…while dismissing the dangerous Lauren Facey, run out for nine.

The final over calculations? Skipton needed four runs to tie, five to win.

The first two deliveries were dot balls and you could have cut the tension with a knife.

The third ball saw Hannah Lamb trapped leg before off Tilly Cotton (2-14) to get the North Halifax supporters cheering loudly. A leg-bye then Clara Woolfall ran two in the penultimate ball of the game.

The equation boiled down to this: A single run would tie the game, more than that and Skipton would be celebrating.

It was so tense…you could have heard a pin drop as Tilly Cotton ran in to deliver the final ball.

Releasing the ball down the 22, Clara swung the bat…getting anything on the ball and we’d see her take off for at least a run.

The ball bounced, found a gap, the bails lifted from the stumps and the supporters roared in celebration.

A final wicket off the final ball in the Final: North Halifax had won the cup by the narrowest of margins.

I’ve said this, probably too many times this season…but then again, it deserves to be said many times…the quality of competition in women’s cricket in Yorkshire is now so very high.

The players taking part right now are the best there have ever been in the game – the future is so very bright.

Finals days like this act as a showcase for the large number of talented sportswomen playing recreational cricket right now.

Games like the three we had on Sunday are providing a compelling argument as to why women’s sport deserves more exposure in mainstream media, and the support of more sponsors.

Congratulations to North Halifax on winning the 2026 Premier Two Cup final; but huge applause must go to Skipton, Menston, and St. Chad’s Broomfield as well.

Low Moor Holy Trinity Cricket Club provided the wonderful stage for the teams to play on, and of course, none of this would have been possible without the superb organisation by the West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League.

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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.